World Cup Finals notebook: Ready for the Rahlves Invitational?

World Cup Finals notebook: Ready for the Rahlves Invitational?{mosimage}But what about the skis?
With Daron Rahlves leaving international ski racing, an essential question remains: What will happen to all those super-fast Atomic skis? Rahlves settled that mystery on Friday, telling Ski Racing he would let most of them go back into the system.
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'Obviously they're Atomic skis and Thomas will keep them' said Rahlves, referring to his serviceman Thomas Buergler. 'They just go back into the system, wherever Tom goes. They're basically his skis, and I just ski on them. I don't put any time into them. I just get in the gate.'
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But Rahlves said he may keep a few pairs just in case. 'I could snag a few to have at home, memories, or to just yank out if I do a Rahlves Invitational – a Chinese downhill and a giant slalom, or something.'
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What is the Rahlves Invitational? Nothing yet, but Rahlves is considering putting the race together at Sugar Bowl, Calif., near his home in Truckee. He would like to get some current World Cup racers to join in, but he's 'not sure if they could handle it' given the demands that it would inflict upon people.
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'GS, skiercross, Chinese downhill: try to merge all the sides of skiing together in one big event' he said. 'Throw in two or three or probably 10 times the amount of money on the FIS World Cup.'
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More praise for 'Johno'
Athletes and coaches heaped praise on John McBride, the coach of the U.S. team's downhill and super G squad who will depart at the end of the season after 10 years with the team. In particular, Bode Miller said McBride would be difficult for the U.S. team to replace.
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'Johno started on the team the same year I did, in 1995-96, so it feels like it's definitely a changing of the guard right now, which is not nice if you like the current situation, which I do' said Miller. 'Johno's one of those guys who not only creates an atmosphere where the guys feel comfortable and everybody can enjoy themselves and race hard, but he's able to inspire people through his personality.'
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The big globes
Miller, by the way, is the reigning overall World Cup champion for one more day. Saturday, Benjamin Raich and Janica Kostelic will receive the big crystal globes that go with being the overall champions for the 2005-06 season.
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Raich, an all-around threat at 28, won his 23rd World Cup race on Friday. A modest and prudent skier, the Pitztal native finished second to Miller in the overall World Cup standings last year, but managed to win both the men's slalom title and the GS title. This season, he has won seven World Cup races, the Olympic slalom and giant slalom, and the giant slalom discipline title.
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Kostelic, now 24, won three gold medals and a silver at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, making her a hero in her home nation of Croatia. This season, in Torino, she won the combined and finished second in the super G. She won the overall title in 2001 and 2003, sat out 2004 with a thyroid condition, and returned last season to earn 1,356 World Cup points, losing the overall title to her friend Anja Paerson of Sweden by just three points.
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Team event set for Sunday
The U.S. team still has not announced its starters for the nations team event, but all three of the women who are still in Sweden are expected to race: Resi Stiegler, Lindsey Kildow and Julia Mancuso. According to Bode Miller himself, he will not race.
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Norway will not compete in the event because of a lack of enough women. Austria will start Benni Raich, Stephan Goergl and Reinfried Herbst on the men's side. The Swedish team consists of Patrik Jaerbyn, Markus Larsson, Andre Myhrer, Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Jessica Lindell Vikarby and Janette Hargin.