09:00 | Good morning from Gardena/Groeden.

09:15 | Today, Saturday, there is the long-aswaited World Cup Men's Downhill Race on the Saslong.

09:25 | The race kicks off at 12.15.

09:35 | It has snowed slightly during the night.

09:40 | But now the weather is clearing up and the temperatures have risen slightly compared to the last few days.

09:42 | At the moment the thermometer is showing -11°C here in Santa Cristina.

09:43 | That's 6°C more than yesterday!

09:43 | Unfortunately Werner Heel (ITA) will not be racing today.

09:44 | The local hero and one of the top favourites injured his left knee during his fall in yesterday's Super-G.

09:44 | Heel has strained his left cruciate ligaments and will have to rest for three weeks.

09:45 | Francois Bourque had an even worse fate yesterday: He broke his cruciate ligaments at exactly the same place on the race course as Heel, but without even falling.

09:46 | We wish both racers and even Tobias Stechert who injured himself on Wednesday a speedy recovery.

11:25 | In 50 minutes the race begins.

11:27 | The athletes have just finished inspecting the race course.

11:29 | Patrick Staudacher's comment regarding the race course: The piste is in excellent condition, only the fresh snow in the top section is not ideal.

11:30 | There are already a number of fans in the finish area. More than 7000 spectators are expected in Santa Cristina today.

11:55 | Only 20 minutes till the start of the Men's Downhill.

11:55 | Not only Werner Heel, but also the Slovenian Andrej Jerman has been ruled unfit to race today.

11:55 | Jerman also fell during yesterday's Super-G.

12:02 | There was some light snowfall during the night here in Gardena/Groeden.

12:03 | Because of the overcast sky, temperatures have slightly risen.

12:04 | At the moment it is -11°C in the finish area.

12:05 | The first forerunner is at the starting gate.

12:07 | In exactly 8 minutes the first racer will be open the race.

12:08 | Patrik Jaerbyn will be the first racer today.

12:08 | And straight after the 40-year-old World Cup Oldie Patrick Staudacher will take to the piste.

12:08 | Yesterday the South Tyrolean managed third place.

12:10 | After having inspected the piste Staudacher thought that the first racers on the Saslong might be slightly disadvantaged because of the fresh snow in the upper section.

12:10 | The first forerunner has just crossed the finish line.

12:14 | Today the favourites are: Michael Walchhofer (bib number 19), Didier Cuche (20) and Aksel Lund Svindal (17).

12:15 | Patrik Jaerbyn has just started the race.

12:15 | The sun is shining.

12:16 | Conditions seem ideal!

12:17 | Patrik Jaerbyn is having slight difficulties on the Ciaslat meadows.

12:17 | Jaerbyn's time: 2:02.41 minutes.

12:18 | Patrick Staudacher is under way.

12:18 | He is skiing aggressively, but already trailing by 0,4 seconds.

12:19 | His deficit is growing, although he seems to be skiing perfectly.

12:20 | Perhaps he celebrated too much after yesterday's third place in the Super-G?

12:20 | Staudacher crosses the finish line 1,55 seconds behind Jaerbyn.

12:21 | The first Austrian enters the race: Andreas Buder.

12:21 | Andreas Buder also finishes behind Jaerbyn, but in front of Staudacher.

12:21 | Jaerbyn's time is 12 seconds slower than last year's Downhill winner.

12:21 | The reason: Last year the Downhill race began from the Super-G starting gate further down the hill.

12:22 | Erik Fisher is under way.

12:23 | He committed some big mistakes in the Ciaslat section.

12:24 | Nevertheless he is skiing very fast.

12:24 | Fisher finishes 0,26 seconds behind Jaerbyn.

12:24 | The next American on the piste is Marco Sullivan.

12:24 | Last year Sullivan finished fourth here in Gardena/Groeden.

12:24 | Even today he is leading at the intermediate time.

12:25 | Sullivan is skiing faster and faster.

12:25 | Marco Sullivan crosses the finish line with a new best time. He is 0,25 seconds in front of Patrik Jaerbyn.

12:26 | So far all the racers seem to have problems at the entrance to Ciaslat.

12:27 | Johan Clarey is having similar problems, but so far he is in the lead.

12:27 | The Frenchman Clarey finishes first: 0,64 seconds in front of Sullivan.

12:28 | Christoph Gruber is under way, but not very fast.

12:29 | Gruber finishes last with 2,73 seconds deficit at the finish line.

12:29 | The first Swiss, Ambrosi Hoffmann, is at the starting gate.

12:30 | Hoffmann is skiing very fast in the upper section.

12:30 | One thing is sure today: the tight entrance to the Ciaslat meadows will decide on victory or failure.

12:31 | Hoffman crosses the finish line with the same time as Johan Clarey.

12:31 | Clarey and Hoffmann are in the lead together.

12:32 | Will they manage to hold on to first place?

12:32 | Hardly, as Manuel Osborne-Paradis is already under way.

12:32 | The Canadian is leading in the top section.

12:33 | He mastered the entrance to the Ciaslat meadows with no problems.

