The Men's World Cup tour returns to Bormio, Italy for the second time in three weeks as FIS finds its schedule decimated by unusually warm temperatures and lack of snow. This week's events were originally scheduled to be held in Chamonix. Bormio will host a downhill on Saturday and a Slalom on Sunday.

Bormio has become something of an unofficial home of the World Cup this season as weather has wreaked havoc with the tour schedule. In addition to the scheduled stop at this beautiful Italian resort last month, the women's tour skied here last weekend, replacing snow-less Bertschegaden, Germany.

The U.S. team comes into the weeked riding a wave of momentum and with high expectations. Bode Miller charged into the lead in the overall points race with a his second straight Giant Slalom victory last weekend at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Oddly, Miller skied out of Sunday's Slalom and did not earn any points.

Miller was bothered enough by Sunday's turn of events that he stayed at Kranjska Gora Monday to ski in a Europa Cup slalom, which he won. Miller is the first American to lead the overall points ranking since Phil Mahre in 1983. Men's Points Standings

In addition to Miller, Daron Rahlves is happy to return to the beautiful Italian resort. Rahlves won the downhill on Bormio's famed Stelvio course in December, his first cup victory this year. He has skied well on the course in the past and should be a force this time as well.

He has great respect for the course, saying " "This is definitely one of the most challenging hills around. It's like the second-longest course there is; it's relentless, top to bottom. It doesn't give you a chance to rest at any time. You're either going over big jumps or little rolls or turns the whole way down. It's like skiing down a spiral staircase the whole way."

In that same race, Miller finished 5th, the first time the U.S. had put two skiers in the top 5 of a WC downhill since 1968 at Aspen. So the U.S. team will definitely be ready to go. One major question is, will Stephan Eberharter be ready to challenge as well?

"I haven't become a four-event skier, by any means." — Bode Miller

Eberharter returned to the circuit at Bormio on December 26th after missing several weeks with a knee injury suffered in the Giant Slalom at Val d'Isere. He has not been in top form since, finishing 24th on Saturday and failing to make the second run on Sunday, but said afterward that his knee was sound and he expects better results in the coming weeks.

Eberharter's Austrian teammates Fritz Strobl, Hannes Trinkl and Peter Rzehak finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th, respectively at Bormio, so perhaps the weekend will bring a shootout between the Americans and Austrians.

The women's circuit takes the week off, with no snow in Innsbruck, which was originally scheduled to host two events. After replacing last week's scheduled race at Bertchesgarden with Bormio, FIS had nowhere else to turn. The women's circuit resumes next week, hopefully, at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Stay with us this weekend for full coverage of the downhill on Saturday.

— MountainZone.com Staff