Canada's Erik Guay fastest in training for downhill opener

Former world champion Erik Guay was fastest in training on Thursday in Val d'Isere, France, for the first men's World Cup downhill race of the season.

Former world champ tops ahead of 1st World Cup race of season

Canada's Erik Guay speeds down the course during a mens' World Cup downhill training in Val d'Isere, France, on Thursday. ( Alessandro Trovati/The Associated Press)

Former world champion Erik Guay was fastest in training on Thursday in Val d'Isere, France, for the first men's World Cup downhill race of the season.

The Canadian was 0.03 seconds ahead of Peter Fill of Italy on the 3.4-kilometre Oreiller-Killy course. Kjetil Jansrud of Norway, who was first in the first training run on Wednesday, was third, 0.86 behind.

In his World Cup comeback, Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway was 11th.

Svindal injured his right knee in January in a crash in Kitzbuehel, Austria, allowing Fill to take the season-long downhill title.

The Val d'Isere races open Friday with a super-G before Saturday's downhill. The French resort is hosting the races after a lack of snow in Beaver Creek, Colorado, forced a schedule change.

Lake Louise race moved to Norway

The Norwegian resort of Kvitfjell will host the cancelled men's World Cup speed races in February.

Svein Mundal, president of the organizing committee in Kvitfjell, says the races will be held Feb. 24-26 in connection with the scheduled event at the site.

The races had been set Nov. 26-27 in Lake Louise, Alta, but lack of snow forced their cancellation.

A regular stop on the World Cup circuit, Kvitfjell hosted the speed races at the 1994 Olympics.