CHAUX-NEUVE, France — Todd Lodwick of Steamboat Springs earned his second World Cup podium finish in as many weeks Saturday, placing third in a World Cup nordic combined event to lead three U.S. men in the top six.
Magnus Moan of Norway won to deny World Cup overall leader Jason Lamy Chappuis of France a victory in front of his home fans.
Steamboat’s Johnny Spillane finished fifth, and Bill Demong of Vermontville, N.Y., was sixth.
“It’s awesome to have three skiers in the top six. We just keep getting better and better,” Lodwick said. “It’s nice to be able to work together and get up there on the podium. We were hoping for a sweep, but there was a smart skier out there and a fast one, so it was difficult.”
The Americans took turns leading the cross country race and were 1-2-3 until Moan took over at the start of the final lap.
He finished in 23 minutes, 30.7 seconds to beat Lamy Chappuis by 4.2 seconds. Lodwick was 7.1 seconds back, and Spillane and Demong were 11.7 and 14.0 seconds off the pace, respectively.
Vonn fails to finish in GS
MARIBOR, Slovenia — Vail’s Lindsey Vonn crashed three gates from the finish but was not hurt, while Kathrin Zettel of Austria won a World Cup giant slalom.
Vonn was second after the opening run. But she lost time early in her second run, forcing her to attack in the lower section. She was thrown off course by a bump shortly before the finish line.
Crash proves costly to Miller
WENGEN, Switzerland — American Bode Miller crashed near the finish line, and Carlo Janka of Switzerland won the prestigious World Cup downhill on the Lauberhorn course.
The Associated Press
