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Cuche wins training run; Svindal hurt

Chris Freud
Vail correspondent
Aspen, CO Colorado
Austria's Benjamin Raich flies into the finish area during Tuesday's World Cup downhill training run on the Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek. (Dominique Taylor/Vail Daily)
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BEAVER CREEK, Colo. ” Switzerland’s Didier Cuche posted the top speed on the first day of Birds of Prey downhill training Tuesday with a time of 1 minute, 42.76 seconds.

He edged out American Steve Nyman who was second in 1:42.97 seconds on the Beaver Creek course.

While Lichtenstein’s Marco Buechel (1:43.05), Switzerland’s Ambrosi Hoffman (1:43.50) and Austria’s Michael Walchhofer (1:46.60) rounded out the top five, the big story was an injury to last year’s overall points leader, Aksel Lund Svindal.



The Norwegian, racing with bib No. 14, went out after the Golden Eagle Jump and suffered a 6-inch laceration to the back of his left knee and cuts to his face. Svindal was taken by ambulance to the Vail Valley Medical Center. His status for races which begin Thursday is unknown.

Austrian Hermann Maier, who has eight career wins on the course, looked comfortable as ever, finishing sixth (1:43.70). Switzerland’s Didier Defago (1:43.98), Canadian Erik Guay (1:43.98), Bode Miller (1:44) and Italy’s Peter Fill (1:44.17) filled out the top 10.




Training continues Wednesday at 11 a.m. The races begin Thursday with super combined, also at 11 a.m.