Miller Closes in on Overall Title

**CaddyDaddy77** · 02-15-2004, 11:36 PM

Bode, may actually take the overall with six more races to go, cross your fingers.
Supposedly on the new Rossi version of the Dobie they have been trying to get him to switch to.

http://www.skiracing.com/news_photos...sla_021504.jpg

Alpine World Cup
Miller wins St. Anton slalom, closes in on overall title, starts partying immediately
St. Anton, Austria
By Nathaniel Vinton
February 15, 2004

Miller's win at St. Anton was his first in a World Cup slalom in more than two years.
Reuters

Bode Miller dominated in the slalom at St. Anton, Austria, on Sunday, winning by nearly a second over slalom points leader Kalle Palander of Finland.

Miller scored 130 points in his weekend at St. Anton, closing the gap on the skiers ahead of him in the race for the overall World Cup globe. He was eighth in the downhill.

"I started sounding like a broken record there for awhile," said Miller after the race. "I kept telling the press my slalom isn't bad, it's not far off."

Miller's two-run time of 1:34.60 was 0.95 seconds better than Palander's. Behind the two leaders was a trio of Austrians separated by just a fraction of a second: Mario Matt was third, 1.09 back, Rainer Schoenfelder was fourth (1.13) and Kurt Engl fifth (1.16).

"I'm just going to take a quick break," said Miller, asked what he'd do over the upcoming two-week break in the men's World Cup schedule. He said he and his childhood friend (and RV chauffeur) will visit Prague, in the Czech Republic. "I hear that the city is beautiful, and I need to take a little rest from skiing. My enthusiasm is great. I'm super-fired-up to race, and physically I feel great. ... Who knows what it will actually do to my skiing, but generally when I come back from those breaks I ski pretty strong."

In the week before the race, St. Anton received heavy snowfall, and two downhill training runs were cancelled. European newspapers, in lieu of training stories, ran reports of Miller's late-night partying.

"If he goes out and drinks, and then wins a race, it only adds to the legend," said one American coach.

After the race, Miller stood on the podium for the national anthem. When the top three were handed bottles of champagne, Palander doused Miller. Then Miller opened his bottle, sprayed it on himself, and drank a few sips.

Still soaked at the press conference, he was served a glass of beer by a young woman who worked for the organizing committee. He finished that one while talking about his new boot set-up, the overall title chase, and what it was like to race on the hill where he blew his knee out in 2001. He was served another beer at the end of the conference, which he finished before being interviewed by the New York Times and Italian television.

Miller told the Italian television reporter that the St. Anton downhill had been "the toughest one we raced all season," and that to make the recovery in a day was a challenge. Then, the interviewer's phone rang. Miller smiled, waited for her to silence it, and resumed speaking. Then the phone rang again. "Maybe you better take that," said Miller, wryly. "It sounds important."

After silencing her phone, the reporter resumed her interview. "Today everybody make party for you," she said. "Yeah, we make parties a lot actually," answered Miller, smiling at the other reporters.

Then the phone rang again. "Somebody's ready to party right now," said Miller. "Maybe you can turn it off."

"Everybody make party for you," the Italian reporter said once again, trying to re-direct her interview. "I don't know what everyone is going to do," Miller said, "but I'm going to make a party for myself, and if everyone wants to join in that's fine."

Miller was then shuttled to a nearby VIP tent, where Austrian ski icons Karl Schranz, Gunther Mader and Hansi Hinterseer had requested his presence. Miller drank another beer with them, and together they posed for a Sports Illustrated photographer. Miller asked Schranz, a local icon, to campaign for more World Cups to be held in St. Anton.

No other U.S. skiers made the second run. Tom Rothrock caught a tip in the first run, and Chip Knight made a small mistake that put him just out of the top 30.

Benjamin Raich, one of the Austrians Miller is chasing in the overall point contest, caught a tip in his first run and had to stop on the steep final pitch of the course, hike a few steps, and push back onto the course. He failed to qualify for the second run, giving Miller a 100-point net gain on the day.

