Bormio looking good for the downhill

23rd December 2009, by Chris Gill

Wednesday morning

Snow is expected to fall over the next few days in Bormio, with clear, colder weather to follow in time for the men’s World Cup downhill races on Tuesday 29 December – pretty much an ideal arrangement.

Bormio’s mountain is now an established fixture on the World Cup circuit; in recreational terms it is pretty much a red-run mountain, which is just what’s needed for downhill. We’re told (though we haven’t verified it) that the Stelvio race course is one of the very few on which the finish is visible from the start, 1000m vertical above. The town hosted the World Champs in 2005, and the World Cup Finals in 1995 (scene of Alberto Tomba’s famous victory), 2000 and 2008.

The Swiss team will be hoping to see their Didier Cuche back on the podium. Although currently way ahead in the downhill standings, Cuche struggled in practice last week in Val Gardena and started the race 20th, clawing his way up to 10th in the race itself.

The Bormio race will be shown on BBC’s Ski Sunday on 3 January.

• racing
• world cup
• bormio

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