SKIING - WORLD CUP
The 'Kid' Bode Miller dominates Swiss downhill
Monday, January 14, 2008
Bode Miller won the Wengen downhill in Swizterland in front of Canadian Didier Cuche. The Vermont skier is now second at the World Cup table, climbing three places thanks to this victory.
Monday, January 14, 2008
By AFP
American Bode Miller relaunched his overall World Cup ambitions by dominating the coveted Wengen downhill for the second year in a row here Sunday.
Miller finished ahead of Swiss racer Didier Cuche and Canada's Manuel Osborne-Paradis to claim his 27th win, thus equalling compatriot Phil Mahre for the most World Cup by a US skier.
The Lauberhorn run is considered one of the most prestigious downhills, because of its technical challenges but also thanks to its length - at 4.48km it is the longest and most gruelling on the circuit.
Miller had been showing all week in training that he was primed to defend his crown, and on Sunday the at-times erratic American stayed true to that promise by finishing 0.65sec ahead of Cuche in a time of 2min 30.40sec.
Ahead of another downhill classic - next week's Kitzbuehel run - Miller has thrown down the gauntlet to Cuche, the discipline's pacesetter this season.
"I knew that Cuche was out for the race of his life so I had no choice but make the very best of the course. I skied well, neat, especially in the intermediate section and it paid off," said Miller.
"It's always a great pleasure to win when you know you've given it your all," he added.
Cuche finished second behind Miller for the second consecutive year here, while Osborne-Paradis, at 1.33, did enough to keep Austria's Michael Walchhofer off the podium, the former world champion finishing fourth.
The 33-year-old Swiss veteran is having a superb season, and admitted he was more happy than disappointed with his sixth podium of the campaign.
"I'm not too disappointed. It's never easy to make the podium even if you've been going well in training," said Cuche, who took over the lead of the downhill standings with a one-point lead on Miller.
"When I heard that Miller had beat the fastest time by 1.33sec it just motivated me even more and I took a few more risks.
"But I lost time at the Kernen 'S' section, where I overshot two turns and lost some speed."
Miller's second downhill win this season, after Bormio last month, means he has moved to within 79 points of World Cup overall leader Benjamin Raich of Austria, who did not compete Sunday.
With Kitzbuehel looming on Saturday, Miller knows he has a chance to push Cuche off top spot in the downhill standings, and close the gap further on Raich - although he has yet to win on the famed Austrian mountain.
"Kitzbuehel is another major event, especially as I never managed to win (there). But it's a piste that's always inspired me. I must just remain balanced on my skis," Miller said.
Miller finished ahead of Swiss racer Didier Cuche and Canada's Manuel Osborne-Paradis to claim his 27th win, thus equalling compatriot Phil Mahre for the most World Cup by a US skier.
The Lauberhorn run is considered one of the most prestigious downhills, because of its technical challenges but also thanks to its length - at 4.48km it is the longest and most gruelling on the circuit.
Miller had been showing all week in training that he was primed to defend his crown, and on Sunday the at-times erratic American stayed true to that promise by finishing 0.65sec ahead of Cuche in a time of 2min 30.40sec.
Ahead of another downhill classic - next week's Kitzbuehel run - Miller has thrown down the gauntlet to Cuche, the discipline's pacesetter this season.
"I knew that Cuche was out for the race of his life so I had no choice but make the very best of the course. I skied well, neat, especially in the intermediate section and it paid off," said Miller.
"It's always a great pleasure to win when you know you've given it your all," he added.
Cuche finished second behind Miller for the second consecutive year here, while Osborne-Paradis, at 1.33, did enough to keep Austria's Michael Walchhofer off the podium, the former world champion finishing fourth.
The 33-year-old Swiss veteran is having a superb season, and admitted he was more happy than disappointed with his sixth podium of the campaign.
"I'm not too disappointed. It's never easy to make the podium even if you've been going well in training," said Cuche, who took over the lead of the downhill standings with a one-point lead on Miller.
"When I heard that Miller had beat the fastest time by 1.33sec it just motivated me even more and I took a few more risks.
"But I lost time at the Kernen 'S' section, where I overshot two turns and lost some speed."
Miller's second downhill win this season, after Bormio last month, means he has moved to within 79 points of World Cup overall leader Benjamin Raich of Austria, who did not compete Sunday.
With Kitzbuehel looming on Saturday, Miller knows he has a chance to push Cuche off top spot in the downhill standings, and close the gap further on Raich - although he has yet to win on the famed Austrian mountain.
"Kitzbuehel is another major event, especially as I never managed to win (there). But it's a piste that's always inspired me. I must just remain balanced on my skis," Miller said.
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