A total of 23 men's and 24 women's races have taken place through the end of January out of the 75 planned races for the entire season.

Club5 Ski Classics organizers have hosted 29 women's and men's events of all those held so far? states Club5 General Manager Hannes Huter. These include the classic races of Kitzbühel, Wengen, Adelboden, Cortina d'Ampezzo and Maribor in January, Lake Louise, Val d'Isére, St.Moritz, Gardena/Gröden, Alta Badia and Åre in December.

Two very charismatic individuals, Marcel Hirscher and Tina Maze, are leading the Overall World Cup ranking at this time. It's the primary goal of all Club5 members to prepare and execute races even in difficult meteorological conditions and secure the best possible conditions for the athletes to demonstrate their skills? says Club5 President Srecko Medven.

Club 5 member organizations have paid a total of 3.2 million SFR in prize monies through the end of January 2013. By season?s end, more than half of all the Ski World Cup prize money will have been provided by members of Club5 Ski Classic.

Following the World Championships in Schladming - a Club5 member since 1998 - will be Club5 racing events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Kvitfjell and Kranjska Gora ahead of the World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide.

Club5 is an association comprising 15 of the most classic Ski World Cup event organizers from Europe and North America. It was founded in 1986. The main goal of the association is to strengthen the sport of ski racing, to improve the quality of events and to find common solutions within the framework of existing organizations. Club5 is a strong and successful partner to the International Ski Federation (FIS), National Ski Associations, sponsors and all those institutions and individuals interested in ski sport.