VAL D'ISERE, France (AFP) - The team event at the World Ski Championships scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled because heavy snow has not left enough time for the preparation of the piste, according to organisers.

The event, with nine nations entered, will not be able to be squeezed into the rest of the busy programme between Thursday and Sunday, which sees the men and women's giant slalom and slalom disciplines raced.

"The race jury cancelled the event because of heavy snowfalls and very windy conditions," organisers said Wednesday as snow finally stopped falling but wind continued to gust around the French resort.

"The snow patrols were forced to shut the piste on Tuesday evening and overnight.

"Having looked at weather forecasts for the rest of the week, it was decided that it was not possible to postpone the race."

Snow patrols worked early Wednesday to secure the Bellevarde piste where the team event was due to be held.

They projected some 50 kilos of dynamite in the fresh snow, and created avalanches with Gazex, a system with fixed tubes in which gaz explodes at the top of hills.

"There's too much snow, notably in the passages where the avalanches have been set off since Tuesday evening. Too much work, too much wind," said French team spokesman Maurice Adrait told AFP.

"Now they'll have to work to prepare the piste for the women's giant slalom on Thursday. There's less piste to clear: that can be done even if the forecast is not very good until the end of the week."