A weary Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) made it four straight top-3s Friday, finishing second – by.08-in a make-up downhill from Wengen, Switzerland, while Swiss racer Didier Cuche won his fifth race in 1:59.49. The podium moved Rahlves from third to second in World Cup DH standings.

Rahlves, a Green Mountain Valley School (VT) grad who won a super G and had two other podium results a week ago during the Hahnenkamm race week in Kitzbuehel, Austria, was second with a time of 1:59.57 and Stephan Eberharter of Austria completed the podium with a time of 1:59.70 in 20-degree weather.

Rahlves battling fatigue
Conceding he was "a little sick," Rahlves explained, "It was a really tough week last week, on the hill and off the hill. I'm playing catch-up right now with my health. I felt pretty tired at the top.

"I tried to punch it real hard at the top and save a little bit for the bottom. It was like a mental game at the bottom. I was so worked."

Rahlves added, "I'm trying to get in a roll like I did last year at this time, get on the podium in every race. I'm trying to come out every day and give it my best shot."

"We saw some great skiing today. Daron's been sick, wasn't feeling so great and didn't have a great day of training [Thursday], but he came out today and just put it down," said men's Head DH/SG Coach John McBride. "The conditions were harder and faster than [Thursday] and 'D' just pinned it again. He's skiing so well, so confidently."

He wants the red (leader's) bib
"I want to get that red [World Cup leader's] bib. [Austrian Stephan] Eberharter's got it right now. It takes a lot of work and you have to be smart about it. The top was really rough, maybe the roughest track I've been on all year, but the bottom part was all smooth and you could cruise. I want to build on that" Saturday in the second DH.

Bryon Friedman (Park City, UT), racing again after suffering a concussion when he crashed in the super G Rahlves won in Kitzbuehel, finished 21st (2:01.68) on the 3.45K Kandahar speed run while Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) was 27th (2:03.10).

"He lost six-tenths on the last turn or 'Free Dog' would've been in the top 15, certainly up there and Bode went down on a hip again up-top and he told me he just ran out of gas at the bottom after a couple of recoveries. He's skied every race again," McBride said, "so we're keeping an eye on his conditioning, but he'd say something if he were tired. I don't think he's cooked."

The podium moved Rahlves past Austrian Michael Walchhofer, who failed to finish, after eight downhills. A year ago, the Californian-with victories in Bormio, and at the Hahnenkamm-became the first U.S. man to finish second in World Cup DH standings.

MEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
Men's DH-1 (from Wengen, SUI)

1. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 1:59.49
2. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, Calif., 1:59.57
3. Stephan Eberharter, Austria, 1:59.70
4. Fritz Strobl, Austria, 2:00.20
5. Hermann Maier, Austria, 2:00.32

21. Bryon Friedman, Park City, Utah, 2:01.43
27. Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H., 2:01.68
37. Jake Fiala, Frisco, Colo., 2:03.10

— Courtesy of US Ski Team