France's Laure Pequegnot confirmed her first victory from Copper Mountain last November in dominating her second slalom this season in Saalbach where she beat by over half a second Switzerland's Sonja Nef and by 67/100 Sweden's Ylva Nowen, the slalom World Cup champion from 1998. It's her first top-3 finish in a slalom since 1999.

The top-favorite, Sweden's Anja Paerson, was the fastest skier until the first intermediate time of the first run - she fell shortly afterwards as she was attacking as usual at her maximum.

Bad luck on Sunday too for Finland's Tanja Poutiainen, the leader in the first run with an advance of 41/ 100 on Pequegnot. She straddled a gate at the beginning of the second run and skied out.

Two US skiers, Kristina Koznick and Sarah Schlepper were 4th and 5th while Croatia's Janica Kostelic who suffered from strong pains at her back, was a far 18th.

Michaela Dorfmeister, the reigning downhill world champion came in 3rd in the combined behind Goetschl and Kostelic which allowed her to get closer to Paerson in the Overall standings. Dorfmeister is now only a point behind her. In the slalom standings, Pequegnot took the lead ahead of the skier from Taernaby.

A bad day for Janica

Janica's health problems helped Austria's Renate Goetschl to clinch the first World Cup combined of the season. It's the first victory for the 2000 Overall World Cup champion since January 2001.

The skier from Zagreb was the favorite for the combined after reaching an excellent 21st place in the downhill the day before.

Unfortunately, she injured herself at her back at the beginning of the first run. It's possible that the efforts made during the past downhills have weaken her back muscles.

"I felt suddenly a great pain at my back, I guess I strained a muscle when I started pushing myself" she said after the race. "It was terrible and I couldn't ski properly. At the finish, I couldn't walk. I got some treatment between runs, but it didn't improve very much. It's too bad to miss such an opportunity, I won the past two World Cup combined I entered".

"It's quite frustrating. Fortunately, Ivica is doing well for both of us".

Janica will take a break early in the week and try to train again at the middle of the week. She hopes to be able to race next week-end at Berchtesgaden!

3-2-1 for Pequegnot

The French slalom Ace proved a week ago at Maribor that she was ready for this new triumph: she came in 3rd and 2nd in Slovenia where she put great pressure on Paerson in the second race.

Two consistent runs brought her at the top of the classification in this easy slalom.

She was as happy as pleased by her success. "I didn't expect to be skiing for victory today because the course seemed to simple for me, but I felt relaxed and I could ski at my best without pressure" she said after the race.

"I'm happy to have already confirmed my win from America and it's fun to take back the Red Bib in the slalom standings but I don't want to think too much about the slalom standings. It will be time in March at the Finals at Flachau".

Sonja Nef Swiss is the skier to beat in the next technical race, the giant slalom planned in Bavarian's Berchtesgaden on Saturday. Very motivated for sure also Anja Paerson, who wants take her revenge after her misfortune in Saalbach. Janica Kostelic who responded well to the treatment that she got after the race, should also be racing in Germany.