The other two Austrians ahead of Miller, Stephan Eberharter and current leader Hermann Maier, don't compete in slalom. Miller is now in third place, one point behind Raich and 70 points behind Maier.

The victory was Miller's first race win since the Park City giant slalom in November. He won two combined contests last month, at Kitzbuehel, Austria, and Chamonix, France. It was his first slalom win in more than two years, dating back to January 2002 in Schladming, Austria.

The men's tour now takes a break for two weeks before a slalom and giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, on February 28 and 29, followed by two speed races in Kvitfjell, Norway, a week later.

The season ends with the finals at Sestriere, Italy, in March.

Alpine World Cup
Men's Slalom
St. Anton, Austria
February 15, 2004
1. Bode Miller (U.S.) 1:34.60 (47.52/47.08)
2. Kalle Palander (Finland) 1:35.55 (48.08/47.47)
3. Mario Matt (Austria) 1:35.69 (48.82/46.87)
4. Rainer Schoenfelder (Austria) 1:35.73 (48.09/47.64)
5. Kurt Engl (Austria) 1:35.76 (49.04/46.72)
6. Truls Ove Karlsen (Norway) 1:35.78 (47.69/48.09)
7= Felix Neureuther (Germany) 1:35.99 (48.72/47.27)
7= Manfred Moelgg (Italy) 1:35.99 (48.38/47.61)
7= Giorgio Rocca (Italy) 1:35.99 (48.52/47.47)
10. Thomas Grandi (Canada) 1:36.03 (48.58/47.45)

It's the 30th of 38 scheduled men's races and the ninth of 11 slaloms. ...There are two DH's, 2 GS's, 2 SG's and 2 SL's remaining to contest. ... It's the 11th win of the season for Rossignol skis. ... It's also the 11th career win for Bode Miller, and his fourth in slalom. ... It's his fifth win -- and first in slalom -- this season. ... It's the 139th World Cup win for the U.S. ... Miller is third all time for U.S. skiers behind only Phil Mahre (27) and Tamara McKinney (18). ... Miller wins by nearly a full second at 0.95, but the rest of the race is tight, with the top 20 within the next second.

It's the 13th career podium for Kalle Palander and eighth this season. ... It's the 12th career podium for Mario Matt (all in slalom), and his first of the season. ... It's his first podium since injuring his shoulder in slalom at Kitzbuehel 1/20/02. ... It's the fifth top 10 of the season for Thomas Grandi, and third in slalom. ... Chip Knight was less than a tenth of a second from qualifying for the second run.

No Austrian male has ever won a World Cup slalom at St Anton. ... Only the U.S. has two different male winners at the site: Miller and Steve Mahre 2/6/83. ... The top contenders for the overall title other than Miller either did not compete (Hermann Maier and Stephan Eberharter) or were disqualified for missing a gate (Benjamin Raich).

Hermann Maier maintains the World Cup overall lead 1054-985 to Benjamin Raich. ... Miller moved past Stephan Eberharter into third, one point behind Raich. ... Daron Rahlves is still seventh. ... Rainer Schoenfelder holds the slalom lead 505-455 over Palander. ... Miller leads the U.S. in fifth at 340. ... Thomas Grandi is now ninth at 196. ... Austria's Nations Cup lead is now 13881-4057 over Italy. ... The U.S. is third at 3979, just ahead of the Swiss at 3912. ... In men's standings Austria leads 8743 over Italy with the Swiss at 2180 and the U.S. at 2089.

**dipstik** · 02-15-2004, 11:54 PM

good stuff, thanks for putting it up. It's gonna be a few tense races for Bode, and who the hell knows what he is going to pull. I kinda just want to close my eyes and see the results, because I always seem to get really nervous and pace around the room when bode races, because I never know if he's going to fall or finish the race or place or anything, he is just so inconsistent in his racing, but his incostiency makes him exciting to watch. I saw the DH race today in St. Anton, it was insane. I don't know if you heard the commentary or not, but I'm totally for Bode skiing all 4 events. I think it's the only way that he can win the overall, especially since Herman and Eberharter don't do slalom. I'm kinda hoping that Bode does well in the next 2 slalom races, because then the title will be within very very close reach.

