Vienna, Austria – Austrian ski racer Benjamin Raich is set to return to on-snow training next week following knee surgery six months ago.

Raich, a perennial World Cup favorite, tore ligaments and damaged his meniscus and cartilage in a fall during the men’s parallel slalom competition at the FIS Alpine World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in February.

Following dry land training the 33-year-old will return to snow, joining the rest of the Austrian ski team on the Rettenbach glacier in Soelden, Austria, on Wednesday, according to the Austrian Ski Federation. He hopes to return to competition in time for the season opening World Cup giant slalom in Soelden on October 23.

Raich, who was the 2007 World Cup champion, has 35 World Cup wins to his credit.

Last month, fellow Austrian ski racer Mario Scheiber also returned to on-snow training on the Hintertux Glacier under the direction of coach Andreas Evers. Scheiber crashed during training in Chamonix, France six months earlier, fracturing his collarbone and nose.

“I feel great. Physical fitness, I’m as good together as never before,” said Scheiber. “I feel very good. Of course the first few days on snow is always a bit strange, because the physical training is a different strain than the skiing. The knee I feel a little bit, but is not problematic.”