Steve Locher of Switzerland won his first World Cup race in three years, capturing a men's giant slalom Sunday.
Locher was timed in 2 minutes, 3.20 seconds on a course that dropped 1,184 feet through 42 gates on the first run and 45 on the second. He led after the first run with 58.56.Locher beat his more consistent teammate, Michael Von Gruenigen, by .31 seconds.
The last time Locher won a World Cup race was at Alta Badia, Italy, a giant slalom, in 1993. His only other World Cup victory was in 1990 in a Super-G at Val d'Isere, France.
"I risked twice as much today and that helped me to win," Locher said. "Now that I have the confidence to be in the first group, the next time I can attack more."
Von Gruenigen, the giant slalom specialist who missed the top three only once last year in the discipline, was runner-up in 2:03.51.
"In the first run I didn't attack," Von Gruenigen said. "Still I am content because the second run showed I can be up there when I risk a little."
Kjetil-Andre Aamodt of Norway was third in 2:04.20, after being ninth after the morning run.
Last year's overall champion, Lasse Kjus of Norway, fell in the second heat after being third in the first run.
Locher is usually overshadowed by teammates Urs Kaelin and Von Gruenigen, who won seven of the nine World Cup giant slaloms last year and were second and third behind Alberto Tomba at the World Championships.
Tomba, the world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the giant slalom, was not entered. He was injured in a fall in training last week but didn't intend to compete here.
Locher had a best of fourth last season and realizes the competition is difficult.
"With Michael and Urs, this is a tough team," Locher said. "In training I am always behind Kaelin." Kaelin finished fifth Sunday.
The top time in the second run was 1:03.57 by Italy's Matteo Nana. Locher did 1:04.64, but he had a 2.61 second margin over Nana after the first run.
The circuit resumes at Park City, Utah, Nov. 21-24 with slaloms and giant slaloms for both men and women.