The Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart races are the first speed races of the 2010-11 World Cup season and mark the first time this season skiers will gather for more than a single event per gender. Lake Louise has been hosting early season World Cup speed races since 1992, annually hosting both genders – in separate stops – since 1999. This season the men begin training today with a downhill slated Saturday (Nov. 27) and super G Sunday (Nov. 28). The ladies roll in Nov. 30 for a double downhill and super G Dec. 3-4-5.

FIS race director Helmuth Schmalzl will set the men’s downhill – as he will all of the men’s DH’s this season – and U.S. coach Chris Brigham sets the super G.

Swiss Didier Cuche won the downhill a season ago ahead of Italian Werner Heel and his own teammate and 2010 Skieur ‘d Or, Carlo Janka in third. Those three wound up the top three men in the final downhill standings with Cuche and Janka one-two.

The super G went to Manuel Osborne-Paradis followed – respectively – by Austrians Benjamin Raich and Michael Walchhofer. Canadian Erik Guay – fourth at Lake Louise – was the super G champion after finishing the season with a two race SG win streak. Walchhofer was second in the standings  and Raich fourth behind Aksel Lund Svindal.

In past seasons the Canadians have fared well on their own hill. Jan Hudec won the downhill in 2007 (08 season) and John Kucera the previous season. In both cases Lake Louise represents their only World Cup wins. Kucera crashed and was airlifted off last season in the super G and has not raced since. Also injured last season was American TJ Lanning who was airlifted off the downhill course. Neither athlete will race in this season’s races at Lake Louise.

Bode Miller won both races in 04 and remains the only U.S. male to win at the site. U.S. women have recorded 10 wins including seen from Lindsey Vonn / Kildow.

The track – named Men’s Olympic Downhill – is listed as dropping 791 meters with a start elevation of 2,481m, well over 8,000 feet.

The purse is 100,000 Swiss francs with 30,000 going to the winner and 2,000 to tenth place.

Official website is www.winterstartworldcup.com. – hm

Photos by Gepa