12:33 | Osborne Paradis takes the lead by 0,25 seconds.

12:33 | In the lower section Osborne Paradis lost some time though.

12:33 | That means that there is still chance to recuperate after the Ciaslat section.

12:34 | Erik Guay can't keep up with his teammate. He lies 0,86 seconds behind Osborne Paradis.

12:35 | Attention: Now comes Hans Olsson.

12:36 | He was one of the fastest in the training runs.

12:36 | He is leading in the upper section.

12:37 | Olsson enters the Ciaslat section perfectly!

12:37 | But he has lost some time

12:38 | Unbelievable: After a perfect race in the top section Olsson fourth with 0,56 seconds deficit.

12:38 | Now Marco Buechel, the Gardena/Groeden winner in 2005 is on the race course.

12:39 | Buechel nearly fell on the Ciaslat meadows.

12:39 | He finishes 4th with the exact same time as Hans Olsson.

12:40 | Christof Innerhofer has started.

12:40 | The South Tyrolean has never got any points here in Gardena/Groeden.....

12:41 | .... and even this year he will go empty-handed: He finishes with a deficit of 4,19 seconds.

12:41 | Innerhofer seemed to be skiing fluidly. Perhaps his service man picked the wrong skis for him.

12:44 | After 15 racers Manuel Osborne Paradis (CAN) is leading with a time of 2:01.27 minutes in front of Ambrosi Hoffman (SUI) and Johan Clarey (FRA) who are tied second and just 0,25 seconds off the pace.

12:45 | Even Didier Defago didn't have a good day today. He finishes 12th with a deficit of 2,47 seconds.

12:46 | But now comes Aksel Lund Svindal.

12:47 | The winner of the Super-G is already trailing in the upper section.

12:47 | Did the first racers have an advantage today?

12:48 | Although Svindal has made no visible errors, he is losing time steadily.

12:49 | Svindal only finishes 9th.

12:49 | Svindal is shaking his head at the finish line and seems perplex.

12:50 | Klaus Kroell has started.

12:51 | He is also not very fast.

12:51 | Kroell is trailing 1,88 seconds.

12:51 | Now let's see what Walchhofer can do.

12:52 | Walchi is aspiring for a third consecutive win here.

12:52 | He has already lost time in the top section.

12:52 | Walchhofer is skiing a clean line.

12:53 | He is gliding over the piste, but he can't catch up.

12:54 | Walchhofer has been beaten!

12:54 | He finishes 4th, 0,48 seconds behind Osborne Paradis.

12:54 | Now Didier Cuche is ready to attack.

12:55 | But he is already 0,7 seconds behind.

12:55 | Cuche also can't catch the leading Canadian Osborne Paradis.

12:56 | Cuche finishes only 7th and seems disappointed.

12:56 | If Bode Miller can't beat Osborne-Paradis, then who???

12:57 | Miller is under way and is already trailing by 0,55 seconds.

12:58 | Miller fought, but finished 7th with 0,77 seconds deficit.

13:01 | The racers after bib number 12, apart from Michael Walchhofer, didn't manage to ski into top positions.

13:02 | The race seems to have been decided.

13:04 | Even the winner of 2006 achieved nothing here today.

13:04 | Nyman only finishd 13th after a big error on the Ciaslat meadows.

13:05 | Perhaps Mario Scheiber can achieve a podium position?

13:05 | He is skiing very well in the top section and is leading.

13:06 | The Austrian achieved 4th place here yesterday and showed he is a force to be reckoned with.

13:06 | Scheiber finished second!

13:06 | Everything is still possible.

13:07 | Scheiber is only 0,13 seconds slower.

13:08 | The Austrian is really happy! Scheiber is back, after not having achieved a podium position for over two years.

13:09 | Robbie Dixon is under way.

13:09 | Osborne-Paradis's teammate is skiing very well and is second in the top section so far.

13:10 | Dixon risks too much at the entrance to Ciaslat and nearly crashes.

13:11 | At the finish Dixon achieves a good 6th placing.

13:11 | Dixon is celebrating his top placing as if he had won!

13:14 | After these top athletes the racers appear to have big problems again at the entrance to Ciaslat.

13:20 | Andrej Sporn skis a good race.

13:20 | The Slovenian with bib number 31 is one of the best in the top section.

13:20 | But now he is losing and he only finishes 13th.

13:21 | He is very happy with his placing.

13:30 | The race hasn't finishd yet, but it seems the decision has been made.

13:31 | It seems unlikely that anyone will snatch Osboren-Paradis' victory from him.

13:32 | 40 of 60 racers have already crossed the finish line.

13:32 | So far none of the athletes have fallen.

13:32 | Let's hope it stays like that.

13:38 | Michael Walchhofer comments his run: "It didn't quite go as I had imagined."

13:58 | The last racer is under way.

13:58 | Frederik van Buynder (BEL) is the last racer to cross the finish line.

14:00 | The www.saslong.org - Newsticker-Team thanks you for your interest and says goodbye until next year's races here in Gardena/Groeden in December 2010.