ALPINE:

Cuche claims 4th downhill globe, Theaux picks up win No. 1

March 16, 2011     ♦ Photo: Didier Cuche was 4th in Wednesday's race (Michel Painchaud, for S-Magazine) 

LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland — Didier Cuche became the men's World Cup downhill champion Wednesday, securing an emotional fourth title in alpine racing's signature event.

Cuche scored enough race points finishing fourth to overtake Austria's Michael Walchhofer, who placed 11th in his final downhill before retiring.

The race was won by Adrien Theaux of France, who earned his first World Cup victory. Canada’s Erik Guay was 13th.

Racing immediately after his rival, Cuche needed to finish at least sixth in fading light but his final time split with 15 seconds to run suggested he would fall short.

But the 36-year-old veteran made up 0.17 seconds in the steep bottom section to clinch the crystal trophy by a 12-point margin, 510 to 498.

Cuche looked up at the scoreboard and threw his head back, screamed with delight and punched the air with both fists as a partisan home crowd of 8,500 people roared.

"I heard that I made it thrilling until the finish," Cuche said. "In the first few curves I wasn't really awake, but it went better and better."

Walchhofer, a three-time downhill champion, watched Cuche from the finish area and was the first to congratulate him.

Cuche then performed his trademark trick of flipping his right ski end over end before catching it, kissed the ski, then sank to his knees and kissed the snow.

His fourth title lifted him to second in the World Cup's 44-year history behind Franz Klammer. The Austrian downhill great won five season titles between 1975-83.

"I started my turbo too late in my career," joked Cuche, who won his first downhill title in 2007 at 32.

Theaux clocked 1 minute, 22.94 seconds running early as the No. 8 starter when the steep and twisting course was bathed in sunshine to light the fastest line.

"I got a little bit lucky with the sun today but sometimes it's like that," Theaux said. "I'm very, very happy."

The 26-year-old Frenchman got his first World Cup win and just his second podium finish in downhill. He finished third when Cuche won the classic race at Kitzbuehel, Austria, in January.

Joachim Puchner of Austria was runner-up, 0.01 seconds behind, for his second straight podium finish. He was third when Cuche won the super-G on Sunday at Kvitfjell, Norway.

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway trailed by 0.16 in third.

Cuche's victory comes after an emotional few days, having been fined last weekend by the International Ski Federation following a verbal spat with its race director Guenter Hujara in Norway over race safety.

Swiss media speculated Cuche would announce his retirement this week. However, he called a news conference Tuesday to say that, while he had barely slept since the dispute out of frustration and anger, he was more motivated than ever to continue his career.

"Didier deserved it, for sure. It's a great victory," Hujara told The Associated Press. "The only thing we can do is congratulate him."

Guay, 29, from Mont Tremblant, Que., couldn't quite recapture the magic he found in winning the downhill World Championship at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, last month, as he battled against fatigue and difficult conditions in his penultimate race of the World Cup season.

"I didn't ski with enough confidence. I wasn't feeling it today," said Guay. "I'm a little disappointed with where I finished. I feel a little exhausted, to be honest."

Guay, starting 12th in a field containing the top 25 ranked downhill skiers in the world, clocked a time of one minute, 24.08 seconds.

"It was not his best run, for sure," said Paul Kristofic, head coach of Canada's men's team. "The skiing wasn't really there. He made some technical mistakes that cost him some time.

"I know he's getting tired, like everybody else on the tour, but he skied well in Kvitfjell in the last super-G and he's definitely fired up for it being his last race (Thursday) and is ready to give it his all."

Guay finishes the World Cup season 14th in the overall downhill rankings with 178 points. Austria's Klaus Kroell (411) was third behind Cuche (510) and Walchhofer (498).

Guay, who won the crystal globe as overall super-G champion last year, is looking forward to putting it all on the line in Thursday's super-G, his last race of the World Cup season.

"I've got to find my reserve tank for tomorrow," said Guay. "I'm going to have to dig deep."

— The Canadian Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this report

Lenzerheide men's World Cup downhill results

— The Canadian Press contributed to this report