Sonja Nef of Switzerland set a blistering pace and hung on in the second run to win a giant slalom at Bormio that was originally scheduled for Berchtesgaden, Germany, as the women's tour moved into the second half of the season. Nef's winning time was 2:24.39, .27 ahead of Anja Paerson of Sweden. Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister finished third in a time of 2:25.64.

Three U.S. women earned World Cup points, led by Caroline Lalive, who finished 16th with a time of 2:28.16. Sarah Schleper was 18th in 2:28.38, while Kirsten Clark wound up 27th in 2:30.04.

The victory was the first of the season for Nef, who had won 14 Cup races coming into this year. She was the bronze medalist in last year's Olympics. It is her first win ever at Bormio, which will host the 2005 World Championships.

World Cup points leader Janica Kostelic crashed out of her second run, missing a chance to add to her runaway lead. She was not seriously hurt and is expected to compete in Sunday's slalom.

Next weekend, speed events will take center stage, with a downhill and super-G at famed Innsbruck, Austria.

— MountainZone.com Staff