Beat Feuz collected his first
World Cup win in Kvitfjell.
ell and second for Feuz. Walchhofer called the win
“casual,” and said the track had been “perfect.” His
skis had just the right bite, and he said he skied in a
relaxed, loose manner.
While Walchhofer basked in the sunlight, Cuche ap-
peared a bit shell-shocked.
The other finish significant to deciding World Cup
titles was the 21st-place result of Ivica Kostelic. Hav-
ing rejoiced in a January that included seven Cup
victories he was a shoo-in for the crown, but the
placing made it a mathmetical certainty.
This left Sunday’s super G (March 13), and here
the standings were also sufficiently tight. Six men
were theoretically in the hunt. Georg Streitberger
led the standings, but had succumbed to a leg injury
at Chamonix and was gone for the season. Cuche
and Kostelic were tied for second. Walchhofer was
in there, as were Hannes Reichelt and Carlos Janka.
Should Cuche have continued to falter he could have
failed to win a title for the first time in five years.
He didn’t falter, instead displaying the internal re-
solve that has formed his stardom. He skied, he said,
“with rage in my stomach.”
He charged the Olympiabakken course, arcing his
way through 42 turns for the win while Austria stacked
up four men right (all within 0.44) behind him. Cuche
took the super G lead and would later win the title
when that discipline was cancelled at Finals.
“First of all,” he said, “I’m the first one surprised by
how fast I went. Secondly, I’ve slept only three hours
for the past two nights. In the afternoons I’ve spent
hours on the phone trying to resolve things that
amount to virtually nothing... namely getting five cen-
timeters lobbed off a jump. Thirdly, it’s the first time in
my career I’m struggling to appreciate a win.”
He’ll not soon forget the events of Kvitfjell.
SkiRacing.com APRIL 7, 2011 | 19
