Hermann Maier (AUT)

First Training Day
Austria's Christian Greber, who is still aiming to qualify for the coming World Championships in Vail, clocked the fastest time in the second training run held on the treacherous "Streif" course at Kitzbühel.

The 26-year-old racer from Mellau, still a member of the "B" team, beat, by 44/100, Italy's Kristian Gedhina, the only Italian to have won the famous "Hahnenkamm" downhill race here in Kitzbühel, the most prestigious alpine ski event on the tour.

Switzerland's Bruno Kernen, the defending World Champion in that specialty, was 3rd at 92/100, followed by Italy's Peter Runggaldier and Switzerland's Didier Cuche, one of the two winners here in Kitzbühel. The racers were pleased by the excellent course conditions on the 3500 meter-long course.

"I have never seen the course in such a good shape," said Italy's Pietro Vitalini who survived a terrible crash in 1995 in a first race held in the morning to finish 5th in the second one in the afternoon".

Canada's Brian Stemmle crashed and injured himself badly at a knee. Ten years ago he had already a bad accident on the upper part of the "Streif." He was lucky to survive it. The 32-year-old skier from Aurora may well be forced to retire after undergoing another surgery. He was very unlucky last year's Olympic race at Nagano when he skied off course after having clocked the fastest intermediate time.

In the past, many Canadian skiers reached have had success and gained fame on this run - Ken Read, Steve Podborski and Todd Brooker were able to beat the Europeans four times from 1980 to 1983. Many of the top specialists, such as Norway's Kjetil Aamodt and Lasse Kjus, Austria's Hannes Trinkl, Fritz Strobl, Stephan Eberharter, and Hans Knauss didn't train that day.

Hermann Maier, skiing for the first time of his life on the "Streif" didn't take too many risks and set the 30th best time at over three seconds from Greber. The double Olympic champion was not too excited about cruising down the legendary course where all the downhill skiers dream to win at least once.

"I think I would need many more years to discover all the secrets of this course," Maier said after his run. "Don't expect too much from me here on Friday." Maier, who showed sparks of his "Herminator" form in Bormio last December, would appreciate a short break now before the start of the World Championships on February 1st.

"It would be nice to rest a little before Vail. My body is tired," he added.

A last training run is planned on Thursday. On Friday a two-run competition will take place on a shorter run followed Saturday by the normal downhill. A slalom valid for the last World Cup combined will be raced on Sunday - and over 20,000 spectators are expected along the course with the hope of seeing Benjamin Raich winning his third slalom in a row.

— Mountain Zone European Correspondent