SNOWBOARDING:

Maltais edges Ricker as Canadians rule SBX opener

Dec. 7, 2010     ♦ Photo: Dominique Maltais in action from last season (Oliver Kraus, FIS)

LECH, Austria — Dominique Maltais and Mäelle Ricker delivered a one-two punch for Canada in the first World Cup snowboardcross race of the season Tuesday.

Maltais, of Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., won a close race against Ricker, the 2010 Olympic gold medallist from Whistler, B.C.

Japan's Yuka Fujimori was third to earn her first World Cup podium.

American Nate Holland won the men's race after Calgary's Dan Csokonay crashed about halfway down the 1,250-metre course. Csokonay finished fourth. Tom Velisek of Squamish, B.C., took second place.

The women's night final, held under floodlights, was a tight race. The two Canadians battled neck-and-neck and it wasn't until the finish that Maltais was able to nose past her teammate.

"I was riding confident and strong the whole day," said Maltais, who was a bronze medallist at the 2006 Torino Winter Games. "I deserved this win."

It was Maltais' first World Cup victory since 2006 in Furano, Japan.

“I am really confident for this upcoming season. I had a great start in the final race, and it was a tight one with Maëlle all the way through. Both Maëlle and I knew our lines, so we played back and forth. We both did what we had to do, and it made for a really nice race,” added Maltais.

“In qualifications, it’s always fast. I knew I could come out with speed and be fast. It’s really a question of putting it all together. I was confident heading into today, knowing we trained hard. I am feeling in really great shape.”

In 2010, Ricker stepped on the podium in all but one World Cup race.

“I am very happy with the race,” Ricker said. “The organizers did such a great job with the event and preparing the course. Dom and I had some good battles right through the final. It was a very cool final and a great start to the season. I am very happy to be back on snow and racing.”

Velisek, who is making a return to the Canadian snowboard team, was fourth at the 2009 World Championships at Gangwon, Korea. Velisek now counts five World Cup podiums to his career credit.

Csokonay, a rookie on the Canadian snowboard team with only six World Cup starts, showed some signs he is ready to ride with the top guys. Entering the race, Csokonay had qualified for final rounds only twice. Csokonay led the medal round all the way until the halfway mark when he fell and had to settle for fourth place.

Csokonay’s previous best World Cup placing was 19th, at the 2010 World Cup Finals at La Molina.

Kevin Hill of Vernon, B.C., who competitively races BMX cycling in the summer, started the season on a high note with an impressive seventh-place effort. The young rider had a stellar breakthrough season last year, improving race after race to regularly crack the top 10.

The opening World Cup event continues Wednesday with a second snowboardcross race. The team will then travel to Telluride, Colorado, where it will compete at the second the cup event of the 2011 season.  S-Magazine

— The Canadian Press and Canada Snowboard contributed to this report

Lech, Austria, women's World Cup snowboardcross results

Lech, Austria, men's World Cup snowboardcross results