Feuz charge takes SG win from Bode

Beat Feuz claimed his first World Cup super G win, and his fourth podium of this World Cup season with a late charge down Val Gardena’s Saslong race track Friday (Dec. 16) saving Swiss pride and snatching a win away from Bode Miller.

Strong winds on the upper reaches of the course forced officials to shortened the track. Miller, after a slow start, picked up the pace to lead the remainder of the run and had built a narrow .14 of a second margin between himself and eventual third place finisher Kjetil Jansrud of Norway.

When snow started falling after the early numbers had run it may have slowed the top seeded skiers.   “It was certainly an advantage to have a low start number,” said Jansrud in bib five. But Feuz, in bib 26 had no trouble with a clean run. A poker player, Feuz said he knew speeds had been slower than anticipated and decided to take risks in his line. He won the jackpot.

Feuz worked the course the entire length and took a lead through the first interval. He said he had plenty of difficulty with the course and wasn’t sure what to do to conquer the Ciaslat section.

“It was a good run with a little mistake in a passage that wasn’t deciding,” Feuz said. “I haven’t known what to do since yesterday (in downhill training) when I wasn’t able to catch the Ciaslat properly. I’ve never skied here before, had to really risk and it simply worked out.”

Miller said his biggest faults came in the final gates. “I made a few mistakes, especially at the last ten gates,” he said.

Indicating the snowfall did hamper visibility on a course notorious for bad light. “When the visibility gets better, this is a great advantage on this
course and that’s why a few skiers managed to race into the front. On the Saslong you always have to wait until the very end, as even a tiny bit of sun can make a big difference,” he said. Indeed, a few skiers did advance from well back in the pack. Austrian Max Franz posted fifth from start 54 and Finn Andreas Romar was seventh from start 40.

Canadian Jan Hudec skied into a tenth place tie, the only Canuck to score points. The U.S. also had Andrew Weibrecht in 20th and Wiley Maple scoring his first career Cup points in 29th from the 61st start.

“Wiley got the call last night that he was going to start,” said coach Sasha Rearick. “He really nailed the line in the Ciaslat.”

Miller said he’d like to become the first American to win the World Cup’s downhill title, though he added, ” … the fact that I don’t ski through the whole season make
that less likely.”

Gepa Photo.

The SCOOP
by Hank McKee

Men’s World Cup super G, Val Gardena-Groeden, Italy, Dec. 16, 2011
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Feuz, Salomon/Salomon/Fischer
2 Miller, Head/Head/Head
3 Jansrud, Head/Head/Head
4 Svindal, Head/Head/Head
5 Franz, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6 Keppler, Head/Head/Head
7 Romar, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
8 Puchner, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
9 Scheiber, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10 Hudec, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Kroell, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

Men’s World Cup super G, Val Gardena-Gröden, Italy, Dec. 16, 2011. … It is the ninth race of the men’s 45 race 2011-12 World Cup schedule. … the third of eight scheduled super G’s. … It is the first of two races being held at Val Gardena. … It is the 73rd Cup race held at least in part at Val Gardena-Gröden. … the site has been hosting since 1969 and in 1970 held the World Championships, which at that time counted for World Cup points.

It is the second career Cup win for Beat Feuz and the first in super G, the other coming in downhill at Kvitfjell last March 11. … He has recorded all six of his career Cup podium results since that date. … He started 26th and won by a .30 margin. … He had never raced at Val Gardena previously.

It is the 73rd career Cup podium result for Bode Miller. … his tenth in super G. … It is his fourth career Val Gardena podium having won the Dec. 15, 2006 super G and been second in downhill Dec. 20, 2008, and super G Dec. 14, 2007… It is his second podium of the season having won the Beaver Creek DH Dec. 2.

It is the seventh career Cup podium (without a win) for Kjetil Jansrud. … his first at Val Gardena. … It is his first super G podium the other six all coming in GS. … It is his second podium of the season the other in GS at Beaver Creek Dec. 6.

It is the 11th career Cup top 10 for Jan Hudec. … the fifth in super G with the remainder all in DH. … It is his seconf at Val Gardena having also placed ninth in super G Dec. 14, 2007. … It is his second top ten of the season. … It is the second best Val Gardena result for Andrew Weibrecht who was also 15th in SG Dec. 18, 2009. … He has scored in all three super G’s held to date this season. … It is the first career Cup scoring result for Wiley Maple.

Aksel Lund Svindal (4th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 384-360 over Feuz. … Ted Ligety (did not race) is third with 309 and Miller fourth with 283pts. … Svindal also leads the super G standings 230-171 over Feuz. … Didier Cuche (19th in race) is third with 121pts. … Miller is fourth with 119pts. … Hudec leads the Canadians in eighth with 85pts. … Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup 1458-1117 over Switzerland. … The US is third with 781 and Canada seventh with 360pts.