This week the gladiators of winter descended upon the north-facing Stelvio slope in Bormio, Italy. Known as one the most dangerous courses on the circuit. Racers complete the 3.1km (2 mile) course in just 120 seconds, dropping 1000 metres (3000 feet) to reach the highest average speeds in the entire World Cup calendar of approximately 100kph (70mph). "With nearly two thousand years of history and a thousand years of welcoming visitors, thanks mainly to the thermal springs where the Romans used to unwind, Bormio is...firmly set in alpine folklore" (FISSKI).