LAKE LOUISE, Alta. (CP) - Austrian Fritz Strobl didn't have time to worry Saturday as conditions at Lake Louise deteriorated in the first World Cup downhill race of the season.

"I forgot my racing suit in my room," Strobl said after notching his first World Cup victory in three years. "I was worried that I'd would have to ski down in my underwear."

Fritz Strobl of Austria, soars down the course on his way to winning the Lake Louise men's World Cup downhill skiing race on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005. (AP PHOTO/CP, Frank Gunn)

Strobl's time of one minute 40.96 seconds was a major triumph for the Olympic downhill champion as he focuses on defending his gold medal in February at Turin.

"I didn't expect this," Strobl, 33, said of his first-ever podium finish at Lake Louise. "I was hoping for Top 10. It's been a long time."

Saturday was a day for rebounds, as Norway's Kjetil Andre Aamodt was second in 1:41.05, and Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein came third in 1:41.11.

Austrian veteran Hermann Maier was fourth.

Aamodt has been plagued by injury for the last two years, with his last podium finish at the 2003 world championships. He says the road back has been hard mentally.

"It shows I'm still capable of winning races," a subdued Aamodt said of Saturday's result. "I'm more happy on the inside than on the outside."

Buechel said his podium finish was vindication after crashing at Soelden, Austria last month in the first World Cup races of the season.

"A lot of people thought I wasn't in shape and I think this proves them wrong," said Buechel, beaming.

Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was the top Canadian at 17th in 1:42.07 - a bitter disappointment after being among the leaders in training runs leading up to Saturday's race.

"It's a question of nerves, I might have choked a bit," said Guay, who was second at Lake Louise in 2003 - still the only Canadian to stand on the podium here.

"It was a little bit harder to see (Saturday). I thought everything was going well, but I kept hooking my edges," said 24-year-old who had trouble in several parts of the course, even hitting a gate near the bottom of the course.

"Coming down off the top pitch I tried to run a pretty aggressive line and I just pooched it. I really felt it slow right down."

Guay, who started third Saturday, says the race was a tough, but valuable learning experience.

"If you look training runs for guys like Fritz Strobl, they were pretty far out but on race day they know what to do," he said. "Hopefully that's what I'm going to learn."

American Bode Miller won this race this last year, but the defending World Cup champion caught at edge at the top of the course and finished 22nd in 1:42.43. He refused to speak to reporters after the race.

Calgary's John Kucera was thrilled with his 25th place finish - his first ever top 30 result.

"For us later guys it had started to snow so I think the conditions had slowed down for us," said Kucera, who is hoping to repeat his results in Sunday's super giant slalom. "The light looked a little flat, so I made some adjustments because I knew it was going to be a bit chopped up and it seemed to work out."

Manuel Osbourne-Paradis of Whistler, B.C., was 38th in 1:43.27, Calgary's Brad Spence was 42nd in 1:43.80 and Francois Bourque of New-Richmond, Que., was 43rd in 1:43.86.

Judy Monchuk
Canadian Press
Saturday, November 26, 2005