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www.worldskinews.com/Val
d'Isere (FRA) 12.12.2004
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Men
Giant Slalom - Race results
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Standings ] [ Overall
Standings ]
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Five out of nine for Bode Miller
Val d'Isère, Dec. 12th. Bode Miller found back his momentum in giant slalom in Val d'Isère, winning his fifth World Cup race of the season ahead of the two of the greatest skiers of recent years. The American, winner of two downhills and one Super-G in the North American segment of the World Cup, and another giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, in October, celebrated his second GS victory of the season, beating Norway's Lasse Kjus and Austria's Hermann Maier by only a few hundredths of a second. It's his 17th World Cup win in total!
In December 2001, Bode started his winning campaign on this mountain, a day prior to his next triumph in slalom in Italy's Madonna di Campiglio. Only a few champions in the past enjoyed such a strong season start. So far Miller has won five races out of nine this winter and he was also once 2nd and once 4th. Only Sweden's ski legend Ingemar Stenmark did better with six consecutive wins in the first six technical events of the 1977/78 season. On January 9th 1978, the five-time gold medal winner was already assured to clinch his third Overall World Cup title!
In January 1967, France's Jean Claude Killy won six of the first eight competitions - in three specialties (downhill, slalom and giant slalom).
Strong lead for Bode
The win increased Miller's lead in the World Cup overall standings. With 630 points, the 27-year-old Miller leads defending champion Maier by an impressive 221 points. No American has won the Overall cup since Phil Mahre in 1983. Maier won the Crystal globe in 1998, 2000, 2001 and last year while Kjus was crowned in 1996 and 1999. Bode was 4th last winter and 2nd in 2003!
It was almost impossible to dream of a better podium than this and Miller was well aware of the feat.
"It doesn't really matter who I win against. But when you're on the podium with these guys, it puts things into perspective. It shows you where they're coming from and where you're going to," he said.
"Both these guys have changed the sport in a way that's become historical," he added. The three skiers on the podium have also collected 30 medals between them at the Olympics or world championships.
“I followed a precise plan today - have a safer first run and go for it in the second one. It was not easy to execute it because the conditions were really good this morning. I was tempted to take great risks but I changed my mind afterwards. It made sense but it's hard to tame myself. I like to move at my limits. This is what makes ski racing really exciting.”
But the American was cautious of being over-confident about the Overall Cup. "The only thing I can say is that the World Cup is never won before the season is over or before it's mathematically impossible for another skier to catch you."
Miller, who was 4th in the downhill held on Saturday in the French resort, had fond memories of Val d'Isère, where he reached his first podium in December 2000. He was also 2nd in 2002.
“It's definitely a big advantage to know that slope so well, it's a very tough one especially in the afternoon when there is no more sun on the course. It can be quite dark and you need to ski with much instinct.”
"But it's been a great hill for me. I love it very much. I also raced my first downhill on it," added the skier from New Hampshire who lives again in his mobile home along his friend Jake.
“The people are fun and the kids quite crazy but that's OK. You feel that there much tradition here.”
Another podium for Maier
Maier, still seeking his first victory of the season, had looked ideally placed to set the record straight with the fastest time in the first leg ahead of compatriots Christoph Gruber and Benjamin Raich, who both had major errors in the afternoon and finished more than six seconds behind.
"I'm surprised by my results in giant slalom. I really didn't expect to do so well this season," said Maier, who stressed that his main objective was to reach his peak in time for the World Championships in Bormio in February. “It's nice to see that I'm skiing so well in this difficult specialty. I was not sure after my accident I could ever make it back to the top. It's one of my hottest dreams to win again a giant slalom!”
“I think I gave away the victory in the second leg because I skied too round as the trainers recommended it. But there are not to blame, it was my own decision at the end. It's the first time I think that I lost a GS after leading the first run!”
The Herminator, a disappointing 26th in Saturday's downhill, has not won a giant slalom since the 2002 Finals in Are, Sweden. He hopes now to find back his best rhythm also in the speed events.
It's the first time since the 1997/98 season that Hermann has not won a race in the early part of the season. Last year, he captured a Super-G and a downhill in North America.
“ I don't worry too much, because I believe it's only a matter of time and adjustments until I'm back on the right track in downhill and Super-G,” he added. Officially the winter only starts on December 21st! My goal this season is to be strong in January during the period of the “Classics” and then at the Bormio World Championships.”
Another strong day for Lasse
Lasse, who wore bib number one, was also very close to his second consecutive win in giant slalom within a week. Thanks to his smooth, precise yet powerful technique, the double Overall World Cup champion was hard to beat on the demanding “O-K” course on which he already won a downhill a few years ago. The 33-old-year veteran from Oslo, who took a nice break at home after his win in Colorado, achieved two great runs, making only a slight mistake at the end of the second run.
Bode Miller himself was impressed. “I could not believe how strong you started in the second run, you were so fast into the first gates, it was really amazing,” he told his older colleague. “You are quite in form,” he added.
Lasse Kjus could only smile. “It's true that I feel fine in this moment, it was nice to relax for a short time and get ready for this race,” he added. “The conditions were really fine for me today, the course was fast and demanding and I had much fun. It's really great to achieve another good race in that specialty after my disappointing season start. I could only train for five days in the last three weeks because of my sickness.”
“I aim for better days in the speed events now. I'll compete in Val Gardena and then in Alta Badia. I'm not sure about the New Year race in Bormio. We will see. I want to stay motivated for the Worlds in February. I have finished several times 2nd in downhill and I would be happy to finally get a gold medal in that event too.”
The only skier to have won five medals at the same World Championships in 1999, Kjus should be a top contender in January in “Classics” as Chamonix, Wengen or Kitzbühel. “I mostly hope to remain healthy and to built-up my form,” he added.
The Italian team excelled again with two skiers among the best 5 including the surprising Mirko Deflorian, 5th despite his bib 58! He clocked the fastest time in the second run.
California's Daron Rahlves was a promising 15th in second best GS result on the World Cup tour. The skier from Truckee is slowly but surely approaching his best form. He was a happy 7th in the downhill on Saturday - also his best on this course he normally doesn't like too much.
More in Sestriere
The men's circuit moves to Sestriere, in Italy, for a floodlit slalom on Monday. Miller hopes for another victory to become the first skier since Luxembourg's Marc Girardelli in 1989 to win races in all four Alpine disciplines in the same season. "For sure it would be fun. Now it's up to chance. For me, the important thing would be to win a slalom at all because I only won one last year," he said. “But I'll more think about skiing as fast as possible and having much fun. In Beaver Creek I was very cautious in the first leg yet I straddled a gate. I was really frustrated because I thought I had everything under control. In fact I was too passive. It's better to really charge the hill.”
Patrick Lang
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