Kvitfjell: Cuche wins DH, claims crystal globe
Didier Cuche of Switzerland won the next-to-last World Cup downhill of the season on Saturday to clinch his first discipline title in the event.
Cuche raced down the 3,035-meter Olympiabakken course in 1 minute, 28.51 seconds, edging Canada’s Erik Guay by 0.06 of a second. It was Cuche’s first downhill win of the season.
KVITFJELL, Norway — Didier Cuche of Switzerland won the next-to-last World Cup downhill of the season on Saturday to clinch his first discipline title in the event.
Cuche raced down the 3,035-meter Olympiabakken course in 1 minute, 28.51 seconds, edging Canada’s Erik Guay by 0.06 of a second. It was Cuche’s first downhill win of the season.
Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein was third in 1:28.94.
Cuche became the first Swiss skier to win a World Cup race at Kvitfjell, site of the men’s Olympic alpine ski races at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.
“I’ve been second here in downhill also,” Cuche said, referring to his second-place finish to Daron Rahlves in 2000. “It’s nice to win.”
Michael Walchhofer of Austria, the defending World Cup downhill champion, was fourth in 1:28.84.
Aksel Lund Svindal, who won the downhill gold medal in last month’s World Championships in Sweden, finished 11th on his home hill to gain ground on Benjamin Raich in the chase for the World Cup overall title.
Raich, the defending overall champion, had to settle for 21st.
Only 103 points separate them Raich and Svindal the standings. Cuche is 152 points behind in third place. Miller is fourth, 348 behind Raich.
“I think Benni is so good in the technical events that it’s going to be really hard for me to catch him,” Cuche said. “But who knows? I’m not giving up.”
Cuche topped the final downhill standings with 607 points. Buechel was second with 439 and Guay third with 393.
Skiing without pain helped Cuche’s to come back strongly this season.
“The key was coming back from injury,” Cuche said. “I had a big problem with my knee, a lot of pain last season. Now, I can push and take risks.”
For Guay, it was his second third runner-up finish this season. Last month, he won his first race to give Canada its first downhill victory in 13 years.
“It was a fair race, Cuche started 30th and he was able to win,” Guay said. “He’s also won the [downhill] title so he’s the best skier.
“The conditions weren’t that easy at first, but the race officials did a great job. The hill itself was in great condition. It was hard. They pulled it off. They did what they had to do.”
Most of the early starters finished well behind. Sweden’s Patrik Jarbyn, a bronze medalist in the downhill at the World Championships, wound up 48th among 60 finishers.
American Bode Miller, a former overall champion, was 15th. Erik Fisher was 38th, Steven Nyman 42nd, Marco Sullivan 46th, JJ Johnson 50th and Scott Macartney 55th.
The start was delayed nearly an hour because of foggy and snowy conditions at Kvitfjell, site of the men’s Olympic alpine ski races at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.
The competition was stopped because of the poor visibility by the organizers after 11 skiers completed the course. When it was restarted an hour later, the weather was clear and the times much faster.
The final downhill is next week at the World Cup Finals in Switzerland.
THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Men's DH, Kvitfjell, Norway, March 10, 2007
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Cuche, Head/Head/Tyrolia
2 Guay, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Buechel, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
4 Walchhofer, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Fill, Dynastar/Lange/Look
6 Clarey, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Kernen, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Defago, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
9 Heel, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Myhre, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
Men's downhill, Kvitfjell, Norway, March 10, 2007. … It is the 31st event of the men's 38-race World Cup schedule. … It is the 10 of 11 scheduled DHs. … Due to cancellations, five races remain, a SG at Kvitfjell March 11 and four at World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
It is the sixth career win for Didier Cuche. … His third in DH. … He had not won a World Cup race since Jan. 30, 2004, in DH at Garmisch. … He had placed second in four DHs this season, twice by less than a tenth of a second. … It is his third podium at Kvitfjell but first since March 3, 2000. … He is the first Swiss to win a DH at Kvitfjell.
It is the eighth career World Cup podium for Erik Guay. … His sixth in DH. … It is his fourth podium of the season. … All in DH.
It is the 14th career World Cup podium for Marco Buechel. … His sixth in DH. … It is his second podium of the season, the first Nov. 25 in DH at Lake Louise. … His best previous result at Kvitfjell had been sixth in DH March 5, 2005.
