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World Cup skiing Adelboden
Bode Miller fights for last overall
World Cup chance
Adelboden, Switzerland, Feb.5th
2004. America’s Bode Miller has
no more room for errors in the coming
two technical events scheduled in
Switzerland’s Adelboden where
the men’s World Cup tour resumes
this weekend with a giant slalom and
a slalom on Saturday and Sunday. The
double World Champion, who won a slalom
on the treacherous “Kuonisbergli”
slope two years ago, is fighting for
his last chance to conquer the overall
World Cup standings in that traditional
Swiss World Cup stop.
Miller, the leader in the giant slalom
standings after two impressive wins
in the first two races in Austria
and USA, is only 5th in the overall
standings with a delay of 150 points
on Austria’s Hermann Maier, a
triple winner in Adelboden in recent
years. He needs to score “big”
points in this Swiss event to have
a serious chance to challenge his
Austrian rivals until the Finals in
Sestriere, Italy, in March. Benjamin
Raich, a three-time winner in slalom
and giant slalom, is 2nd 146 points
ahead of Miller, and Stephan Eberharter,
is also ahead of him in 3rd place.
The skier from New Hampshire has not
enjoyed too much success this winter
with his reckless – win or bust
- technique. He failed to reach a
podium in slalom so far this season
– he was 4th in Kitzbühel
and Schladming where he clocked the
fastest time in the first run. In
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, he almost
crashed out twice in downhill and
super-G and only scored a handful
of points while both Eberharter and
Maier triumphed again.
The two stars, who clinched five of
the last six overall World Cup titles,
can still score a lot of points in
the remaining five speed events and
in some of the coming giant slaloms
scheduled in Adelboden, Kranjska Gora
(Slovenia) and Sestriere.
Benjamin Raich was not supposed to
compete here after his horrendous
crash last Sunday in a super-G raced
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Yet the 25-year-old Tyrolian, who
suffered a strong concussion and bruises,
received on Thursday the green light
from his doctor, Alois Schranz. Schranz,
who watched him training with some
of his team-mates in Jerzens, was
pleased by the progress made by his
patient in the last 48 hours.
“Benjamin has fully recovered
from his crash and there are no medical
reasons to prevent him to compete
this weekend,” Schranz told the
press. “He skied with great determination
in four practice runs and he doesn’t
feel any pain.”
Raich, a slalom World Cup champion
in 2002, has the best chances to prevail
in the 2004 World Cup standings if
he recovers all his potential. He
can score a lot of points in the six
remaining technical events and in
some speed events too. He has been
a favourite for Maier for many weeks.
“It’s time for a new face
to win the overall Cup and I think
Benjamin has the best chances,”
Maier said after his victory in Germany.
“I’m very happy with my
fifth super-G cup, I reached much
more than I thought so far. This is
only a comeback season for me. Next
winter, I’ll be in much better
shape.”
But Maier’s relaxed attitude
could also help him to fight until
the end for a fourth overall title.
He likes to race in Adelboden where
he returned on the ski circuit last
year 18 months after his dramatic
motorcycle accident from August 2001.
He only came in 31st in the first
run, missing the cut for the second
run. He showed in Park City and Alta
Badia that he still has the potential
to reach the top-5 in giant slalom.
Eberharter too routs for Raich but
the 35-year-veteran is not coming
to Adelboden to enjoy the beautiful
landscape which surrounds the Swiss
mountain village situated south of
Bern. His impressive wins in Kitzbühel
and Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the
most challenging courses of the program
show that he has recovered all his
momentum and his determination after
suffering from a bad flu earlier in
the season. A top-10 result here and
more strong races in St Anton next
week and in Kvitfjel, Norway, later
on this month, would strongly reinforce
his position.
Finland’s Kalle Palander, the
surprising winner in Alta Badia, early
December, is also a top candidate
for one of two wins here. The Italian
Team too aims for more success in
both competitions as well as Canada’s
Thomas Grandi, a superb 2nd in Kitzbühel.
Didier Cuche, the first Swiss winner
this season in Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s
first downhill, won the giant slalom
here two years ago. In 2003, he was
in the lead in the first run but skied
out afterwards. The announcement made
by the Swiss Ski Federation that his
actual head coach Karl Frehsner and
the Director of the Federation, Mr.
Mudry, will leave their position after
the coming summer may boost his moral
and his aggressiveness. After his
win in Germany, Cuche strongly criticized
the management of the Swiss Ski Federation
for its attitude in the crisis faced
by the alpine teams since the season
start.
Patrick Lang
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