. world ski news : Hahnenkamm-Race: Racers brighten up a cloudy day for second training run - 21 January 2010 - 20:36
Adverse flat light conditions meant that the Rolex timing system for the Hahnenkamm course was brought down to the top of Mausefalle for the second training in Kitzbuehel. For many of the racers this slight shortening of the great course meant that they would approach the technically demanding Steilhang at a slightly lower speed but apart from that, the most notable difference many of the racers reported was the flat light that afflicted the course. This was the last chance the racers would get before the big day itself! With many of the big guns putting in determined runs, Mario Scheiber summed it up best "We shall see what Saturday brings..!"
Bode Miller posted the fastest time in the training run ahead of Didier Cuche with the wearer of the number 1 bib again making a fast time, Andre Sporn from Slovenia wearing it this time to take third. Aksel Lund Svindal took fourth ahead of Mario Scheiber who started nineteen today.
For many of the racers this was a chance to fine tune their line and make sure they were in good shape for the race on Saturday. Some racers had better runs than others and each racer had his own way of approaching the run. Marco Buechel, a past winner in the Super G explained that there was no need to take un-necessary risks yet felt that "I need to talk to my technician," as to why he was slow before adding "We had a good training run yesterday from the top, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks, it was definitely a chance to learn the line and get the feel of the conditions."
On the decision to start lower down, Buechel added "If you come with a lot of speed from the top, we already fly forty metres in the air off Mausefalle so with the wind it would be really dangerous."
Canadian Manuel Osborne-Paradis, one of the favourites for the race on Saturday, has not posted particularly fast times in training but knows that he is taking "baby steps in the right direction!" Osborne-Paradis is renowned for taking things gentle in training, "I did not take many risks today but if I manned up a little I would have been about two seconds out (instead of 2.66). I have a few places that I can improve on." As many people have said, you do not win anything for doing well in the training runs.
Asked where he could win the race on Saturday, Carlo Janka, another of the Downhill Race favourites responded, "there are a lot of important sections, the top is very important and the finish part from Hausbergkannte as well."
Maybe the best description comes from Mario Scheiber: "I think the most important section is between the start and finish!"
Tomorrow sees the Super G and the return to his spiritual home of five times winner Rolex Testimonee Hermann Maier, this time watching from the bottom as a very special VIP guest!
Hahnenkamm-Race
January 21, 2010
Kitzbuehel, Austria