Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) built a first-run lead of nearly a second Tuesday night but, forced to wait nearly 20 minutes as steadily falling snow built-up on the course following a crash by Croatian Ivica Kostelic, dropped to fourth place behind Austrian Beni Raich, who also took over the World Cup points lead. Tom Rothrock (Cashmere, WA) collected his second straight top-10, finishing ninth.

Raich, third in the first run, was timed in 1:41.67 for the 13th win of his career, his third this season. Miller, bidding for his 11th victory, finished in 1:42.37 and moved into third place overall. Raich pulled past Norway's Lasse Kjus, who seldom skis slalom, to lead-after 26 races-with 918 points; Kjus has 824 and Miller is up to 751 points.

"Tonight would've been a great race to win," Miller said, but he said the attention rightfully was given to Kostelic, the 2003 world slalom champion who narrowly edged him for the 2002 World Cup slalom title.

Two days after winning the combined at Kitzbuehel and thrusting himself back into the World Cup overall standings, Miller ignored the steady snow and exploded down the first-run course before about 40,000 wildly enthusiastic spectators in Schladming. He was .98 ahead of Kostelic, 1:02 up on Raich.

Kostelic crash buried Miller's chances
But when Kostelic, the next-to-last skier on the final run, crashed hard on the bottom half of the icy course, he went down on his left hip and was lying in the snow for several minutes while personnel tended to him. He eventually was removed on a sled.

All the while, as the snow continued, obviously slowing the course, Miller was at the top. He backed out of the start gate and waited. A couple of course workers skied down to slip off some of the accumulated snow before he raced.

In the end, Miller-who used the hard, icy conditions to compile his enormous first-run lead – couldn't overcome the delay and the sluggish course. He posted the 18th-fastest time on the run and dropped to fourth.

"They had to take care of Kostelic, so it was just mostly bad luck for me-but they have to take care of him," Miller said, shrugging at the bad turn for him. "I was standing up there for – what? – like 15 minutes watching the snow pile up and there wasn't one slipper. They were all the bottom of the course; they figured the race was over. Like I said-just mostly bad luck."

He added, "Fourth is okay in these circumstances. I've been training one way and racing another."

"It was such a shame for Bode, just a shame-but certainly so much worse for Kostelic. It wasn't good," said U.S. SL/GS Coach Mike Morin.

"I was right there where Kostelic went down and he took a hard fall. When I got to him he was already screaming in pain. He tried to get up four or five times and just couldn't do it. He was in the middle of the steep pitch, which was so icy and I'm wondering 'How're they gonna get the sled down to him?' They finally belayed the sled and when they moved him onto the sled he was screaming all over again," Morin said.

No course slippers to clear the run
What puzzled him, the coach said, was why organizers didn't send course workers down the course to clear some of the snow. "They didn't send any course workers. Nobody [side-] slipped through. We had our coaches slip the course, but it was snowing so hard.

"When Bode got on course, it was pretty slippery – this film of new snow on an icy base and between the combination of snow and ice, it was really tricky. It's a tribute to Bode's abilities that he finished fourth," Morin said.

For Rothrock, it was his third ninth-place result. He was part of a rare three-way tie at the Chevy Truck America's Opening in Park City, Utah, before Thanksgiving, and was ninth Sunday in the slalom, which ended the 64th Hahnenkamm race week in Kitzbuehel.

"Things are going well," Rothrock said, noting that he had worked with Nordica-his boot supplier-for a different setup for his boots in the last couple of weeks "and things are so much better.

"It was snowing both runs, but it's snowed for about the last five races so we're getting used to racing in it," he said. "The course conditions were awesome although it was really icy. It was good to stay on top of 'em tonight."

Rothrock feeling more confident
Grabbing a top-10 Sunday gave him confidence, which helped him, "and so does being in my third year on the World Cup. I'm feeling more confident because I'm also learning the courses, knowing what to expect on these hills."

It also helped to have his fiancee, Angie Lorenz, in the crowd again. "She's brought me good luck; she's 4-for-4" as he's scored points in all races she's attended. They plan to marry April 17.

Morin also had high praise for Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH), who was 32nd in the first run, missing the top-30 cut by.19. "This is the second time he's just missed making the second run. He's definitely for real. Jimmy's got the talent and he just needs the race experience at this level," Morin said.

MEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
Slalom (Night race)

1. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1:41.67
2. Manfred Moelgg, Italy, 1:42.24
3. Kalle Palander, Finland, 1:42.25
4. Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H., 1:42.37
5. Rainer Schoenfelder, Austria, 1:42.42

9. Tom Rothrock, Cashmere, Wash., 1:43.11

Did not qualify for 2nd run: Jimmy Cochran, Keene, N.H.

DNF-1: Chip Knight, Stowe, Vt.; Greg Hardy, Stratton Mountain, Vt.; Jake Zamansky, Aspen, Colo.; Jesse Marshall, Pittsfield, Vt.

— Courtesy of US Ski Team