**InspectorGadget** · 02-16-2004, 12:30 AM

Great to see Bode bag another slalom win . . . . it's been a while. I also think it's great that Bode is a four event skier; as any racer in contention for the overall title should be.

USA
USA
USA

**ak_powder_monkey** · 02-16-2004, 02:08 AM

I can't wait to see Bode race here, we are going to stay in the weed for 3 or four days during the US Alpine Championships and I'm gonna be watching, unless of course its a powder day in wich case I won't care

**ulty_guy** · 02-16-2004, 02:25 AM

what a dude!

**truth** · 02-16-2004, 09:11 AM

I don't think he's drinking enough...if he hopes to win the overall he better get in touch with Splat and SuPu ASAP!

**Mountain Junkie** · 02-16-2004, 10:32 AM

Originally posted by CaddyDaddy77
Then Miller opened his bottle, sprayed it on himself, and drank a few sips.

Still soaked at the press conference, he was served a glass of beer by a young woman who worked for the organizing committee. He finished that one while talking about his new boot set-up, the overall title chase, and what it was like to race on the hill where he blew his knee out in 2001. He was served another beer at the end of the conference, which he finished before being interviewed by the New York Times and Italian television.

Reading that cracked me up. Definitely not your typical news article.

Hey CaddyDaddy, what's the scoop with the Dobie ski?

**CaddyDaddy77** · 02-16-2004, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by Mountain Junkie
Reading that cracked me up. Definitely not your typical news article.

Hey CaddyDaddy, what's the scoop with the Dobie ski?

It's the Rossi version of the Dobie boot, not the ski. rossi has been trying to make something that is similar to the Doberman boot to get Bode to be a full sponsorship, he's been using Rossi skis and bindings, but Nordica boots. Rossi has a new prototype they have been working with Bode with to get him to switch over, this race was the first on the Rossi boot, something's working.

Additional coverage.

By Andrew Hood
February 16, 2004
After the dust settled Sunday in St. Anton, Austria, one thing became very clear -- Bode Miller is right back in the hunt for the overall World Cup title.

Miller scored his first slalom victory Sunday in two years and took eighth in Saturday's downhill to push into third overall and just one point behind second place Benjamin Raich.

"This was rock-and-rolling down the course, just how I like it -- no fluke and taking a lot of risks," Miller said after winning Sunday. "I risked a lot in the second run and almost went down a few times, but it was really fun. It was nice to cross the finish line and see you've won although you've made so many mistakes."

Hermann Maier retained the overall lead with 1,054 points after winning Saturday's downhill. Austrian teammate Raich skipped Saturday's downhill but DQ'd in Sunday's slalom for straddling a gate and missed out on any points.

Raich is still second overall with 985 points, but Miller nudged into third at just one point back. Defending champion Stephan Eberharter is fourth at 961.

Miller's risk-all attitude has caused him some problems when conventional wisdom urged him to skier safer to score points, but the remaining schedule -- four technical events and four speed events -- could help the 26-year-old New Englander.

Miller is the only skier of the top four contenders who's consistently scored points in all four disciplines this season. Maier hasn't finished either of the two slaloms he's started this year and he's still struggling in GS. Raich is racing more speed events, but all of his major points have come in the gates while Eberharter continues to insist his only worry is taking the downhill crown.

Miller, who is trying to become the first American since Phil Mahre in 1983 to win the overall trophy, said he's enjoying the chase.

"It is fun because it will go on until the last race probably," he told Reuters. "I'm sticking by my prediction that any four of us have a chance to win. Everyone is downplaying Hermann and Stephan but when they are under pressure they ski very well."