Stefan Eberharter (AUT)

Eberharter Takes Giant Slalom
Austria's Stephan Eberharter came back from disappointing results at the World Championships in Vail to win the next-to-last men's giant slalom race of the season in Oberschwang, Germany. Eberharter, who won two GS races earlier this season in Park City and Aspen, is overdue for a podium spot— he hasn't been on it since the downhill in Bormio at the end of December.

In the lead after the first run, the Tyrolean Eberharter beat his teammate Hans Knauss, who achieved his best GS result this season, by 27/100 of a second. Switzerland's Michael von Gruenigen, 3rd at 28/100, saved his lead in the giant slalom standings as his main rival, Hermann Maier, only came 4th behind him.

"There are still some races ahead—I hope to finish the season as strong as I have started it..." — Stefan Eberharter (AUT)

Eberharter, who celebrated his fourth World Cup success was delighted by his latest victory after frustrating results in Vail where he skied out in the giant slalom after finishing 4th in Super-G.

"It was very difficult because of the warm temperature," said the 29-year-old veteran, a double World Champion back in 1991. "After a few racers it got really sticky. In those conditions you can't be too aggressive and you need to ski with more feeling and a perfect technique."

"There are still some races ahead—I hope to finish the season as strong as I have started it."

	Teammates Eberharter and Maier

Maier was 2nd after the first run, but he couldn't repeat this performance in the technically more demanding second run. He had also some problems gliding on the soft snow conditions which better suited Eberharter's technique.

Four more Austrians finished in the top-10 including Benjamin Raich, who came in 6th. He will turn 21 on Sunday and you can bet he'll fight for another slalom win.

Norway's Lasse Kjus, who is suffering from the flu, didn't compete in this race and his friend Kjetil Aamodt only reached 15th place. This helped Hermann Maier to regain the overall World Cup lead. Aamodt needs a top-10 finish in the slalom to pass him before the coming speed events in Kvitfjell where Kjus is hoping to rejoin the tour.

Marco Buechel, the surprising silver medal winner in Vail, only reached a far 10th place in front of Italy's Patrick Holzer, the winner in Kranjska Gora last January. Thomas Vonn scored a single World Cup point by coming in 30th. The other US racers did not qualify for the second run, nor did Canada's Thomas Grandi.

Maier, who feels more comfortable on fast and icy slopes, was not too pleased by his 4th place behind von Gruenigen even if he did his best on the softer snow in the second run.

"Everything now will be decided at the Finals in Spain, it will be tough," said Maier. "I lost too many opportunities during the first part of the season...my GS skiing was not the way I expected it this winter."

In Park City, Maier straddled a gate in the second run after setting the fastest time in the first run and he only came in 20th in Kranjska Gora in January. But he is the only skier to have won two giant slalom races this winter.

The defending World Cup champion now leads the overall with 1,103 points, 14 more than Lasse Kjus. Kjetil Aamodt is third, 33 points behind Maier.

"It's not over yet," said Maier, who will not take part in Sunday's slalom. "We knew before this race that the title would not be decided before the finals. All three of us can still make it. It will be tight."

Aamodt, the 1994 overall champion and runner-up in 1993 and 1997 made mistakes in both runs to end up a far 15th, losing one place in the overall standings. Aamodt is now 19 points behind Kjus but he hopes to improve his position with a better result in Sunday's slalom which completes the weekend program here.

The battle for the World Cup title is likely to go to the wire at the World Cup finals from March 10 in Sierra Nevada, Spain. In the slalom, Finland's Kalle Palander, who didn't finish the first run today, will defend his World title from Vail against the leaders of the slalom World Cup standings: Austria's Thomas Stangassinger, France's Pierrick Bourgeat and Jure Kosir from Slovenia, the winner in Kitzbuhel and Kranjska Gora. But the skier to beat may well be young and hearty Benjamin Raich from Austria.

—Mountain Zone European Correspondent