"We know that we will soon no longer be able to rely on sufficient snow for the Lauberhorn races," reads an internal document. Ski racers shooting towards the Hundschopf in front of the north face of the Eiger in January could soon be a thing of the past.

The speed races and slalom in Wengen are a multi-million company whose existence is threatened by climate change. It is therefore actively looking for a way out of the impasse. Mountain bike downhill races could provide the solution in just a few years' time. The OC of the Lauberhorn Races has therefore submitted an initial provisional application for a World Cup race - in January!

The start and finish are to be taken over from the ski race and the course is also to be retained as far as possible. The 4.5-kilometre course is already notorious among skiers. For mountain bikers, it would be nothing short of a marathon, as existing World Cup courses are currently between 2 and 3 kilometers long. Not only are they a good half as long as the future course on the Lauberhorn, they also have only half as much difference in altitude. Downhill bikers will face a completely new challenge. Instead of the usual two and a half to three minutes, the riders will be on course for five minutes.

Ski or bike? Decision shortly before the race

A particularly daring concept is still being evaluated: the organizers want to hold the ski races for as many years as possible. This should be financially possible by preparing both ski and bike races in parallel and only deciding two weeks before the event whether the skiers or mountain bikers will take part.

This would mean that the Downhill World Cup would experience an early start to the season in winter - an additional challenge for the athletes, as most of them would then be in winter training in the southern hemisphere. The planning of training camps and the build-up of form must be based on probabilities and risk assessment. However, due to the high prize money (which is transferred from the ski to the bike races), the organizers are expecting the entire world elite in the Bernese Oberland.

Bike World Cup: Maps are being reshuffled

Not surprisingly, the first downhillers are expressing mixed feelings. Swiss overall World Cup winner Camille Balanche sums it up: "Riding the Lauberhorn course is a huge story. The backdrop and the worldwide media coverage are beyond anything we know from the UCI World Cup. But it makes preparation incredibly complicated. When do I train in the south? Should I get myself in race shape for mid-January, at the risk of it being for nothing and having to digest an initial drop in form? Or do I take the risk of training for the course, which sets completely new standards in terms of length and elevation gain? That could be dangerous." Nevertheless, Balanche is looking forward to the new challenge: "Our sport also has to evolve. This race could reshuffle the maps."