Maze out to extend World Cup advantage in Bansko

TinaMaze - Cropped

Tina Maze has the chance to stretch her overall FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup lead in the Alpine combined on Sunday after cancelled races disrupted the latest round of action on Friday and Saturday.

Heavy fog in Bansko has limited time in the slopes ahead of the race, with Friday's super-G already rescheduled for Monday and only 13 skiers able to take to the piste on Saturday before proceedings were cancelled again.

The lack of action in Bulgaria, where Lindsey Vonn has already raised concerns about the snow covering at the bottom of the run, sees the Alpine combined take on extra significance, with vital World Cup points on offer.

"At least the sun is coming out a little bit today," Vonn posted on Instagram on Saturday. "Snow on the bottom could be a problem but we'll see if the course workers can get it ready to race."

Sunday will first see a super-G race for the competitors to negotiate, before they return in the slalom to decide the points.

Maze currently leads the overall rankings by 84 points from Anna Fenninger, but the Slovenian has not won a race since the giant slalom in Are, Sweden in December.

That has given Fenninger plenty of encouragement in the chase of Maze, with a run of three successive second places before the World Championships giving her season impetus.

Both racers enjoyed success at Beaver Creek with two golds and a silver apiece - with Maze taking the Alpine combined - setting them up perfectly for a World Cup battle.

Vonn, meanwhile, has more combined race wins than any other female skier with five to her name, seeing her claim three World Cup titles in the discipline.

The American sits fourth overall in the overall standings thanks to three wins in the last five events, although Mikaela Shiffrin's slalom victory in Maribor saw her leap above countrywoman Vonn.

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