Olympic silver medallist Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) started the World Cup season with another do-or-die routine Sunday, surviving a lost pole on his first run and a near-spill on his second to finish fifth in the opening giant slalom on the Rettenbach Glacier.

No other U.S. skier made the second run as defending World Cup champion Stephan Eberharter of Austria, three times second in Soelden, edged Frederick Covili for the victory.

"It was really fun," Miller, who skied No. 1 among the 77 racers, said after his survival routine in the gusting winds. "For sure, the second run I gave away a bunch of time on the road [which cuts through the upper section of the course] and probably didn't need to take as much risk. But it was encouraging – I took the risk in the right place and it just barely didn't work out...

"When you take a risk, and it's a pretty obvious risk and it doesn't go your way – and I still ended up fifth, real close, it's good," he said.

Organizers, who delayed the women's GS for about two hours because of high winds Sunday, moved the start for the men's second run down the mountain to ensure they finished the season-opener for the men. Eberharter, skiing second, led the first run and finished with a total time of 1:49.47 with Covili, who won here a year ago en route to capturing the World Cup GS title, second in 1:49.60. Swiss great Michael Von Gruenigen was third, Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway fourth and Miller fifth in 1:49.92.

Miller, skiing next to last on the final run in the flip-30 format, said the tricky light just as he attempted to gun his speed, almost cost him on the second run. In Soelden, the first run is held in sunshine but by afternoon, the sun is behind the mountains and the course is in shade.

"I had the win right there; it would've been a little roll of the dice to take less risk and try to win," Miller said. "There wasn't any way to make up on the bottom of the run, I needed to make it up on the top. If I could it again, I think I'd take it again. It was flat light, though – I couldn't see, it was really bumpy...

"It was swirling wind. First run, I got hammered out of the start, about the second gate I just got slammed, but I made up about five-tenths of a second on the bottom. For sure, second run I gave away a bunch of time on the road. But, it was fun and it's encouraging," said Miller, who also was fifth a year ago in the Soelden opener as he rebounded from knee surgery and – with four World Cup wins (three in slal,om, one in GS) plus a pair of Olympic silver medals (GS, combined) – posted the best U.S. man's season since Phil Mahre won the overall World Cup title in 1983.

But despite Miller's performance, the seven other U.S. men struggled. Men's Head Coach Phil McNichol and SL/GS Head Coach Martin Andersen said they were encouraged by Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA), who despite starting 54th, was bound for a second run before he crashed at the bottom of his run, and Jake Zamansky (Carbondale, CO), who made his World Cup debut.

"They're disappointed. This was quite a wake-up call for them, especially the experienced guys," Andersen said. "They have to get their race head on, and they know it."

McNichol added, "It was a difficult day. By the end of the first run, it was pain [seven guys not qualifying for a second run] and pleasure [Miller's recovery despite losing the pole midway] all in one sitting...

"I want the guys to process what occurred so they can learn from it...the process of what happened at the race, how you respond, how you process all of it for growth the next time," McNichol said. "This isn't like football where you kick the water bucket over at halftime in the locker room, then go back out and make corrections...

"You just have to be on the hill to see how much better these guys can ski, and they know it. Fortunately, we've got a couple of weeks to make adjustments...and we will make those adjustments."

The U.S. team competes next in the Nature Valley Cup races – giant slaloms Nov. 13-14 and slaloms Nov. 16-17 at Colorado's Loveland Basin Ski Area – with the World Cup resuming Nov. 21-24 at the Chevy Truck America's Opening at Park City Mountain Resort, the 2002 Olympic GS venue in Utah. Men and women will each race GS and slalom.

— Courtesy, US Ski Team