The Chase for 27: Miller chugs toward Mahre

The Chase for 27 is officially in high gear.
   Bode Miller, the oft-maligned Bode Miller, the man so criticized by "experts" for his anti-performance at the 2006 Torino Games, the man who nonetheless finished third in the World Cup standings last season, is on a freight train toward history.

THE CHASE FOR 27 is officially in high gear.
   Bode Miller, the oft-maligned Bode Miller, the man so criticized by "experts" for his anti-performance at the 2006 Torino Games, the man who nonetheless finished third in the World Cup standings last season, is on a freight train toward history.
    Friday, Miller drew closer to Phil Mahre's U.S. record of 27 World Cup wins, besting Austrian Christoph Gruber to win the Val Gardena, Italy, super G for career win No. 27. It was his second win of the season following a thrilling Birds of Prey downhill triumph Dec. 1.
    After taking a half-second lead at the top split, Miller — whose best previous finish in Val Gardena was fourth in a super G two years ago — lost a bit in the mid-section and then piled on four-tenths of a second on the final section for the impressive victory. It's the fourth super G win of his career, his first since tying then-teammate Daron Rahlves in the superr G at World Cup Finals last March in Are, Sweden, scene of this season's FIS World Championships in February.
    "I skied it smart. I didn't risk too much," Miller said. "It was a perfect run, top to bottom … definitely the best run this season for me, not just in races but including training runs, too."
    He said he was confident and "always had the right direction. I had a good inspection [with coach John McBride] and was confident all the way. I had a good line.
    "I wasn't as much on the edge as usual. I knew I had to ski the right line, and I got it."
    He said super G has always been one of his favorite disciplines although he feels he's skiing faster at the moment in giant slalom.
    "Not too bad," said DH/SG head coach Chris Brigham. "Bode skied incredibly well on the top part, which was difficult today, and he carried it on down the hill. He skied like we known he can ski; his equipment was working and he skied well. … and Steven [Nyman, in ninth] had a little trouble on the top part, but he skied very well after that. He's picking up confidence in every race. He's coming!"
     Brigham added, "Bode should be fun to watch in the downhill tomorrow after today's performance. He'll be more confident in his equipment and his skiing."
    Brigham praised the course crew for "a fantastic job. They've done an amazing job getting this place ready; they were saying five or six days ago it wouldn't even be close, but the track was pretty close to perfect. It's amazing, considering the little snow they've gotten in so much of Europe. This was prepared almost as well as they normally prepare it."
    "This was a great day for Bode, a good day for the team," Brigham said.
     The best previous U.S. results in Val Gardena were third-place showings behind Swiss in downhill — by Mike Lafferty behind the great Bernhard Russi in March 1972 and by AJ Kitt behind Franz Heinzer 15 years ago, early in the '92 season.
    Kitt was also third at Val Gardena, behind Leonhard Stock and William Besse, in DH in December 1992. And Billy Kidd was third in slalom at Val Gardena in February 1970 (world champs, but that counted for World Cup results that season) behind Jean-Noel Augert and Patrick Russel. For women, Barbara Cochran was second behind Ingrid Lafforgue in slalom in February 1970.
    ''This was one of the few places in my tenure where we'd been skunked,'' said U.S. men's head coach Phil McNichol, who became head coach after the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.
    Miller, who won a downhill in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Dec. 1, is the first skier on the men's circuit with two victories this season. He could have won more but failed to finish after leading the opening legs of a super combi and giant slalom in Beaver Creek.
    ''It has been a frustrating start to the season,'' Miller said. ''The mistakes that I've made have been really costly.''

 U.S. World Cup multiple winners

Racer — wins
Phil Mahre — 27     
*Bode Miller — 23     
Tamara McKinney — 18             
Daron Rahlves — 12             
Picabo Street — 9     
Steve Mahre — 9     
Cindy Nelson — 6     
Kristina Koznick — 6
Cristin Cooper — 5     
Kiki Cutter — 5
*Lindsey Kildow — 5
Barb Cochran — 3     
Bill Johnson — 3     
Hilary Lindh — 3     
Julie Parisien — 3             
Marilyn Cochran — 3             
Holly Flanders — 3
Judy Nagel — 3
Diann Roffe — 2     
Bill Kidd — 2     
Tyler Palmer — 2

* Active