Zurbriggen wins Val Gardena DH, Canadians score as pack

Silvan Zurbriggen can scrape that monkey off his back. Thought of as a combined and slalom specialist, he arrived Saturday (Dec. 18) at Val Gardena as a full fledged all-around skier claiming the famed Val Gardena downhill.

It was the second career World Cup win for Zurbriggen – he notched a combined win at Kitzbuehel two seasons ago – but the Swiss had not been on a downhill podium before though he came close (4th) at Lake Louise last month.

He was excited by the win, telling Reuters, “This is crazy, unbelievable.” With a solid season going – he’s been in the top 10 in six of the eight races held – he took over control of the Cup’s overall standings, as well as topping the DH list.

He added he was particularly proud to have won a race considered to be a classic on the World Cup tour.

“If I don’t show too much jubilation. … it is only because I am exhausted.” He showed plenty of jubilation, pumping his fists in the air. He was also pleased to have had this win on the course which had ripped his left knee apart in December of 2007. With a couple of crashes in front of him, he said, he needed all the powers of concentration he could muster.

It was a tight race with the top four skiers separated by a lash over a tenth of a second. In that grouping were two Swiss and two Austrians. Romed Baumann – another who wears the combined tag and had no downhill finish better than 11th before today – got second. Swiss downhillmeister Didier Cuche was third and Klaus Kroell was fourth with downhill standings leader Michael Walchhofer in fifth .35 off the win.

The Canadians seem to be catching up after bad luck in the summer training season finding snow. They had as many racers scoring as any other nation pushing two men in the top 10 and getting five listed among the first 16. Manuel Osborne-Paradis finished eighth, Robbie Dixon tied for 10th and Erik Guay followed up a podium in super G yesterday with 12th. Louis-Pierre Helie was 13th and Benjamin Thomsen 16th. It was just the second scoring result for Helie’s brief career and the first for Thomsen.

“Obviously I would have loved to have won again,” said Osborne-Paradis the Val Gardena winner in 2009, “but for us to have five Canadians in the top 16, that’s a good day for the team. The Young Bucks scored World Cup points. That’s huge.”

The Young Bucks – Helie and Thomsen – both had start bibs in the 50’s, and yes, they were excited.

“That was unbelievable,” said Helie. “I just charged from the start to the finish. I attacked really well; I’m only 1.22 seconds out. I finished 13th in a World Cup race. I could not ask for more right now. …This is the best race of my life, even with the mistakes.”

Bode Miller again led the U.S., but again with a result that left some wanting, and he was ahead of Steven Nyman by a hundredth of a second. They finished 17 and 18.

Coach Sasha Rearick said he was looking forward to the GS at Alta Badia Dec. 19.

“Steven skied better, which is nice to see. And Bode skied really well from the Ciaslat on down, but the top was not competitive.”

GEPA photo

Equipment
Men’s World Cup Downhill, Val Gardena, Italy, Dec. 18, 2010
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Zurbriggen, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
2 Baumann, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
3 Cuche, Head/Head/Head
4 Kroell, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
5 Walchhofer, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6 Fayed, Head/Head/Head
7 Jaerbyn, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
8 Osborne-Paradis, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
9 Janka, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10 Keppler, Head/Head/Head

Men’s World Cup downhill, Val Gardena, Italy, Dec. 18, 2010. … It is the 11th race of 38 on the men’s 2010-2011 World Cup schedule, the eighth held. … It is the third of nine downhills on the schedule and the second held. … It is the 101st Cup race held at Val Gardena. … the 49th downhill. … The last four winners of the Val Gardena DH (Steven Nyman ’06, Michael Walchhofer (’07&’08) and Manuel Osborne-Paradis (’09) are all entered in the race.

It is the second career World Cup win for Silvan Zurbriggen, the other a combined win at Kitzbuehel in 2009. … His best previous DH result had been fourth at Lake Louise earlier this season. … He has placed in the top 10 in six of the seven races completed this season.

It is the fifth career World Cup podium result for Romed Baumann and second of the season having placed 3rd in SG at Lake Louise. … It is his first podium in DH.

It is the 56th career World Cup podium for Didier Cuche. … his 25th in DH. … And his third in DH at Val Gardena. … It is the eighth Cup podium for Switzerland this season, scored by seven different racers. … It is the second of the season for Cuche who was third in the Beaver Creek SG.

It is the 19th career World Cup top 10 for Manuel Osborne-Paradis. … and his fifth at Val Gardena where he scored his only win in 2009. …  It is his best result of the season. … It is the tenth top 10 (and second of the season) for Robbie Dixon and his third at Val Gardena having finished sixth in DH and eighth in SG in 2009. …. It is the 53rd best Cup result for Erik Guay. … 28th best in DH. … And his 11th best result at Val Gardena. …It is his second best result of the season after the podium in SG at Val Gardena Dec. 17. …  It is a career best result (of two) for Louis-Pierre Helie and it is the first career scoring result for Benjamin Thomsen. … It is the fourth best of five results this season for Bode Miller. … and the third time he has finished 17th at Val Gardena, the other two times in SG. … It is the third time Steven Nyman has finished 18th at Val Gardena.

Zurbriggen takes the lead of the World Cup overall standings 315-294 over Michael Walchhofer (5th in race). … Baumann moves to third with 259 ahead of Cuche at 244. … Ted Ligety (did not race) is the top overall point getter for the U.S. in eighth with 221pts. … Guay leads the Canadians in 20th with 106pts. … Zurbriggen also takes the lead of the DH standings 150-145 over Walchhofer. … Klaus Kroell (4th in race) is third at 90 and Cuche fourth with 89pts. … Osborne-Paradis is the top North American in ninth with 52pts, Bode Miller the top American in 10th with 46pts.

Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup standings 1738-1196 over Switzerland. … France is third with 654. … Canada is fifth with 501pts and the U.S. seventh with 354.