„As we are always on the road, it is very important for us to have a place where we feel at home, can train in peace and do our washing“, said Erik Guay who finished 11th at today’s training session. Manuel Osborne Paradis, 9th in today’s practice run, added: „Not having a home in Europe would certainly be a disadvantage, as the European teams can spend a lot of time with their families and gather strength for the next race.“

Last year they even celebrated John Kucera’s World Cup Downhill title together with the community of Kirchberg. The 25-year-old, who finished third in the Val Gardena Super-G in 2006, received a real „Lederhose“ from his host village. Unfortunately this year Kucera has not got lots to celebrate: He broke his shinbone in Lake Louise and can’t race for a number of weeks and most likely will also  miss the Olympic Games.