The SachsenEnergie ice channel in Altenberg is starting the 2024/2025 winter season these days. The starting signal for the icing of the racing sled and bobsleigh track (RSBB) in the Eastern Ore Mountains was given promptly at 6 p.m. on October 14th, when ice master Ralf Mende started the cooling machines for the 42nd time – together with his “apprentice” Tobias Kühnel. At the end of last week, the track was ready for the first trips on ice: on October 18th, the young sledder Tizian Grancagnolo from Chemnitz was the first athlete to pass the SachsenEnergie ice track this season.
At the same time, the last construction work has taken place over the past few days and weeks, including on the new press house, which District Administrator Michael Geisler officially inaugurated this Wednesday, as well as preparations for a season with numerous international and national competitions. In December 2024, the IBSF Bob & Skeleton World Cup presented by SachsenEnergie and in January 2025 the EBERSPÄCHER Toboggan World Cup will be stopping at Kohlgrund. In addition, Altenberg will host the IBSF Junior Bobsleigh World Championships presented by E.INFRA in February 2025. The first decisions of the season will be made tomorrow, Thursday (October 24th) at the German Skeleton Championships.
The RSBB owner is the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district. District Administrator Michael Geisler: “Thanks to the continuous modernization of the SachsenEnergie ice channel, in the past with the installation of photovoltaic systems as well as with the current innovations, we will have a first-class venue in Altenberg for national and international competitions. By expanding this outstanding location, we not only support the athletes, but also the local clubs and their promotion of young talent. At the same time, we are promoting tourism in our region and sustainably strengthening the positive reputation of our district.”
The eponymous SachsenEnergie AG continues to be a reliable partner. “Promoting young talent and competitive sports is very important to us. With the Altenberg racing sled and bobsleigh track, we also support the region’s business and tourism location. We continue to be a reliable partner for Wintersport Altenberg GmbH and are looking forward to a successful season,” says Constance Jacob, responsible for sponsorship at SachsenEnergie AG.
Jens Morgenstern, OC boss and managing director of the railway operator Wintersport Altenberg (Osterzgebirge) GmbH (WiA): “A very eventful summer lies behind us. Both the construction work and the preparation for the season challenged us again. We also held two safety conferences as a result of the training crashes on February 13, 2024. Coaches, association officials, bobsleigh builders, bobsleigh track designers, safety experts, track owners and we as track operators have considered and advised together how we can make the sport safer. Topics such as structural measures, sled construction, prevention and rules of conduct were discussed; there will be a research project on safety in bobsleigh sports. Our primary goal is to minimize risk in these interesting racing sports. However, this is not just the responsibility of the track owners, track operators and competition organizers, but is a global task for everyone involved in this sport.”
Further construction work on the SachsenEnergie ice channel
Immediately after the end of last season, the track area in Altenberg’s Kohlgrund turned into a large construction site again. Numerous large and small projects were on the agenda. The Free State of Saxony and the Saxon Switzerland-Oster Ore Mountains district invested a total of around 1.5 million euros for necessary structural measures, plus WiA’s own contributions amounting to around 100,000 euros.
The work on the press house below the TV compound has been completed. The building near curve 14 has not been usable since 2020. The partially new building was originally supposed to be available for the 2024 Luge World Championships, but there were serious delays due to the poor condition of the existing building structure. The press house has now been expanded to include a second floor and now has twice as much space as before. The building has also been completely modernized. In addition to sufficient space and the best technical conditions for journalists from all over the world to work, the new press house has a fully equipped kitchen and two toilets per floor. The construction project was financed by the Free State of Saxony and the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district. The costs amount to around 950,000 euros.
In addition, extensive work on the refrigeration technology was required. 22 valve stations along the track were replaced, concrete renovations were carried out and outdated cooling pipes were replaced. Various modernizations were also carried out in the refrigeration machine house, including network technology and control as well as fire protection.
Repairs to parts of the refrigeration technology and the construction of additional roofing were also financed from our own funds, for example at the children’s start in curve 11, in the crossing of curves 13/14 and in curve 15. The planking at the exit and the side panels on the start houses were renewed and numerous potholes on the roads along the ice channel closed. The energy optimization continued with the change of the lighting in the Omega from tube to LED technology.
Two World Cups, a Junior World Championship and many more races
Before Christmas, the IBSF Bob & Skeleton World Cup presented by SachsenEnergie will stop in Altenberg (December 2nd – 8th, 2024). While the skeletonis will compete for World Cup points in Asia, the second weekend in December marks the official start of the season for the world’s best bobsleigh teams. In the second week of January 2025, Altenberg will be the fifth stop for the EBERSPÄCHER Toboggan World Cup (January 6-12, 2025), the highest international racing series in tobogganing. And in February 2025, the world’s best young bobsleighers will first come to the IBSF European Cup (February 4-8, 2025) and then to the highlight of the season, the IBSF Junior World Championships presented by E.INFRA (February 10-16, 2025), at the SachsenEnergie- Ice channel. In addition, numerous competitions will take place at national level until the end of the season in early March 2025.
Tickets in advance and VVO combination ticket
The two World Cups in December and January are now under www.weltcup-altenberg.de Tickets available. Day tickets for the race days cost 15.00 euros in advance, fan tickets are available for 10.00 euros per person – with a minimum purchase of ten tickets. Children, schoolchildren, students and the severely disabled have free entry. On training days, entry costs 8.00 euros per person. By the way: The exclusive pre-sale prices are 2.00 euros cheaper than buying tickets at the box office. And all tickets purchased in advance are valid as a ticket on all local transport in the entire Oberelbe transport association area on the day printed on the event (except special means of transport).
With a VIP ticket you can make your visit to the World Cup a very special experience. The exclusive package includes, among other things, access to the VIP area with a panoramic view of the finish area, regional buffet catering, free choice of drinks as well as live broadcast of the races on large flat screens, shuttle service and exclusive tours of the event site.
A bobsleigh flat rate is available for the IBSF European Cup (04.02.-08.02.2025) and the IBSF Junior World Championships (10.02.-16.02.2025). For the entire period, fans can purchase a season ticket for 15.00 euros per person, which covers entry to all training and competition days from February 4th to 16th, 2025. Or you can choose a day ticket for 6.00 euros, which entitles you to enter on any day of training or competition. These special tickets will be available online from November 1, 2024 www.bobbahnaltenberg.ticket.io Also available in advance and on the day of the event at the box office on site.
Guest bobsleigh and ice tubing
Anyone who would like to experience the adrenaline rush in the ice channel for themselves will have several opportunities to do so again this season with the guest bobsleigh and ice tubing, for the first time next weekend. All information and dates are available online at www.sachsenenergie-eiskanal.de.
Race calendar SaxonyEnergy Ice Canal 2024/2025
(subject to change)
________________________________________
The SachsenEnergie Ice Canal in Altenberg is a traditional venue for international and national competitions in luge, bobsleigh and skeleton sports. The first national competitions took place here in late autumn 1986 under construction site conditions, before homologation by the world skating sports associations FIBT (now IBSF) and FIL took place in 1987 and the first international bobsleigh race was held. Since 1991, Altenberg has hosted nine World Championships (1991 Bobsleigh, 1996 Luge, 1998 Skeleton, 2000 Bobsleigh, 2008 Bob & Skeleton, 2012 Luge, 2020 Bob & Skeleton, 2021 Bob & Skeleton, 2024 Luge) as well as numerous Junior World Championships, World Cups and European Championships.
________________________________________
