Kitzbuehel, Austria
Didier Cuche was the fastest down the treacherous "Streif" downhill course in Wednesday's first training run on the 3312-meter piste.
The Swiss veteran clocked 1:55.22, .17 seconds ahead of Austria's Mario Scheiber. 2006 Hahnenkamm downhill champion, Michael Walchhofer was third, .36 behind Cuche.
"I was quite happy with the run, no big mistakes," said Cuche. "I really tried to push hard. In Kitzbuehel you have to know where your limits are. It's not good to push 100 percent in every training run and the race. You have to keep something under the foot for the race and that's what I did today."
Cuche is the current leader of the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhill standings with 296 points. After last weekend's victory at the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Carlo Janka moved into second place just 12 points behind his elder teammate with 284.
"It's always good for the confidence to be fast in the first training run, especially here in Kitzbuehel," said Cuche. "You know you are on the right track and you don't have to make a miracle on Saturday - you have to push hard for sure and do your job, and if you do you'll be fine and have a good place."
Cuche was also satisfied with the conditions of the course.
"Really nice preparation, good snow," he said. "Today was really smooth for here in Kitzbuehel. The only part with less danger is the finish jump. It's really low, maybe too low, but it's really hard to build a jump that's fast, looks good and there isn't too much risk."
On Saturday, Switzerland will try to make it three consecutive Hahnenkamm downhill victories in three years. Last January, Cuche's teammate Didier Defago won the classic race by .17 over Walchhofer. Two years ago it was Cuche, taking the win by .27 over Bode Miller and Mario Scheiber.
And their 23-year-old teammate, Carlo Janka enters Saturday's race fresh off his highly impressive .66 second victory at the Lauberhorn in Wengen this past weekend.
"It would be nice," said Cuche about possibly extending the Swiss win streak. "The Austrian guys are in good shape, but it would be great if a Didier could win again and if it was my choice, it would be my name.
Thursday's second training run on the "Streif" has been moved up from its previously scheduled 11:30 start to 10am.
By Brian Pinelli
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