BORMIO, Italy (AFP) - Switzerland's Didier Cuche savoured a few celebratory glasses of champagne Tuesday after the cancellation of the final downhill handed him the World Cup title for the coveted speed event.
But the 33-year-old was quick to admit that all pretensions he had of duelling with overall World Cup leader Bode Miller of the US have virtually evaporated.
Before a ski even hit the feared Stelvio slope in anger ahead of five days of racing here at the World Cup finals, the stakes changed dramatically in the men's duel for alpine skiing's coveted overall crown.
The cancellation of Tuesday's training session - due to poor snow conditions at the finish of the steep Stelvio course - for Wednesday's final downhill effectively cancelled the race.
It meant Cuche finished with a total of 584 downhill points, having claimed victory at Kitzbuehel, four runner-up places and six podium places from the total of nine downhills.
Miller finished five points adrift with an impressive three victories, at Bormio, Wengen and Kvitfjell. The American was less consistent than Cuche, however, claiming only a further two podium places.
"My victory at Kitzbuehel is the high point of the season for me," said Cuche, whose second consecutive downhill triumph means the US are still waiting for a men's World Cup downhill champion.
"I only had one victory this season, but I won the crystal globe because I was consistent throughout. I only missed victory on several other occasions because of little mistakes."
Although Miller was quick to congratulate Cuche, who in turn apologised to the American for having won by default, the downhill cancellation has changed the landscape for what was an eagerly-awaited duel for the overall crown.
It certainly robbed Miller of the chance to become the first American winner of the men's World Cup downhill crown.
And it most likely deprived the American of the chance to boost his overall tally over Cuche on a course where he won two world titles, in the downhill and super-G, in 2005. Tellingly, Miller also claimed his first downhill win of the season here in January.
But ironically, Miller is arguably in an even stronger position to claim the overall trophy which usually rewards the skier who has excelled in all four of skiing's disciplines.
Cuche is a specialist in the downhill and super-G and is expected to also race the final giant slalom here - but not the slalom.
Miller, a complete all-round skier, is scheduled to start in all three remaining men's races - meaning he could theoretically claim a maximum of 300 points.
With Cuche already trailing Miller by 169 points and only two races in which to make up the deficit, the Swiss admitted: "As strange as it may seems it's almost a relief (cancellation of downhill) because it hands me my second downhill title.
"I wasn't totally out of the running for the overall but Miller would have had to have a disastrous finals and I would have had to win everything this week.
"I've got two races left (super-G and giant slalom), a possible 200 points, and Miller has a 169-point lead. It's not difficult to do the sums. And Miller is far too good a skier to miss out on the points he needs."
Before Thursday's super-G - a title which Cuche can secure - Miller has a total of 1387 overall points with Cuche in second on 1218.
Miller finished seventh overall last year when Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal - currently fighting his way back from an early season injury - triumphed ahead of Austrian Benjamin Raich.
With American Lindsey Vonn also poised to win the women's overall crown, the US could be celebrating a rare double triumph 25 years after Tamara McKinney joined compatriot Phil Mahre in keeping the Europeans at bay.
