Val Gardena: RV, sleep are still issues for Miller

VAL GARDENA, Italy — With or without a good night's sleep, Bode Miller is winning ski races again. The American won a super G by a large margin Friday, racing to his 23rd World Cup victory and second in two weeks. Afterward, he accused his team of “sabotage” by not allowing him to sleep in his motor home.
VAL GARDENA, Italy — With or without a good night's sleep, Bode Miller is winning ski races again.
    The American won a super G by a large margin Friday, racing to his 23rd World Cup victory and second in two weeks. Afterward, he accused his team of “sabotage” by not allowing him to sleep in his motor home.
    Miller certainly looked alert on the Saslong course, skiing an error-free run in his fluid and relaxed style. He topped Austria’s Christoph Gruber in second place by more than half a second, while Canada’s John Kucera was third.
    Miller had never finished better than fourth here, but thin snow cover made the course better suited to his style.
    ''The way it is now is the toughest I've ever seen it,'' Miller said. ''I knew if I didn't make any mistakes today I had a better chance to win here than ever before. When I got to the finish line I wasn't surprised I was in the lead.''
    Gruber wasn't surprised either.
    ''We all know that if Bode skis a perfect run he can be unbeatable,'' the Austrian said. ''So it was OK for me to be 64 hundredths back.''
    The U.S. team instituted a rule this season requiring skiers to sleep in the team hotel rather than personal RVs. The rule appears designed to rein in Miller, who left the Torino Olympics last winter with no medals but plenty of criticism for his late-night partying.
    ''My team is sabotaging me a little bit by not letting me sleep in my motor home,'' Miller said.
    Miller said he has a device that measures how much sleep he gets. He said he averages five hours in the hotel, compared to 7 1/2 to 8 hours in his RV.
    Miller said that if he continues to sleep poorly, he will take up the issue with the team.
    U.S. men's coach Phil McNichol said the problem isn't where Miller sleeps, but rather ''participating with the team and not being reclusive.''
    McNichol said he hadn't spoken with Miller about the issue, adding that the national federation was responsible.
    "If Bode and the federation get to the point where he's productive and participating with the team, maybe they can sit down. I think there's always a balance between discipline and flexibility,'' McNichol told The Associated Press. ''He's being very mature and professional about it.''
    The victory moved Miller closer to Phil Mahre's U.S. record of 27 World Cup wins. (See related story)