ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. Cold, crisp conditions greeted the world’s fastest female alpine ski racers today in Lake Louise as they hit the slopes for the opening downhill training run of the 2010/2011 World Cup season.

Lindsey Vonn of the USA blasts down the course on her way to the sixth fastest time in the first training run for the Lake Louise Women's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta on Tuesday Nov. 30, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

The fastest racer of the day was France’s Marion Rolland who clocked a time of 1-minute, 31.70 seconds.

American skier Julia Mancuso was second fastest just 0.34 seconds back and Austria’s Andrea Fischbacher was in third, 0.50 off the top spot.
A very happy looking Mancuso said she was glad to be back on downhill skis again after the summer layoff and was looking forward to going faster and faster.

"It’s always nice to be back on the downhill boards. It’s nice to go fast and I definitely want to go faster over the next few days” Mancuso said with a big smile.

Overall World Cup champions Lindsey Vonn finished in 7th but said she always goes easy on day one.

“I though it was a really solid first run, normally I’m not very fast in my first training run so I’m happy with where I am.”

Canadian speed specialist Britt Janyk, who finished third here in the 2007 downhill, said she thought the course was in good shape overall.
“It was a bit icy in places, but you know it’s actually running really well. I think the slick spots, you don’t really feel them, it’s nice on downhill skis, you have a good long ski to support you so it’s running well.”

The breakthrough performance of the day came from Austria’s Stefanie Moser who started in 47th and finished in 5th.

DH Training Run 2 goes on Wednesday at 12:30 MT.

by Michael Mastarciyan
FISalpine.com
Tuesday 30 November 2010

Cuche fastest in first training at Beaver Creek

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – With speeds approaching 128 kilometers per hour and the sun beaming down, Didier Cuche was the fastest guy down the course during the first day of downhill training at Beaver Creek on Tuesday.

Swiss racer Didier Cuche creates a long shadow on the snow during training for the Men's World Cup downhill ski race in Beaver Creek, Colo., on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010. Cuche has the best run for the day. The downhill is scheduled for Friday. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

With a time of 1 minute, 47.80 seconds, Cuche was more than a half second faster than anyone else. France’s Adrien Theaux was next in 1:48.37 and Austrian Michael Walchhofer third in 1:48.46.

While admitting that training is training and speed doesn’t count until race day, Cuche said it still gives him a boost to open up his time at the venue as the fastest guy on the track.

“I don’t think it’s giving a tone for the week but it’s making me much more confident for starting the week,” said Cuche, who has been on the podium five times at Beaver Creek, including one super G victory in 2002. “I’m quite happy with the run and looking forward [to] going fast.”

Cuche said having a speedy first training run will help eliminate some time testing several different skis. He said perhaps he would try a second pair to compare in Wednesday’s training run.

I don’t have to look for the [best] skis, the boots, this season I feel ok with it without searching too much,” he said. “Hopefully we can make the second training run to try another skis, this one maybe wasn’t the fastest.”

Cuche also said the snow was in top condition for Tuesday’s run.

“I really liked the snow today,” he said. “In the inspection, I knew it would be really good to ski. The terrain is really marked, you have to work the line, keep a good line so you don’t have to fight to come back.”

Walchhofer’s teammates followed him closely in Tuesday’s training. Klaus Kroell was the fourth finisher, followed by Hans Grugger in fifth and Georg Streitberger sixth.

Rounding out the top 10, Erik Guay was seventh, Bode Miller eighth, Askel Lund Svindal ninth and Kjetil Jansrud 10th.

Carlo Janka, who swept all three races at Beaver Creek last year, was 23rd in training on Tuesday.

Training continues Wednesday and Thursday with racing beginning Friday with the downhill.

by Shauna Farnell
FISalpine.com
Wednesday 1 December 2010