SOELDEN, Austria (Reuters) - American Bode Miller more than lived up to the hype as pre-race favorite on Sunday, snatching victory by a massive margin in the season-opening World Cup giant slalom. The world champion, leading after the first leg by a slim nine-hundredths of a second, let rip in the second run down the treacherous Rettenbach course for a winning combined time of two minutes 9.58 seconds.

Bode Miller

Miller beat France's Frederic Covili into second position by 1.12 seconds, while Joel Chenal wrapped up a successful day at this high-altitude Tyrolean resort for France by taking third place in a time of 2:10.76.

"That was just amazing. I was very nervous," a beaming Miller said after winning the fourth giant slalom World Cup race of his career.

Frederic Covili

"It's a great feeling to win in the very first race and on such a tough course. It's a dream to start the season like this."

"I held back a little in the first run and so just went charge, charge, charge in the second," the 26-year-old all rounder added.

Miller's spectacular win makes him a clear favorite for winning the overall World Cup crown this year -- something he desperately wants to achieve.

Bode Miller

The American, who unusually competes in all of the sport's five disciplines, came runner-up overall last year to Austrian Stephan Eberharter.

Austria's Hermann Maier, starting a season for the first time since a motorcycle accident in August 2001 nearly lost him a leg, ended in 16th place and three seconds off Miller's pace.

THOUSANDS OF SPECTATORS

The thousands of spectators were ecstatic after the former triple overall World Cup champion crossed the finish line with the fastest time.

But the euphoria was only brief as Swiss Tobias Gruenenfelder immediately followed and shaved 0.66 seconds off Maier's time.

There was little cause for cheer for the home crowd after not a single of their racers reached the podium here for the first time since 1996.

Erik Schlopy

Overall World Cup champion Eberharter, Soelden champion last year ahead of France's Covili, finished in eighth position. The best-placed Austrian was Benjamin Raich in fifth, just behind Italian Arnold Rieder.

The men's World Cup takes a break after Soelden for a month before the North American stage of the circuit begins in Park City, Utah, in late November.

Hermann Maier

The men return to Europe in mid-December for the remainder of the season which ends with the finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March. 

By Julia Ferguson, Reuters

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