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www.worldskinews.com/Chamonix
(FRA) 08.01.2005
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Men
Downhill - Race report
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| [ Evergreen
Ghedina still shines at 35 ] |
Another win
for Johan Grugger
CHAMONIX, France, Jan. 8th. - Johann
Grugger, the surprising winner in Bormio,
brilliantly confirmed his great potential
in celebrating his second consecutive
victory after beating by 11/100 of a
second Italy's veteran Kristian Ghedina.
Michael Walchhofer was once more 3rd
which allowed him to take over the lead
in the downhill World Cup standings.
Another young Austrian, Mario Scheiber
was 4th, 17/100 behind his first World
Cup podium, while USA's Daron Rahlves
reached a strong 5th place despite suffering
from flu. Miller remains well ahead
in the overall standings 348 points
in front of Austria's Benjamin Raich.
Canada's Jeff Hume was an unexpected
6th and scored his first World Cup point
ever. He finished ahead of two top-favorites,
Hermann Maier and Bode Miller who lost
much time at the bottom after clocking
some of the fastest intermediate times.
Several skiers crashes including the
reigning Olympic Champion Fritz Strobl,
who still hasn't won a race since his
triumph in Salt Lake City.
The lower part of the course was eventually
made slower by warmer temperatures and
poorer visibility in the early afternoon
after the organizers had to interrupt
the race twice because of crashes.
Grugger ready for Bormio
With a third place in Val Gardena and
two wins, Grugger has done much better
than just claiming a rightful place
in the powerful Austrian team.
“I had a good feeling crossing
the finish line but I believed I'd made
it only after Bode's run because you
never know what this guy is capable
of doing,” said Grugger.
“The best thing for me is that
I now have great chances to qualify
for the World Championships which was
not really on my plans at the start
of the season.”
“I really did not expect to do
so well this season. I was just hoping
for a couple of top-5 finishes and confirm
my strong 2004 season,” Grugger
added.
The young champion from the Salzburg
region is very excited about the idea
to travel to Bormio next month. “This
is awesome, I guess nobody will continue
doubting about my qualities now,”
he said. “There was not tail-wind
today and the course conditions were
pretty regular. I felt ready for a great
race today, but I didn't expect to win
it!”
“I achieved a real nice run especially
at the bottom. It means a lot to me
to have done so well today. I feel more
relaxed and more confident after each
run. I'm very excited to be skiing soon
on two of the greatest downhill runs
on the World Cup circuit. I only trained
in Wengen last year, so I'm looking
forward for my first race there. In
Kitzbühel, it will be crazy. It's
such an important event for us!”
First podium for Ghedina since 2002
Ghedina won on the same piste in 1997
but had not appeared on any podium since
2002. On an icy, demanding course, the
35-year-old Italian, who has 12 downhill
wins behind him, showed he was still
a skier to take into account.
“I really did not expect it would
be enough for a podium. I let the skis
do the job and I guess the conditions
suited me,” he said.
Like Miller's, Walchhofer's race was
apparently hampered by the slower conditions
affecting late starters.
“The visibility was not very good
on the lower part and I hit a stone
with one of my skis, so I could not
take too many chances. I have a family,”
the 29-year-old downhill World Champion
said. “I had no more grip on the
final part.”
“I could not go for victory but
consistency is the main thing,”
added the Austrian, who reached his
fifth podium this winter. “No come
the three most important races of the
season!”
“I feel good about being again
on the podium but of course there is
nothing better than winning,” he
added. “But it's a good way to
begin the New Year, before the three
most important races on the season.”
Maier & Miller 8th
Hermann Maier was tied for 8th with
Bode Miller - after clocking very fast
intermediate times. The defending Overall
World Cup champion made two mistakes
in the lower part where he lost twice
the control on one of his skis. But
this race gave him new good reasons
to stay optimistic for the coming downhill
races.
“It's just too bad to make those
kinds of stupid mistakes on the easiest
parts of the course,” he said.
“I think I lost a great opportunity
to reach my first downhill podium of
the season. It's for sure frustrating
but I also can start to hope for more
in the coming weeks.”
Miller, who started in 31st position
instead of 28th for not showing-up at
the bib-draw, was aiming for more. “I
had a good race, no big mistakes, just
not fast enough at the bottom,”
he said. After winning six of the first
10 races of the season, Miller said,
it's not so much that he's skiing badly
“but the Austrians have picked
it up and they're skiing better. I'm
not skiing worse but I had a great start.
You're seeing different guys winning
just about every race. I'm just trying
to get back on the train of skiing my
best every day.”
“For parts of the course today,
I really executed well, and those other
parts maybe could've gone better but,
overall, I'm really happy with the way
I skied.”
“After the break, everyone was
losing a lot on the bottom,” also
Miller said. “It could've gotten
faster, you never know, but in this
case, it didn't. The snow can change,
for sure. The temperature drops, there
can be winds - there's a swirling winds
in this valley. There's no way to know
what it was but, for sure, everyone
was slower after that break.”
He will continue fighting for another
win in the coming days.
Patrick Lang
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