Michael Walchhofer tamed a tricky slope to win a men’s World Cup super-G in Val d’Isere and offered a resurgent Austrian team a further morale boost. The 34-year-old Walchhofer used his vast experience in difficult conditions with poor visibility to hand his Alpine nation their second victory in as many days in the French Alps resort after Benjamin Raich’s super-combined win on Friday.

“This is unexpected but great,” Walchhofer, who had said on Friday he would be happy with a top-10 placing, said after posting his 15th World Cup win in a tough race many competitors failed to finish.

“It was very steep and I couldn’t see a thing,” he added.

“It’s definitely not my kind of slope but I concentrated on trying to make as few mistakes as possible and it paid off.”

A downhill specialist, Walchhofer had won just one super-G before, in December 2004 at Val Gardena, Italy.

The seasoned Austrian clocked a winning time of one minute 20.78 seconds with American Ted Ligety and Italy’s Werner Heel placing second and third, 0.28 and 0.75 seconds off the pace respectively.

Carlo Janka, who won three events last week at Beaver Creek, was one of many skiers to struggle down the steep, icy Bellevarde piste.

The 23-year-old Swiss lost his balance on the upper part of the course, narrowly avoided a crash and went out.

Flat light, making it difficult to see the track, and snowfalls made a real nightmare of a course that is treacherous enough in clear weather.

“It was scary,” said Raich, who finished fifth. “I just tried not to hurt myself. It was really difficult.”

Austria, often outclassed by arch-rivals Switzerland since the start of a winter that includes the Vancouver Olympics in February, are recovering in style here.

They will have on more chance to shine in Sunday’s giant slalom that completes the weekend programme in the village that hosted the world championships last February.

Janka, still the overall World Cup leader but now clearly feeling the pressure from second-placed Raich, should certainly not be ruled out and will have an opportunity to show he deserves to be called the future of skiing.

Alpine Skiing World Cup Val D’Isere

Men’s Giant Slalom 1st Run — Sunday 9.15am LIVE on British Eurosport

Men’s Giant Slalom 2nd Run — Sunday 12.15pm LIVE on British Eurosport