BORMIO, Italy (AFP) - US ski star Bode Miller put one hand on the prestigious World Cup overall title on Thursday after a dramatic first day of racing here at the season finals.

Miller, the 2005 overall champion, finished 12th in the season's final super-G won by Austria's Hannes Reichelt and now has a 191-point lead on Swiss racer Didier Cuche with only a giant slalom and slalom remaining.

Reichelt was crowned the World Cup super-G champion in dramatic fashion as Cuche finished 16th and therefore out of the points.

Cuche had a 99-point lead on Reichelt before the race, but thanks to the Austrian's victory - and 100 points that went with it - he overtook Cuche at the post to win by 341 points to 340.

Adding no points to his tally in the overall standings means 33-year-old Cuche has virtually no chance of overhauling Miller.

The Swiss speed event specialist would need to win both remaining races and pray for Miller to score no more than nine points.

It is a fitting end to a season for Miller, who has been back to his consistent best after the media derision that followed his disastrous Olympics campaign at Turin in 2006.

Overhauling his entire racing and training philosophy this season has helped the 30-year-old maverick skier to notch up six victories and 11 podium places.

On his way to a second overall crown, Miller has amassed most of his points in the downhill, and the two-discipline super-combined - a title he collected last month.

From a total of nine downhills, he won three at Bormio, Wengen and Kvitfjell and was runner-up twice. Miller also won the combined at Kitzbuehel, Austria and the super-combined races held at Chamonix and Val d'Isere in France.

The American's victory tally this season meant he also overtook the previous US record for wins on the World Cup, previously held by compatriot Phil Mahre with 27. Miller now has 31 victories in the series.

Miller could soon be joined on the overall victory podium by compatriot Lindsey Vonn, who leads the women's overall standings.

A double overall victory for the US would be the first in 25 years. Mahre and Tamara McKinney both won the men's and women's overall crowns in 1983.