Sestriere: Baumann gets first win; Janka wins title

A four time medallist at the World Junior Championships in 2006, Romed Baumann proved to his Austrian coaches he has now arrived in the big leagues, claiming his first World Cup win in a super G/slalom combined at Sestriere, Italy Sunday.

Baumann won the super G leg but found himself looking up at double World Championship silver medal winner Julien Lizeroux when he took his slalom run. The Frenchman had been sixth after the speed leg and had smoked the slalom leg, as usual, to hold the lead. Baumann shrugged off the pressure and skied smoothly to the win.

Tying in third were Carlo Janka and Christof Innerhofer, both .68 of a second back of Baumann’s combined run time. Jean-Baptiste Grange used the fastest slalom time on the day to claim a tie for fifth with Marcel Hirscher, who had the second fastest slalom leg of the day.

A four time medallist at the World Junior Championships in 2006, Romed Baumann proved to his Austrian coaches he has now arrived in the big leagues, claiming his first World Cup win in a super G/slalom combined at Sestriere, Italy Sunday.

Baumann won the super G leg but found himself looking up at double World Championship silver medal winner Julien Lizeroux when he took his slalom run. The Frenchman had been sixth after the speed leg and had smoked the slalom leg, as usual, to hold the lead. Baumann shrugged off the pressure and skied smoothly to the win.

Tying in third were Carlo Janka and Christof Innerhofer, both .68 of a second back of Baumann’s combined run time. Jean-Baptiste Grange used the fastest slalom time on the day to claim a tie for fifth with Marcel Hirscher, who had the second fastest slalom leg of the day.

World Cup overall standings leader Ivica Kostelic skied conservatively to post seventh but leads the standings 802-771 over Grange. Benjamin Raich finished ninth on the day and slipped to third in the standings with 769.

Janka claimed the combined title edging Silvan Zurbriggen 242-231. Baumann finished third.

Baumann said he had been struggling with expectations over the past few seasons and finally had enough. “I have been fighting too much,” he told reporters. “Was probably too tense. Now I just tried to takie it easy and it worked. I lot has been expected of me. … I hope this is going to loberate me and that I’m now on my way.”

Janka seemed surprised with his combined title. “I never really focused on winning a World Cup discipline, but it is great to take a crystal globe home.”

The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
Men’s super combined, Sestriere, Italy, Feb. 22, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Baumann, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
2 Lizeroux, Dynastar/Lange/Look
3 Janka, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Innerhofer, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Grange, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Kostelic, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
8 Myhrer, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
9 Raich, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10 Zurbriggen, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol

Men’s super combined, Sestriere, Italy, Feb. 22, 2009. … It is the 28th race of the men’s 38 race 2009 World Cup schedule. … It is the fourth of four scheduled combineds. … It is the second of two events at Sestriere this weekend. … It is the 58th World Cup at Sestriere including a knock-out slalom for each gender (2002) and a combined split with Val d’Isere in 1985. … It is just the third World Cup combined (and first men’s) held at Sestriere including the split event in ’85. … Eric Hess won both of them, one Dec. 14, 1983 and the shared event Dec. 12, 1985. …It is a super G/slalom combined.

It is the first career World Cup win for Romed Baumann. … He had been second in combined at Reiteralm Dec. 10, 2006 for his only other Cup podium. … His previous best this season was fourth in GS at Sestriere yesterday.

It is the second career World Cup podium for Julien Lizeroux. … The other was a win in slalom at Kitzbuehel Jan. 25. … It is his fourth podium of the season including two silver medals (combined and slalom) at the World Championships. … He has been first or second in four of his last five completed races.

It is the fourth career World Cup podium for Carlo Janka all of them coming this season. … It is his second podium in a World Cup combined having won at Wengen Jan. 16. …Add to his podium totals this season a gold medal in GS and a bronze in DH at Worlds.

It is the second career World Cup podium for Christof Innerhofer. … He won the DH at Bormio Dec. 28. … It is his career best combined result replacing a seventh place finish at Chamonix Jan. 27, 2008.

It is the best combined placing of the season for Ted Ligety. … and his 17th scoring result. … It is the 15th scoring result of the season for John Kucera and his third best combined result of three.

Ivica Kostelic (7th in race) maintains the World Cup overall standings lead 802-771 over Jean-Baptiste Grange. … Benjamin Raich (9th in race) drops to third overall with 769pts. … Bode Miller (did not race) is the top American on the overall list in eighth with 517pts. … Carlo Janka claims the combined title 242-231 over Silvan Zurbriggen (10th in race). … Baumann finished in third with 169pts moving past Kostelic (166). … John Kucera is the top North American on that list in 13th with 77pts. … Top U.S. skier is Ted Ligety in 44th with six points.

Austria leads the Nations Cup 7974-5841 over Switzerland. … Italy is third at 4556 and the U.S. fourth at 3395. … Canada is eighth at 1815.