With faces taped against the cold the World Cup elite attacked the full length of the Beaver Creek Birds of Prey in the second training run for downhill Thursday (Dec.3). With bright sun and temps one degree about zero the final result looked as might be expected: Michael Walchhofer, Didier Cuche, Didier Defago and Aksel Svindal in that order.

Highlight those results with one for the home team as Bode Miller, a two time winner here, stuck it in for fifth, a testament to his return to form.

The course sported some new twists, running “turnier” in the parlance of  racing, but not a whole lot slower. Today’s training times were slower than 11 of the previous downhill races down Birds of Prey, but faster than three earlier races, and skiers reported getting some good distance off the five major jumps.

“It is good (that) Schmalzl (FIS course setter Helmet Schmalzl) put out the gates a little bit around the Pumphouse,” said Walchhofer. It’s a little bit slower because on this slope you become so fast that I think it was very clever of him.”

The presumption before the race was that the cold would keep the snow a bit sticky and that times would be slow. “It’s funny because everyone thought it was going to be so slow because the temperatures were so low,” said Marco Buechel, the eighth place finisher, “but it was so fast on top. Trust me, come Saturday, it’s going to be a hell ride.”

Training runs serve a purpose and to a man the skiers felt they had room for improvement.

“It (the Birds of Prey course) is in great shape, it is perfect preparation,” said Walchhofer, but also said he was not the best at gliding and could improve. “I think the last part was perfect but in the middle I really need to do better for Saturday.”

Cuche, too, said he was going to look closely at the coaches video, though he was discontented about his performance in the same section Walchhofer was satisfied with. “I have to watch the last 30 seconds, there I was too much on the right leg,” said Cuche. “I think I have to tighten some lines, but I was quite happy about the run.”

Steven Nyman, the first skier out of the start house had a strong run, (he wound tied in eighth with Buechel) and said he was one of a very few skiers to have started before the sun hit the top of the course. “I really got thrown around up there,” he said pointing to a spot well up the course. “It’s fun, of course, with the jumps and everything, but it’s different than it has ever been set.”

The course did hold up well and that resulted in some nice results from back in the pack. Yannick Bertrand made seventh from the 42nd start. Mario Scheiber 12th from the 39th start and Natko Zrncic-Dim moved from 64th to finish 16th.

The Canadians had a so-so day with Robbie Dixon leading the pack in 13th and Erik Guay in 17th. Beyond Miller and Nyman there wasn’t a lot for the U.S. to cheer about either. Ted Ligety, who is aiming at a combined placing Friday and won’t race the downhill Saturday was the next in a U.S. uniform in 36th.

But this was just a training run, and Svindal may have been summed up the feelings of the athletes skiing the course in this tune-up event after testing a portion of the course in marginal weather the previous day. “It sure felt better than just half of it,” he said. “It’s a good course for sure. The top part is my favorite part so I’m glad we got to do that today.”

Walchhofer photo by GEPA
Cover photo of Cuche by Julie Shipman