ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. LAKE LOUISE, Canada- It’s Saturday and it’s finally race day, but the weather decided not to ease things up for the men’s race. Not much of a consolation, but the snowy, windy and flat light conditions are not that much different from what Lake Louise experienced in the two disputed training runs. So at least all racers knew what to expect coming down the course. But luckily, by start time, the weather actually started to cooperate and we were able to witness a really amazing speed season opening race.

Didier Cuche of Switzerland takes 1st place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's Downhill on November 26, 2011 in Lake Louise, Canada. (November 25, 2011 - Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

And what an exciting race and tight podium today in Lake Louise!

Didier Cuche was once again the king of Downhill, taking home his 18th career victory, 10th in Downhill. With a time of 1 minute, 47.28 seconds, Cuche left behind his young teammate Beat Feuz by just .06 seconds. But the real surprise of the day came when bib number 45, Hannes Reichelt, put down an amazing run, finishing in third position, only .08 seconds behind Cuche. It was so that an unlucky Romed Baumann got pushed unexpectedly off of the podium.

“Hopefully they are not mad I am still here fighting for a victory or a good place. It was really strange; my training runs didn’t go so well. The first training run did not go so good, and in the second I lost two seconds, that’s why I had to laugh when I saw it was a green light for me today. I made a lot of changes to my ski and boot setting this morning, and I was hoping I would get the luck of some good weather, with no wind. In the end I had some stable weather and it was nice to ski,” Cuche said at the press conference.

At the age of 37, Cuche is in better physical shape than ever. But he said there is no real secret to it, apart from hard work.

 “In Spring I was thinking about the future and knew I had to work hard to stay on this level. Getting old makes it harder to stay in good shape, but I did the work. I think everyone is doing heavy work in summer. It might not have been fun every day but I did it. And it paid off today.”

“It's easier starting the season and going into a race when you have something in your backpack, that helps me being quieter and cooler while I wait for the race to finish. But before the season you can’t answer about a crystal globe, I can’t even answer about tomorrow. I go season by season, first I have to finish this one before thinking of the next one,” he commented on starting the speed season with a victory.

Even though his English is way better than he wants to believe, Feuz prefers to speak German. But no language barrier could hide how thrilled he was to be sharing the podium with teammate Cuche.

“Great start of the season, with a second place it’s sensational. It’s so good to be second, I am really happy, especially only having Cuche being faster then me. I don’t see it as if I lost the first place, I won the second.” said a smiling Feuz. But there might not be too much time to celebrate today.

“I hope to make it into the top 30 in the Super G race, with my start number I just hope to show some good skiing,” he added, his mind already set on Saturday’s Super G.

Crossing the finish line, Hannes Reichelt leaned back on his back in disbelief. Starting with bib 45, his expectations from today’s race were set much lower than a podium.

“Its great because Lake Louise is normally not my slope. I was hoping for a top 30 placement, the trainings were good so I had a lot of self confidence, I wished a top 15 or 20 result. But coming into the finish area, I saw the third place and that was really a surprise. With start number 45 it was sure not easy. Last year there were some icy turns, while this year conditions were consistent from start to finish. That’s good for us racers to find the good setup. After the trainings, the decision I could start was made. Now the pressure of qualifying is off and I can focus on the next races,” he said about his first career Downhill podium.

It was really looking good for both the Swiss and Austrian teams today.

“It was a pretty good race today, trainings have been pretty good too. It was nearly what I was expecting, to be in the top 10, so it was OK,” said Joachim Puchner, one of the four Austrians in the top eight today.

With Ante Kostelic setting Sunday’s Super G race in his unique setting style, Puchner shared some thoughts on that topic.

“Ante Kostelic is setting the course maybe it gets a bit strange, but it will be the same for everyone. We’ll just have to work it. He might set something strange, it could be very difficult but I hope I can handle it.” We will all have to wait and see, but chances are he might be right when expecting a great deal of challenges from Sunday’s SG.

A surprising name to be seen among the top 15 was for sure Kjetil Jansrud’s. He might be a GS specialist, but after putting down an amazing run, he couldn’t stop smiling.

“I don’t know what to say, I didn’t expect to be this fast today and I don’t expect to be this fast in the next race. I’m just enjoying today and we will see. Coming into Lake Louise I had some good training, I know I’ve been fast but training versus race is two different things. I’m 11th now and I’m happy.

Sunday has a SG scheduled, and let’s see what surprises that might bring.

by Ana Jeusic
FISalpine.com
Saturday 26 November 2011