Franz beats Svindal to maiden World Cup win

Val Gardena : Austria's Max Franz thwarted Norwegian hopes of a second successive day of alpine skiing success when he pipped Aksel Lund Svindal to victory in the World Cup downhill at Val Gardena on Saturday.

Franz, claiming his maiden win in the competition and handing Austria their first downhill win in 21 months, finished just 0.04sec ahead of Svindal after the big Norwegian made a crucial mistake on the Saslong course.

American veteran Steve Nyman, whose three World Cup wins were all in downhill on Val Gardena's Saslong course, was third at just over four tenths of a second off the winning pace.

Norway claimed first and second place in Friday's super-G in the Italian Dolomites, Kjetil Jansrud and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde finishing ahead of Canada's Erik Guay.

Jansrud, who won the opening three speed races of the season, stunned fans when he finished in 10th place.

It caps the 27-year-old Franz's long wait for success on skiing's elite competition, the Austrian having been tipped for big success when he made his World Cup debut in 2009.

Until Saturday, he had only two podium places, from a downhill and a super-G.

Svindal had crashed out on the Saslong course during Friday's super-G and although intent on making amends the former two-time overall World Cup winner had to settle for his third podium of the season.