ALPINE:

Mike Janyk 5th in Bansko slalom, Biggs 22nd

Feb. 27, 2011      ♦ Photo: Mike Janyk at Bansko (Alpine Canada courtesy Pentaphoto)

BANSKO, Bulgaria ― Austrian veteran Mario Matt protected his lead from the first run to win a men's slalom race Sunday for his first World Cup victory in nearly two years. Canada’s Michael Janyk was just off the podium in fifth.

Matt held a narrow lead over Reinfried Herbst after the first leg and clocked 1 minute, 50.35 seconds to hold off his fellow Austrian by 0.04 seconds.

World champion Jean-Baptiste Grange of France climbed from seventh to third, finishing 0.48 back.

Germany's Felix Neureuther was fourth.

Matt is a two-time slalom world champion, but had not won a World Cup race since March 2009.

Patrick Biggs of Canada also scored points, placing 22nd.

Janyk, of Whistler, B.C., who has been skiing with great speed and consistency, was fourth after a strong first run on Sunday. He started the second run well, but ended up fifth overall with a combined time of 1 minute, 51.35 seconds.

The result is Janyk's third top-five finish in 2011, after he was fourth at Wengen and fifth at Adelboden in January.

"I'm really, really happy with my skiing and my approach to the day," said Janyk, 28. "The result is good and bad. It's awesome to be top five and so frustrating to be just off the podium.

"It's so clear in my mind what I need to do. I know I can be on the top of the podium."

Janyk, who also skied well at the World Championships last weekend but had some bad luck and did not finish, completed his first run Sunday in 54.64 seconds and was well-placed to push for the podium. On his second run, he was fastest after the first split as he made his way down the course but lost time towards the bottom.

"He showed some pretty good skiing," said technical head coach Dusan Grasic of Janyk. "The most important thing is to be patient. There are only three spots on the podium and everybody wants them."

Julien Cousineau, of Lachute, Que., was 12th after the first run and looked like he was having a storming second leg when he straddled a gate.

"Cousi was incredibly fast. He was on the way to the podium," said Grasic. "He pushed the edge and pushed the limit. It was incredible skiing but that's slalom — he straddled."

Grasic said although the course didn't favour his team, the way Janyk and Cousineau are skiing bodes well for the last few races of the season. Cousineau has also been fast in training and was fifth at the World Championships last weekend.

"This hill is not one that we favour. It's fairly flat. We usually do better on the steeper courses," said Grasic.

"If these guys keep skiing the way they are and have a little bit of luck it will happen. The only thing we need now is patience — keep pushing."

Canada's  Biggs, of Orleans, Ont., put together two solid runs despite starting toward the back of the pack and finished 22nd with a combined time of 1:52.73.

"I think that coming from starting 51st and ending up top 30, it's a good result for him," said Grasic. "He could have risked a little more on the second run but I think he did a good job."

Calgary's Brad Spence and Trevor White didn't qualify for the second run and Paul Stutz, of Banff, Alta., didn't finish the first run.

— The Canadian Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this report

Bansko men's World Cup slalom results