Event: Italy

Bobsleigh World Cup

When:	19 - 31 Jan 2009 (annual)
Where:	Cesana

The Italian resort of Cesana, near Turin, hosts this Bobsleigh World Cup competition, featuring both men's and women's races.

Bobsled racing was once the preserve of the adventurous rich, who took to the Alpine resorts in search of excitement. As its popularity grew it gained recognition and was actually included in the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix. Although the first competition only included the Alpine nations, enthusiasm for bobsleigh has now spread around the world, leading to the Bobsleigh World Cup.

Its popularity is easy to explain. Every snowfall sends children deliriously running to the nearest hill, sled in hand. Bobsledding is this impulse taken to its logical extreme. In the Bobsleigh World Cup teams hurtle down the 1500-metre track, reaching speeds of 140kph and experiencing forces of up to 4G! The skill levels and bravery necessary to take on the testing Turin track are phenomenal, and the dangers are very real.