The girls had their day in the sun and now it is the guys turn to start the World Cup. With the clocks going back the numbers are being churned over yet the weather God's are starting to say "Hey, don't forget we can rain on your parade!" Yes, that old bug bear, ... the thing no one has any control over is dictating events at the moment and the start has been lowered by about ten gates. This means that the girls will have raced a longer course than the guys will! Stranger things have happened!
Ted Ligety, start number 3, going for his third consecutive win in Soelden, won six of the eight Giant Slaloms last year as well as the World Championship GS (and Super G and Super Combined). This time last year he won the race by the small margin of 2.75 seconds. This morning the US Ski team Press Officer, Doug Haney, asked in his media briefing email, 'How much has the World learnt in a year?' We will find out today.
Keeping in the American theme, Bode Miller makes his come back today, he last raced February 18, 2012. Watch his last run here classic Bode. Bode goes 32. The words come from the US Team but they are spot on: "he's in some of the best shape of his life and probably the most dedicated he's been to skiing since 2008. Bonus, his knee is the best it's been since 2001."
Alexis Pinturault kicks off the racing with Felix Neureuther going two. Ted takes three, Hirscher four, Moelgg five, Svindal six and Fanara rounds out the top seven seeds. 8 to 15 read: Blardone, Mathis, Schoerghofer, Dopfer, Raich, Sandell, Kostelic and Simoncelli.
It is game on!