First World Cup Win For Baumann In Super-Combined

Less than a month before the end of the men`s World Cup, the fight for the overall title is a tight affair.

Former junior downhill world champion Romed Baumann of Austria won his first World Cup race in a super-combined in Sestriere on Sunday.

The 23-year-old won the morning's super-G and maintained his lead in the afternoon's slalom to win a in a combined time of two minutes and 25.73 seconds.

World super-combined silver medallist Julien Lizeroux of France had to be content with second place again, 0.32 seconds behind. Switzerland's Giant slalom world champion Carlo Janka and Italian speed specialist Christof Innerhofer were joint third, 0.68 behind.

Seen as one Austria's best prospects after his two world titles in the junior ranks, Baumann has struggled to establish himself in the top rank with only one podium place before Sunday's victory.

A combined specialist, his fourth place in Saturday's giant slalom indicated he was at ease on Sestriere's Banchetta piste.

Less than a month before the end of the men's World Cup, the fight for the overall title is a tight affair.

Croatia's Ivica Kostelic, who missed most of the world championships with a back injury, secured seventh place to maintain his overall lead on 802 points.

France's Jean-Baptiste Grange and Austria's Benjamin Raich are on his heels with 771 and 769 points respectively.

Raich will feel at home next weekend in Kranjska Gora, having won four giant slaloms in the past in the Slovenian resort.