Chamonix is in line for a €6.5 million investment boost after the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Aura) region approved new funding.
€3m for Kandahar piste improvements in Les Houches
The biggest component of €3 million will see a redesign of ‘La Verte des Houches’ – the very non-green slope that has hosted the famous Kandahar downhill races.
Starting in the summer of 2018 and wrapping up in the autumn of 2019, ‘La Verte des Houches’ will undergo major renovations so that it can continue hosting the World Cup downhill.
The last time the race was hosted in Les Houches was in 2016, when it drew 30,000 spectators, and made a huge contribution to the economy of the Chamonix valley.
This renovation was described by Eric Founier, a vice president of the regional council, as “a huge project in terms of tourist influence, that also reflects the identity of the territory and its excellence in sports competitions”
The hope is that the works should ensure Chamonix will host the Kandahar event at least every two years. Since its first edition in Chamonix in 1948, the Kandahar has not managed to remain a regular fixture on the World Cup calendar.
However, based on the planned work, the ISF has already confirmed it will take place in 2020 and 2021.
Investment in the Sports Centre and Montenvers
Another investment will go into the renovation of Chamonix’s sports centre. And the continued redevelopment of Montenvers will also see €1.5m spent, following the reopening of the hotel on the site in the summer of 2017.
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