The FIBT AIT World Bobsled and Skeleton Tour – Verizon Cup stops in Lake Placid on Nov. 17-20. Cheer on the top bobsledders and skeleton athletes in the world as they compete on the combined track at the Verizon Sports Complex, where head-first speeds routinely reach 70 mph and higher.

Team USA has had great skeleton success in recent years including two 2002 Olympic titles and a World Cup overall victory. Bobsled driver Todd Hays and his crew have dominated the four-man races in their Bo-Dyn sled over recent seasons. This year, Hays is returning from a foot injury and hoping to have early success to set the tone for another Olympic medal. USA Women's bobsled will also contend with top drivers Jean Racine and 2002 gold medalist Jill Bakken on the roster.

But American athletes and fans will soon understand that it's not just a hometown show. The Europeans in these sports are just as hot. In the case of the German women's bobsledders, they are even hotter and almost impossible to beat. Sandra Kiriasis and whomever rides the brakes will lead the pack. Andre Lange, another German, is tough to beat in the big events, while Canadian Pierre Lueders is a threat on any type of course.

On the skeleton sleds, Lueder's fellow countrymen can dominate in either men's or women's competitions.

Proud local supporters of the Verizon Cup - Lake Placid: