The FIS Cross-Country Alpen Cup, OPA Alpen Cup (alpine nations ski association)^[1][2] or simply Alpen Cup is one of the nine FIS Cross-Country Continental Cups, a series of second-level cross-country skiing competitions ranked below the Cross-Country World Cup. It is arranged by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the ski associations of the alpine countries.

History

After the Alpen Cup had been held as a junior series for several years, the 2004 FIS Congress in Miami incorporated Alpen Cup as an official continental cup, ranked as a second-level competition ranked below the Cross-Country World Cup. Even today there is still a Youth Alpen Cup, which is held under the name Under-18 according to the same rules as the senior's Alpen Cup. Cross-country skiers from all member associations affiliated to the International Ski Federation can take part in Alpen Cup, but only athletes from OPA members can collect points according to the FIS points system. These member associations are Andorra, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. At the end of each season, the overall winner will be determined from the points awarded, which will then get a personal starting place in the beginning of the following World Cup season.

In contrast to World Cup ratings, the three worst results can be removed out of the overall ranking, but only if more than twelve competitions are held in the relevant season. In the competitions themselves, there is also a U-20 rating for women and men in addition to the senior's competition. In addition to the overall ranking, winners are also determined in the sprint and distance rankings. The best nation is also honoured. The overall winners receive trophies and prize money.

Similar to the Tour de Ski in the World Cup, two mini-tours over three stages each are being held as part of the Alpen Cup. The top 30 athletes on the mini-tour will be awarded double points for the overall standings. In addition, the European Cross-Country Skiing Championship has been held annually as a U-18 competition of the European Ski Federation (ESF) as part of the Alpen Cup since 2011.

World Cup qualification

In the end of certain periods, the overall leaders for both genders receive a place in the World Cup in the following period. The overall winners of the season receive a place in the World Cup in the beginning of the following season.

Overall winners

Men

Season	Winner	Second	Third
2004–05	Roland Clara	Thomas Moriggl	Tom Reichelt
2005–06	Loris Frasnelli	Benoît Chauvet	Florian Kostner
2006–07	Dario Cologna	Giovanni Gullo	David Hofer
2007–08	Florian Kostner (1)	Tom Reichelt	Kay Bochert
2008–09	Florian Kostner (2)	Fulvio Scola	Benoît Chauvet
2009–10	Dietmar Nöckler	Fulvio Scola	Andreas Katz
2010–11	Andy Kühne	Thomas Bing	Luca Orlandi
2011–12	Marco Mühlematter	Ivan Perrillat Boiteux	Jonas Baumann
2012–13	Franz Göring	Sebastian Eisenlauer	Lucas Bögl
2013–14	Paul Goalabre (1)	Francesco De Fabiani	Andy Kühne
2014–15	Paul Goalabre (2)	Markus Weeger	Giandomenico Salvadori
2015–16	Giandomenico Salvadori	Damien Tarantola	Valentin Chauvin
2016–17	Maicol Rastelli	Sergio Rigoni	Irineu Esteve Altimiras
2017–18	Jean Tiberghien (1)	Beda Klee	Valentin Chauvin
2018–19	Valentin Chauvin	Jean Tiberghien	Simone Daprà
2019–20	Jean Tiberghien (2)	Jules Chappaz	Stefano Gardener
2020–21	Arnaud Chautemps	Renaud Jay	Friedrich Moch

Women

Season	Winner	Second	Third
2004–05	Coraline Hugue	Nicole Fessel	Katrin Zeller
2005–06	Katrin Zeller	Magda Genuin	Anke Reschwamm Schulze
2006–07	Marina Piller	Antje Mämpel	Émilie Vina
2007–08	Manuela Henkel	Karin Moroder	Doris Trachsel
2008–09	Silvia Rupil	Laura Orgué	Ursina Badilatti
2009–10	Anouk Faivre Picon	Virginia De Martin Topranin	Denise Herrmann
2010–11	Monique Siegel (1)	Elodie Bourgeois Pin	Coraline Hugue
2011–12	Célia Aymonier	Lucia Scardoni	Sandra Ringwald
2012–13	Monique Siegel (2)	Sandra Ringwald	Laura Orgué
2013–14	Francesca Baudin	Sara Pellegrini	Giulia Stürz
2014–15	Lucia Scardoni	Giulia Stürz	Elisabeth Schicho
2015–16	Julia Belger	Monique Siegel	Laura Gimmler
2016–17	Caterina Ganz	Theresa Eichhorn	Pia Fink
2017–18	Antonia Fräbel (1)	Sara Pellegrini	Julia Belger
2018–19	Antonia Fräbel (2)	Lydia Hiernickel	Ilaria Debertolis
2019–20	Ilaria Debertolis	Sara Pellegrini	Elisa Brocard
2020–21	Lisa Lohmann	Désirée Steiner	Coletta Ryzdek

References

External links

• Rules of the Organisation der Alpenländer-Skiverbände 2014/15 (in German)
• Overview over Alpencup history at Weltcup-B.org (in German)