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and said he could be back in
action within a few weeks. Von Gruenigen clocked 2:26.46 over two
runs to capture his 22nd World Cup victory in a 13-year career. It
was his fourth giant slalom win at the French resort of Vald'Isere.
"It's magnificent to leave on a high," the 33-year-old said,
confirming that this season will be his last. "It's a great
satisfaction to have got back on top and to finish there."The win
extended Von Gruenigen's lead in World Cup giant slalom standings.
He has 260 points to 145 for French runner-up Frederic Covili, the
defending giant slalom World Cup titleholder, who finished seventh
Sunday. Von Gruenigen, a three-time World Cup giant slalom
champion, also won in Park City, Utah, last month, and was third
in the season-opening race in Soelden, Austria. Miller, whose
previous best this season was fifth inSoelden, led after the first
run but was slower in the second. He finished 0.11 of a second
behind and said Von Gruenigen coped better with the heavy snow
that fell throughout the race."He just doesn't get affected by
this stuff as much. He looks like he's skiing on a sunny day and
that's what it takes to win," Miller said. "He's one of the
toughest competitors out there." Austrian Christoph Gruber clawed
his way onto the podium with the quickest second run, finishing
third overall, 0.43 of a second behind.
Eberharter, 33, the Olympic giant slalom champion, caught a ski in
the snow and fell hard within sight of the finish line in the
first run. |
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