Narrow win for Eberharter
ByReuters
Published 31/01/2004 at 11:45 GMT
Stephan Eberharter surprised himself on Saturday with a narrow victory that extended his lead in the men's downhill World Cup standings and kept him in the race for the overall title. The Austrian, showing no signs of wear at 34, tamed the Kandahar piste
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
"I'm surprised because as I was going down I didn't have the impression I was very special," he said. "I didn't think it would be good enough for a podium, not to mention victory."
Fellow Austrian Fritz Strobl, the Olympic downhill champion, took second place 0.09 seconds behind in 1:58.79 while Italian Alessandro Fattori finished third in 1:59.15 in a race marred by several spectacular crashes.
Switzerland's Didier Defago came fourth while Hermann Maier, Hannes Trinkl and Christoph Gruber completed an impressive overall showing from the Austrian squad by sharing fifth place.
Eberharter's vast experience was useful on a day when many racers failed to come to terms with a rough, icy course.
Austrian Benjamin Raich, who is chiefly a technical racer and did not compete on Saturday, retained the overall World Cup lead but Eberharter kept alive his chances by moving into second place.
Eberharter, who became the oldest winner in World Cup history when he stormed to victory in Kitzbuehel last week, had to be content with third place in the first of two downhills here on Friday, won by Swiss Didier Cuche.
BOUNCED BACK
"It was extremely tough, even tougher than Kitzbuehel," Eberharter said. "You had to fight with the course all the time not to lose the line."
The overall, downhill and super-G World Cup champion, who loves Garmisch-Partenkirchen where he won a downhill last year and a super-G the year before, will get another chance to shine in Sunday's super-G here which completes the weekend programme.
Eberharter's 15th season on the circuit started badly with a severe bout of influenza but he bounced back with victories earlier this month in Chamonix and then in the classic Hannenkahm race in Kitzbuehel.
Saturday's win not only increased Eberharter's chances of winning the downhill title for the third time in a row but also gave him a boost for the defence of his overall crown.
Eberharter faces a battle not only with Raich but also with arch-rival Maier, who was fourth overall and is still in with a chance in what promises to be a thrilling end to the season.
Lasse Kjus dropped one spot to third but his hopes for a third title have been crushed by injury. The prolific Norwegian underwent knee surgery on Friday and will miss the remaining races.
"I'm not thinking about the overall title," said Eberharter. "My goal remains the downhill title. I would have to ski better in giant slaloms and maybe I'm a bit too old now to win the overall crown."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement