Wengen, Switzerland – Wengen’s fabled Lauberhorn downhill is in a class by itself. Over two and a half minutes of leg burning pain down a 2.78 mile course with speeds pushing 100 mph. Two-time downhill champion Bode Miller was back on Tuesday, testing his body and gauging the viability of getting into the start house for the 85th running of Saturday Lauberhorn. First run of the season and Miller remains in the hunt.
“This is a tough race to come into for your first race of the season,” he said after Tuesday’s first training. “Physically, this is probably the most demanding course of the year. Being in good physical shape is one part of it but being in efficient skiing shape is also part of it.”
Miller was the fastest American in 2:39.61, but still three seconds back from Austria’s Matthias Mayer, in 28th. Marco Sullivan was 29th, Travis Ganong was 30th, Jared Goldberg 31st. Others included Ted Ligety 38th, Ti Jitloff 58th, Will Brandenburg 65th and Wiley Maple 69th. Steven Nyman did not finish.
“I was taking it pretty easy today to feel my back out,” Miller said. “Overall I’m really happy with where it’s at and my back felt OK. The movements felt OK. The fitness was a problem a little bit, but that’s to be expected at this point. Even in my best shape I suffered pretty bad on this hill trying to be fast.”
No stranger to the Lauberhorn, Miller won the classic downhill in 2007 and 2008. He was fifth last year and in 2012.
There were a few changes in the course this year, most notably in the Langentrejen – a series of three big super G turns. “They straightened out the beginning of it, which I like,” said Miller. “And they made the last two turns big turns. The entry speed now into the Hanneggschuss is super low. That’s fine, they’re just big turns.”
Miller plans to train again Wednesday and keep pointing to the weekend.
“I would love to be competitive here and ski an aggressive run,” he said. “But the fitness is what I’m most concerned about. I can’t really take risks there. The last turns coming into the finish are critical to win here. If you’re not willing to put it in there on those two turns, you can give the race away.”
The second training run is on tap for today. Racing begins Friday with super combined, the Lauberhorn downhill Saturday and slalom Sunday.