Bode Miller ended an "awful week" in style when he won the World Cup super-combined event in Chamonix.

Injured twice in training and frustrated at finishing only seventh in Saturday's downhill, the American displayed his versatility by winning in an overall time of two minutes 34.58 seconds.

The super-combined, a one-day event with a downhill in the morning and a single slalom run in the afternoon, favours technicians over speed racers and it was not a surprise to see Ivica Kostelic and Rainer Schoenfelder on the podium.

The Croatian, third in Kitzbuehel last week, was second this time, 0.45 seconds behind Miller, with Schoenfelder third, 1.34 seconds adrift. Both men showed a huge improvement in downhill.

Miller had already assuaged his disappointment at second place in the classic Kitzbuehel downhill last weekend by winning the combined in the Austrian resort but the move to France brought more frustration.

"It was an awful week because I hurt myself in the downhill practice on Thursday and yesterday I also crashed badly in slalom training," said Miller.

"It was very painful and I could hardly walk up the stairs. I've got a big bruise on the left hip but in was not so bad on skis."

It was his fourth win this season and the former world number one looks capable of equalling his best season when he won seven races in 2004-2005.

In his career, the skier from New Hampshire has now won 29 World Cup races, including four combined.

Back in splendid form this season with downhill victories in Bormio and Wengen and two combined wins, Miller set the fastest time in the morning downhill and mastered his slalom run to perfection without taking unnecessary risks.

"The aim in slaloms for me is simply to finish. If I take risks, I'm out," he added.

Kostelic, the combined Olympic silver medallist two years ago, said: "It's important for me to show I can be an all-round skier."

Jean-Baptiste Grange, winner of the previous super-combined held in Wengen two weeks ago, had been the favourite on his return to home snow in France.

However, the slalom specialist lost far too much time in the downhill section - 3.33 seconds - to be a threat. He finished sixth, behind team mate Julien Lizeroux.

"I was a little too tense. I could not find the right pace, the right feeling," said Grange, who will hope to do better next weekend in Val d'Isere.

The French resort will also host a downhill and a super-combined on the piste designed for the world championships next year.

Reuters