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By Patrick Lang
ALTA BADIA, Italy, Dec 19 - Thomas Grandi of
Canada won his maiden World Cup victory after 12 years of trying
on Sunday after leader Kalle Palander crashed out of the second
leg of a giant slalom.
Grandi, second after the first leg, clocked a winning time
of two minutes 34.23 seconds down the Gran Risa course, 0.57
seconds ahead of Austrian Benjamin Raich.
Defending World Cup champion Hermann Maier of Austria and
Switzerland's Didier Cuche shared third place with 2:35.14.
Grandi, who turns 32 next week, danced in the finish area
after becoming the first Canadian man in the 38-year history of
the World Cup to win a giant slalom.
Team mates rushed to hug him and celebrate their first
victory in any discipline in 10 years.
The result delighted Italian fans equally. Grandi was born
in nearby Bolzano but emigrated with his family to Canada as a
child.
"I thought it was my destiny to win here," said Grandi. "To
do this here, on this course, in front of this crowd -- it is a
day I will never forget in my life."
Palander had led by 0.11 seconds after the first leg. But in
icy conditions the Finn skidded and crashed through a pair of
gate poles on the second run, bearing off the blue marker flag
which wrapped itself around his chest.
American World Cup leader Bode Miller, 20th in the first run
after skiing over a stone, also failed to negotiate the second
leg.
"I was so far back going into the second run that I had to
take a lot of risks and then it is easy to make mistakes," said
Miller, who held on to the overall cup lead despite his exit.
Maier took a 16-point lead over Miller in the giant slalom
standings after finishing on the podium for the third race in
succession in the discipline.
"In the second run I was really tired," said Maier, 32. "I
am getting old too. I could feel in my legs all the efforts I
made in the speed events in Val Gardena."
Maier, who nearly lost a leg in a motorcycle accident three
years ago, was second in the super-G in nearby Val Gardena on
Friday but only 37th in Saturday's downhill.
The 30-year-old Cuche was delighted with his first podium
place in giant slalom for nearly three years.
"It is a result which will boost my morale," said Cuche
whose last World Cup win came in a downhill in January. "The icy
conditions were perfect for me."
Canada's celebrations were boosted by a career-best fifth
place for the 24-year-old Jean-Philippe Roy who finished 1.09
seconds behind Grandi.
Before Sunday, the last Canadian man to win a World Cup race
had been Cary Mullen, who took the Aspen downhill in 1994.
Among the Italians cheering on Grandi was former World Cup
and Olympic champion Alberto Tomba whose career tally of 50 wins
included four giant slaloms in Alta Badia. Tomba was celebrating
his 38th birthday on Sunday.
The men's World Cup now moves to Flachau, home of Maier, for
a giant slalom and slalom on Tuesday and Wednesday.