THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BORMIO, Italy — Bode Miller clinched his second overall title in four years Thursday when his closest challenger decided not to race in one of the final two races of the season.
Didier Cuche still had a mathematical chance of finishing ahead of the American in the final standings but Swiss team spokeswoman Kristina Schneider said Thursday that he would not compete in the final slalom.
Miller, who also won the coveted Crystal Globe in 2005, finished ahead of his Swiss rival in Thursday’s super-G to increase his overall lead to 191 points. Hannes Reichelt of Austria won the race, while Miller was 12th and Cuche ended up 16th, one spot outside the points range.
Francois Bourque of New Richmond, Que., was the top Canadian in fifth spot while Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was sixth.
Cuche, a speed specialist who won the downhill season title over Miller earlier this week, doesn’t race the slalom.
Miller declined to speak to reporters at the finish line.
“I am not talking today,” he said.
His personal coach John McBride, who set Thursday’s course, said he was glad the title came before the final race.
“I am very happy I don’t have to drag this all the way to the slalom and chew my fingers off watching him try to bring home the bacon in the slalom,” McBride told The Associated Press. “Even though I know he can, it would have really nerve-racking for me. I’m super relieved that he’s done it because I think he proved he was the best overall skier this year.”
Miller split from the U.S. team this season to train on his own.
“I am proud of the kid. We definitely had our ups and downs this season, which had lots of missed opportunities and some super inspirational moments,” McBride said.
The mood at Miller’s trailer, in which he travels and lives during the season, appeared low-key. Miller looked to be in a dour mood and refused repeated requests by the AP to talk.
He may have been upset at his 12th-place finish on a course set by McBride.
“Today was disappointing for sure,” McBride said. “I thought I went out there and set a course that was a skier’s course and I thought he was going to be the man to take care of it.”
With Thursday’s win, Reichelt clinched the World Cup title in the discipline by one point over Cuche.
Reichelt also won the race by the slimmest of margins, beating Didier Defago of Switzerland by 0.01 seconds.
Reichelt covered the Stelvio course in one minute 45.00 seconds for his third victory of the season and his fourth career win.
Defago finished in 1:45.01 and Ales Gorza of Slovenia was third in 1:45.34. Bourque posted a time of 1:45.51 while Guay crossed in 1:45.55.
Cuche said he tried to ski a safe run to finish in the points to secure the super-G title.
“I wanted to use tactics,” the 33-year-old said. “If I had only come in 15th, you could have said that I was clever. Now I’m the idiot.”
Miller missed out on a chance for the downhill title when the race was called off earlier this week because of the soft course, allowing Cuche to take the title without have to compete.
The American had a safe run Thursday to clock 1:46.01, while Cuche was 16th in 1:46.44.
Reichelt collected 341 points in seven super-G races this season, while Cuche had to settle for second at 340. Guay was the top Canadian in sixth place with 240 points.
Miller and Lindsey Vonn are poised to become the first American duo to take the overall World Cup ski titles in 25 years.
The United States hasn’t pulled off the men’s and women’s sweep since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney took the titles in 1983.