No points, but learned a lot - Simon Jocher at the World Cup in Val Gardena, Nadine Kapfer with her debut in Val d'Isère

Now it worked: Nadine Kapfer made her debut in the World Cup.

There were no points, but a lot of experience.

This also applies to Simon Jocher.

Schongau / Peiting -

It wasn't about the results, but about gaining experience.

Seen in this way, the past weekend was successful for Simon Jocher from Schongau and Nadine Kapfer from Peitingen, even without World Cup points.

In the speed area, the definition of a successful weekend is different for young racers in the World Cup.

Even without top results and points in the account, a race weekend can be quite satisfactory.

Or “instructive”, as Simon Jocher puts it.

"Educational" is by no means meant negatively.

Because the fact is simple: “We still have to learn a lot and gain a lot of experience,” said the 24-year-old Schongauer, who started for SC Garmisch.

A World Cup race is simply something completely different from the European Cup.

Nadine Kapfer also sees it that way, who after the cancellation of the two Super-G races in St. Moritz now actually kicked off a World Cup starting house in Val d'Isère (France) for the first time.

"It was cool, but everything was totally unfamiliar and also significantly more demanding than at the FIS or European Cup races." The route alone is a completely different challenge.

"You have to feel your way around first," says Kapfer, at the age of 20 one of the youngest women speed drivers in the World Cup.

“In the first training session I managed to do that surprisingly well in the upper section, but then I cut it and fell.

That slows you down a bit, ”she admitted frankly.

Shock moment when the opponent falls

Her first split times were in the top 20. After the fall, she lined up further back, skipped the downhill race as planned and then did not finish in the Super-G.

“But I still gained a lot of experience.” This also included witnessing the fall of Austrian Nicole Schmidhofer - she cut the safety net with her skis and suffered a serious knee injury - up close.

"Then you start thinking that it will happen to even the best," admits Kapfer.

Of course, there are also serious falls at European Cup races.

"But you don't see them."

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Things didn't go well yet: Nadine Kapfer was eliminated in the Super-G at Val d'Isère.

She did not start in the downhill.

© GEPA pictures / Mario Buehner via www.imago-images.de

Jocher also sees the World Cup as something completely different.

In addition, every route is also something new.

“Val Gardena, for example, has many high jumps,” says the 24-year-old.

You're in the air for a long time.

It takes a different approach than in Val d'Isère.

For Jocher in the first training session, which he finished in 27th place, as well as in the downhill race, when a 37th place jumped out, can be described as quite successful.

And although he is not that experienced with high jumps, he had just finished his fastest section over the notorious camel hump, which meant the 19th time in the race on this section of the "Saslong".

However, he had already left the decisive time to a place among the top 30 drivers up in the gliding passage.

"Gliding is still not my thing, and if you make a small mistake in front of the flat piece, there is simply too much time gone in the World Cup," analyzed the Schongauer.

Always give full throttle

The Super-G is similarly merciless.

“Of course, I get a lot of information from the track thanks to my high starting number.

Nevertheless you always have to give full throttle in the World Cup, and then mistakes just happen and you end up at the back of the field, ”said Jocher.

In Val Gardena, the Schongauer had to be modest with 54th place out of 54 riders who crossed the finish line.

To change that, it takes experience, experience, experience.

Jocher would like to collect these at the World Cup in Bormio (Italy) between the years and then on as many other World Cup tracks as possible in the new year.

“I'm curious about it.

And the more routes I can get to know, the better. "

Nadine Kapfer will probably be going back to the European Cup after Christmas.

"That is my focus this year, I would like to really gain a foothold here." But if there is another event in the World Cup, the Peitinger will certainly not say no: "Because Val d'Isére definitely made you want more." KATHRIN EBENHOCH