Italy's Giorgio Rocca wins Slovakia Slalom
February 27th, 2005
KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (Feb. 27) - Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) slipped and missed a gate early on his second run of slalom Sunday but held onto his World Cup points lead despite Benjamin Raich of Austria, finishing third and closing the gap to 31 points. Giorgio Rocca of Italy won while Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), the lone American to finish, came in 10th to clinch a spot in World Cup Finals.
With six races remaining in the season, Miller - who has led from the first race of the season, a giant slalom in October at Soelden, Austria, has 1,253 points to 1,222 for Raich, the World Cup SL leader who also is the new slalom world champion.
Rocca won in 1:34.95 and Swede Andre Myhrer was second at 1:35.16. Raich third (1:35.20) as he more than halved what had been a 91-point lead at the start of the day. Ligety had the second-fastest final run and finished in 1:36.06 while Tom Rothrock (Cashmere, WA) failed to finish his second run.
Miller, who has skied every race over the past three seasons, shrugged and said, "I had a bad weekend." He also skied off-course Saturday in GS while Raich won. "I didn't score a point but my confidence is not dented," Miller said.
The men return to speed events next weekend with a downhill and super G in Kvitfjell, Norway, before World Cup Finals March 9-13 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, where they'll race DH, super G, GS and slalom. Miller is bidding to be the first U.S. man to win the overall World cup title since Phil Mahre in 1983.
MEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
Kransjka Gora, SLO - Feb. 27, 2005
Men's Slalom
1. Giorgio Rocca, Italy, 1:34.95
2. Andre Myhrer, Sweden, 1:35.16
3. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1:35.20
4. Rainer Schoenfelder, Austria, 1:35.71
5. Markus Larsson, Sweden, 1:35.75
10. Ted Ligety, Park City, Utah, 1:36.06
DNF-2:
Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H.; Tom Rothrock, Cashmere, Wash.
Did not qualify for 2nd run:
Jimmy Cochran, Keene, N.H.; Jesse Marshall, Pittsfield, Vt.
DNF-1:
Chip Knight, Erik Schlopy, Park City, Utah; Paul McDonald, Bellevue, Wash.
