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The bi-ennial event, last held in St Moritz, is skiing's biggest party outside of the Olympics and a departure from the grind of the World Cup season.

The action features two speed events - downhill and super-G - and the two more technical disciplines of giant slalom and slalom, plus a team competition.

Austria's Michael Walchhofer, the men's downhill champion, starts favourite.

But American Bode Miller will be breathing down his neck.

DEFENDING WORLD CHAMPIONS Men Downhill: M Walchhofer (Aut) Super-G: S Eberharter (Aut) Giant slalom: B Miller (USA) Slalom: I Kostelic (Cro) Combined: B Miller (USA) Women Downhill: M Turgeon (Can) Super-G: M Dorfmeister (Aut) Giant slalom: A Paerson (Swe) Slalom: J Kostelic (Cro) Combined: J Kostelic (Cro) Men's World Cup standings Women's World Cup standings World Championships schedule

The blue riband event takes place on the infamously tough Stelvio piste, a leg-burning three-and-a-half kilometres with a vertical drop of more than 1,000m.

Competitors will quickly reach speeds of about 100km/h from a starting gradient of 63%.

The overall World Cup leader recently became only the second man after Marc Girardelli to win in all four disciplines in a season and is looking to add to giant slalom and combined gold from St Moritz.

Austria's Johan Grugger and American Daron Rahlves should feature, while Britain's Finlay Mickel also goes to Bormio in confident mood.

The in-form Scot has landed four top-20 finishes in the last four downhills - including a best of 13th on the same Bormio piste last month.

In the super-G, champion Stephan Eberharter has retired from racing, leaving Walchhofer, Miller and Hermann Maier as the main protagonists.

Austria's Maier has struggled this season after clinching the overall and super-G World Cup titles in 2004 following two years out as a result of a serious motorbike accident.

But the racer dubbed "The Herminator" - double world champion in 1999 - is a noted performer on the big occasion, as a joint super-G silver with Miller in St Moritz in his comeback season in 2003 will testify.

Return of The Herminator

And victory in this week's delayed Kitzbuhel super-G showed he is coming into form at just the right time.

World champion Miller again is the man to watch in the giant slalom, with Canada's Thomas Grandi as his nearest opponent this season.

Austrian World Cup leader Benjamin Raich will go off favourite for the slalom, the most technical of the disciplines, with team-mate Manfred Pranger and Italian Giorgio Rocca also fancied.

British slalom hope Alain Baxter has had a tough season so far, finishing only once - coming 27th - in six slalom events this season.

In the women's downhill, which takes place at neighbouring Santa Caterina, Austria's Renate Goetschl will start favourite as World Cup leader.

Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister, American Lindsey Kildow and Germany's Hilde Gerg are other in-form speedsters.

Britain's best female skier, Chemmy Alcott, has been struggling with an infected bone spur in her right foot.

But the 22-year-old will be boosted by her best finish of the season, 19th, in a downhill at the same resort earlier this month.

Poutiainen wins World Cup crown

On the slalom piste, Finland's Tanja Poutiainen may have already secured the World Cup title, but she is likely to be pushed hard by the trio of Janica Kostelic, Marlies Schild of Austria and Sweden's Anja Paerson.

Croatia's Kostelic, the double world champion in St Moritz, is battling back to fitness after a year out with illness and injury.