It is the second World Cup scoring result for Jeffrey Frisch, the first a 29th placing in SG at Hinterstoder Dec. 20 of this season. … He won the NorAm DH crown last season. … Bode Miller matches his 12th-best Cup result of the season. … He has not placed better than 13th since the World Championships ended in February, but has scored in four disciplines since that time. … It is the 12th Cup scoring result of the season for John Kucera. … His second-best career result in DH.
Didier Cuche extends his lead in the World Cup DH standings to 607-439 over Marco Buechel. … Erik Guay sits third on the DH list with 393pts, ahead of Peter Fill (5th in race) by 11pts with one race remaining. … Bode Miller (15th in race) is the top American in the DH standings in seventh and 289pts. … Benjamin Raich (21st in race) holds the lead in the overall standings 1055-952 over Aksel Lund Svindal (11th in race). … Cuche holds third at 903. … Miller is fourth at 707 with five races remaining. … Winning margin is '06 of a second. … Top 16 are within a second. … Top 42 are within two seconds. … Hermann Maier, in 30th place, is 1.57 seconds out.
Kvitfjell men's World Cup downhill results
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 30 | 510030 | CUCHE Didier | 1974 | SUI | 1:28.51 | 0.00 |
2 | 27 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 1:28.57 | 0.92 |
3 | 29 | 350032 | BUECHEL Marco | 1971 | LIE | 1:28.80 | 4.42 |
4 | 28 | 50041 | WALCHHOFER Michael | 1975 | AUT | 1:28.84 | 5.03 |
5 | 26 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 1:28.94 | 6.56 |
6 | 37 | 191740 | CLAREY Johan | 1981 | FRA | 1:29.20 | 10.52 |
7 | 19 | 510478 | KERNEN Bruno | 1972 | SUI | 1:29.25 | 11.29 |
7 | 13 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 1:29.25 | 11.29 |
9 | 46 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 1:29.27 | 11.59 |
10 | 61 | 421400 | MYHRE Lars Elton | 1984 | NOR | 1:29.30 | 12.05 |
11 | 23 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:29.34 | 12.66 |
12 | 48 | 103512 | FRISCH Jeffrey | 1984 | CAN | 1:29.42 | 13.88 |
13 | 21 | 50182 | STROBL Fritz | 1972 | AUT | 1:29.43 | 14.03 |
14 | 31 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 1:29.45 | 14.34 |
15 | 25 | 532431 | MILLER Bode | 1977 | USA | 1:29.46 | 14.49 |
16 | 55 | 501076 | OLSSON Hans | 1984 | SWE | 1:29.50 | 15.10 |
17 | 39 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 1:29.53 | 15.56 |
18 | 58 | 191911 | NOCENTI Cyril | 1982 | FRA | 1:29.60 | 16.63 |
19 | 44 | 102873 | KUCERA John | 1984 | CAN | 1:29.70 | 18.15 |
20 | 40 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 1:29.75 | 18.91 |
21 | 32 | 50625 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | 1:29.81 | 19.83 |
21 | 14 | 50451 | GRUBER Christoph | 1976 | AUT | 1:29.81 | 19.83 |
23 | 18 | 510767 | HOFFMANN Ambrosi | 1977 | SUI | 1:29.87 | 20.74 |
24 | 56 | 201439 | STEHLE Johannes | 1981 | GER | 1:29.88 | 20.90 |
25 | 42 | 220228 | MICKEL Finlay | 1977 | GBR | 1:29.89 | 21.05 |
26 | 47 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 1:29.91 | 21.35 |
27 | 12 | 50833 | GRUGGER Hans | 1981 | AUT | 1:29.99 | 22.57 |
28 | 22 | 51005 | SCHEIBER Mario | 1983 | AUT | 1:30.00 | 22.73 |
29 | 54 | 293141 | VARETTONI Silvano | 1984 | ITA | 1:30.01 | 22.88 |
