Kitzbuehel: Bode wins training, Albrecht injured

He’s won downhill races at Lake Louise, Beaver Creek, Bormio, Wengen and Kvitfjell. Last season, he was second at Kitzbuehel, by .27 of a second to Didier Cuche. But the win at Kitzbuehel, at least in downhill, has thus far eluded Bode Miller.  It’s the one win anyone who has ever raced downhill wants more than any other.

Thursday, in the final training run ahead of the 69th annual running of Saturday’s Hahnenkamm downhill, Miller beat everyone else down the hill, edging Cuche by .26 and registering a time 1.64 seconds faster than any other competitor.

It was a hand-delivered message to the homestanding Austrians, the Swiss, the Italians, the Canadians, everybody. Bode Miller intends to win Kitzbuehel’s fabeled downhill.He’s won downhill races at Lake Louise, Beaver Creek, Bormio, Wengen and Kvitfjell. Last season, he was second at Kitzbuehel, by .27 of a second to Didier Cuche. But the win at Kitzbuehel, at least in downhill, has thus far eluded Bode Miller.  It’s the one win anyone who has ever raced downhill wants more than any other.

Thursday, in the final training run ahead of the 69th annual running of Saturday’s Hahnenkamm downhill, Miller beat everyone else down the hill, edging Cuche by .26 and registering a time 1.64 seconds faster than any other competitor.

It was a hand-delivered message to the homestanding Austrians, the Swiss, the Italians, the Canadians, everybody. Bode Miller intends to win Kitzbuehel’s fabeled downhill.

Miller’s efforts were overshadowed by a training run crash from Daniel Albrecht. The Swiss ace, one of three men this season to have scored in all five disciplines, was airlifted off the course to hospital. Preliminary reports indicate he sustained a head injury and a collapsed lung. He was taken to Innsbruck hospital and put into an artificial coma by doctors, according to Swiss reports.

Swiss team spokesperson Diana Fah reports Albrecht is listed in “stable” condition.

There were 11 disqualifications on the day with the U.S. collecting three of them, all at the same gate. Marco Sullivan, Bryon Friedman and Kevin Francis all missed the next to last gate on the hill. Ted Ligety lost a ski higher on the course and found room to ski off safely.

TJ Lanning posted the 11th best time and Andrew Weibrecht was stunning in nabbing 13th in his second time down the course.

“I just tried to ramp it up a little bit, carve more and charge a little harder and still be safe,” said Weibrecht. “I guess it worked.”

He said he was looking forward to the actual competition, starting tomorrow with a super G. “

The crowd (Thursday) for a training run is as big as many World Cups. I’m just excited to take everything in, the whole experience.”

“It’s a little more Kitzbuehelish today,” said Sullivan. “It was about five seconds faster, so speeds were up. It was cold overnight so the course was hard. A little bumpier, a little icier. And it’s just getting more fun every day.”

The Austrians were led by Klaus Kroell in third, Michael Walchhofer fifth, Christoph Gruber eighth and Hermann Maier ninth. Both Walchhofer and Maier have won the race in the past.

Did not start 1st run: NYMAN Steven (USA), OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel (CAN), REICHELT Hannes (AUT), STRODL Peter (GER)

Did not finish 1st run: ALBRECHT Daniel (SUI), LIGETY Ted (USA)

Disqualified 1st run: JANKA Carlo (SUI), GORZA Ales (SLO), STREITBERGER Georg (AUT), SULLIVAN Marco (USA), THANEI Stefan (ITA), ALSTER Christoph (AUT), DEFAGO Didier (SUI), FRANCIS Kevin (USA), FRIEDMAN Bryon (USA), JAERBYN Patrik (SWE), SPORN Andrej (SLO)