French skier Theaux leads downhill training in Kitzbuehel

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) French skier Adrien Theaux led the first training Tuesday for a men's World Cup downhill on the Streif.

Theaux timed 1 minute, 57.68 seconds on the 3.3-kilometer course, leading 2014 winner Hannes Reichelt of Austria by 0.21. Overall World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway and Maxence Muzaton of France both trailed by 0.29 in third.

Kjetil Jansrud, who won the race on a shortened course last year, was 1.77 off the pace.

Max Franz crashed on the icy and bumpy traverse before entering the final stretch of the course. The Austrian got up and skied down to the finish but had his hurting left knee and wrist checked at the hospital.

Svindal and Jansrud both won a race in Wengen, Switzerland, last weekend. Svindal leads four-time defending overall champion Marcel Hirscher by 15 points in the overall standings. The Austrian doesn't compete in downhills.

Theaux won the Dec. 29 downhill in Santa Caterina, Italy, and placed third Friday's combined event in Wengen. His best result in Kitzbuehel was third in the 2011 downhill.

Organizers moved forward the training by 45 minutes as fog was predicted for the early afternoon. A second practice session is scheduled for Thursday, two days before the race.

Ted Ligety's name was on the start list but the American preferred to sit out the training and rest, and take part in Thursday's final session, according to the U.S. ski team.

The traditional Hahnenkamm event will be opened by a super-G and a combined race on Friday, and concluded by a slalom on Sunday.