30 | 15 | 50423 | MAIER Hermann | 1972 | AUT | 1:30.08 | 23.95 |
31 | 24 | 560332 | JERMAN Andrej | 1978 | SLO | 1:30.12 | 24.56 |
32 | 41 | 201606 | KEPPLER Stephan | 1983 | GER | 1:30.15 | 25.01 |
33 | 35 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 1:30.19 | 25.62 |
34 | 20 | 102899 | OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel | 1984 | CAN | 1:30.22 | 26.08 |
35 | 33 | 102814 | BOURQUE Francois | 1984 | CAN | 1:30.27 | 26.84 |
36 | 62 | 380292 | ZRNCIC-DIM Natko | 1986 | CRO | 1:30.29 | 27.15 |
37 | 38 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 1:30.31 | 27.45 |
38 | 49 | 534939 | FISHER Erik | 1985 | USA | 1:30.33 | 27.76 |
39 | 16 | 191116 | DALCIN Pierre-Emmanuel | 1977 | FRA | 1:30.34 | 27.91 |
40 | 34 | 510993 | ALBRECHT Daniel | 1983 | SUI | 1:30.40 | 28.83 |
41 | 36 | 291399 | GIRARDI Walter | 1976 | ITA | 1:30.44 | 29.44 |
42 | 17 | 533866 | NYMAN Steven | 1982 | USA | 1:30.50 | 30.35 |
43 | 60 | 292056 | GUFLER Michael | 1979 | ITA | 1:30.57 | 31.42 |
44 | 63 | 150421 | ZAHROBSKY Petr | 1980 | CZE | 1:30.61 | 32.03 |
45 | 50 | 510207 | HARI Konrad | 1978 | SUI | 1:30.64 | 32.49 |
46 | 5 | 533131 | SULLIVAN Marco | 1980 | USA | 1:30.67 | 32.95 |
47 | 59 | 501026 | RAINER Niklas | 1983 | SWE | 1:30.83 | 35.39 |
48 | 3 | 500150 | JAERBYN Patrik | 1969 | SWE | 1:30.97 | 37.52 |
49 | 52 | 420911 | SOLBAKKEN Bjarne | 1977 | NOR | 1:31.04 | 38.59 |
50 | 43 | 532173 | JOHNSON Justin J | 1977 | USA | 1:31.18 | 40.72 |
51 | 64 | 421566 | BRENNA Petter | 1986 | NOR | 1:31.22 | 41.33 |
52 | 8 | 291641 | SULZENBACHER Kurt | 1976 | ITA | 1:31.34 | 43.16 |
53 | 11 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | 1:31.36 | 43.47 |
54 | 45 | 291116 | FATTORI Alessandro | 1973 | ITA | 1:31.49 | 45.45 |
55 | 1 | 532490 | MACARTNEY Scott | 1978 | USA | 1:31.60 | 47.13 |
56 | 4 | 510747 | GRUENENFELDER Tobias | 1977 | SUI | 1:31.82 | 50.49 |
57 | 2 | 191415 | BOTTOLLIER-LASQUIN Marc | 1979 | FRA | 1:32.01 | 53.38 |
58 | 6 | 191591 | BERTRAND Yannick | 1980 | FRA | 1:32.13 | 55.21 |
59 | 7 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CAN | 1:32.38 | 59.03 |
Did not start 1st run:
SINE Gareth (CAN), STAUDACHER Patrick (ITA) <
p>Did not finish 1st run:
POISSON David (FRA), HOFER Beni (SUI)
Disqualified 1st run:
BUDER Andreas (AUT)
Downhill standings
(After 10 of 11 races)
1. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 607 points.
2. Marco Buechel, Liechtenstein, 439.
3. Erik Guay, Canada, 3o93.
4. Peter Fill, Italy, 382.
5. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 346.
6. Andrej Jerman, Slovenia, 339.
7. Bode Miller, United States, 289.
8. Mario Scheiber, Austria, 254.
9. Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canada, 241.
10. Steven Nyman, United States, 234.
Overall standings
1. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1,055 points.
2. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 952.
3. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 903.
4. Bode Miller, United States, 707.
5. Peter Fill, Italy, 691.
6. Mario Matt, Austria, 664
7. Marco Buechel, Liechtenstein, 517.
8. Marc Berthod, Switzerland, 496.
9. Mario Scheiber, Austria, 484.
10. Kalle Palander, Finland, 482.
Also
13. Erik Guay, Canada, 469.
15. Ted Ligety, United States, 440.