GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany -- Manfred Moelgg and Giorgio Rocca gave Italy a 1-2 finish in a men's World Cup slalom on Sunday.

Italy's Manfred Moelgg speeds past a pole on his way to clock the second fastest time during the first run of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Bode Miller of the United States, the defending overall World Cup champion, placed sixth in his second best slalom finish of the season since being runner-up in the first race.

Bode Miller, of the United States, speeds past a pole on his way to clock the seventh fastest time during the first run of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Moelgg, the defending World Cup slalom champion, rallied to win the last race before the World Championships start Tuesday in Val d'Isere, France.

Although he clinched the slalom title in the final race last season, Moelgg's only previous World Cup win was a slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, last year.

The two Italians trailed Reinfried Herbst after the first run but moved past the Austrian with fast second heats. Herbst, who won the Garmisch slalom race last year ahead of Moelgg, had settled for third.

Moelgg won by a hefty margin in a combined time of 1 minute, 46.77 seconds on the sunny Gudiberg slope. Rocca, who was the slalom champion in 2006, took second in 1:47.06 and Herbst finished in 1:47.37.

Italy's Manfred Moelgg celebrates after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Enrico Schiavi)

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia retained the overall World Cup lead despite finishing a distant 24th.

The Associated Press
Sun, Feb. 01, 2009

Italy's Moelgg edges countryman for ski win

Italians Manfred Moelgg and Giorgio Rocca were the top two men's skiers in the World Cup slalom Sunday in Germany. Moelgg, last year's World Cup winner in the discipline, won his first race of the season. He finished the course at Garmisch-Partenkirchenin in a two-run time of one minute, 46.77 seconds.

Italy's Giorgio Rocca speeds past a pole on his way to clock the third fastest time during the first run of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Moelgg was second behind Austrian Reinfried Herbst heading into the final run, but then topped the field, in 52.20 seconds.

Rocca's combined time of 1:47.06 put him second, with Herbst slipping back to third. Manfred Pranger of Austria and Jean-Baptiste Grange of France were tied for fourth.

Trevor White was the top Canadian. The Calgary native was in 20th place, in 1:49.92.

Michael Janyk of Whistler, B.C., finished 28th.

Last year's overall World Cup champion, Bode Miller of the United States, was sixth, with American Ted Ligety 16th.

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia finished a disappointing 24th, but still leads the overall World Cup standings, 36 points ahead of Grange. Austria's Benjamin Raich — who was 13th in Sunday's race — is in third place.

In the slalom standings, the order is Grange, Kostelic and Herbst.

From left, Italy's Manfred Moelgg, the winner, celebrates on the podium with teammates Giorgio Rocca, second placed, and 8th placed Giuliano Razzoli, after an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Enrico Schiavi)

The alpine world championships will begin Tuesday in Val d'Isere, France.

CBCSports.ca
Sunday, February 1, 2009 | 10:57 AM ET