CHAMONIX, France - Romed Baumann held off a strong challenge from promising Frenchman Alexis Pinturault to win Sunday's World Cup super-combined race in emphatic style for his second career victory.
Baumann led Pinturault by a comfortable 3.27 seconds after posting the fastest time in the morning's downhill run on the La Verte des Houches course, and the Austrian held firm in the afternoon slalom session to win by 1.10 seconds.
Switzerland's Beat Feuz, tied for fifth after the downhill, was 1:19 behind Baumann in third place.
The 26-year-old Baumann's previous World Cup win was also a supercombi race, three years ago in Sestriere, Italy.
He also finished second in Saturday's downhill, capping off a good race weekend for Austria after Klaus Kroell's victory in Friday's downhill.
Baumann has two other career podiums in supercombi, finishing second in Reiteralm, Austria in 2006 and third in the French resort of Val d'Isere in 2009. He was also third in a combined race last year in Kitzbuehel, Austria.
Baumann finished the downhill run 0.70 seconds ahead of Frenchman Adrien Theaux, with Dominik Paris of Italy 0.90 behind in third. Theaux skied aggressively in the slalom, and finished level with Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal in fourth, while Paris skied off the course.
The 20-year-old Pinturault, meanwhile, was down in 27th and seemingly had little chance of even making the podium. But he flew down the course to secure his third career podium, with the other two in giant slalom last year.
Overall World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic had too much to do after finishing the downhill 2.81 seconds behind in 19th spot. Despite his superb slalom skills — he won silver at the last Winter Games — the Croat finished in seventh place.
Kostelic won last year's supercombi in Chamonix, after erasing a deficit of 2.50 from the downhill, but could not settle into a rhythm this time after an awkward start.
Temperatures plummeted to minus-23 degrees Celsius, making for icy conditions and American skier Bode Miller was one of several racers who failed to finish the downhill. Miller crashed but got back up and appeared unharmed.
The slalom also took its toll as the afternoon light started to fade, forcing those starting their runs late to take big risks.
Paris set off on a wild and bumpy ride, somehow keeping his balance before finally skiing off course. His countryman Mattia Casse's right ski came off and sent him tumbling backward into the snow.
Austrian Joachim Puchner, tied with Feuz after the downhill, also went too wide and out of contention.