The German ski racer Alexander Schmid just missed his second podium place in the giant slalom.
The 28-year-old from the Allgäu fell back from third to sixth place in the second round of the World Cup in Val d'Isère on Saturday.
"Typical Val d'Isère", said Schmid afterwards: "A fight from top to bottom".
In the first round in particular, he "accepted the fight very well".
In the second it was "a bit tighter".
"No one comes down here without making a mistake," he said - except maybe Marco Odermatt.
The Swiss mastered the two heats in a total time of 2.03.62 minutes and won by a huge margin of 1.40 seconds, extending his lead in the overall World Cup.
Odermatt won three of the first six races of the season, was second twice and third once.
Second on the day was the Austrian Manuel Fellerx, followed by the Slovenian Zan Kranjec, who was already 2.05 seconds behind Odermatt.
Schmid was 2.31 seconds behind at the finish.
For Odermatt, who is one of the best in the technical and speed disciplines, it was already the third success this winter.
The 25-year-old all-rounder is the absolute favorite for the big crystal ball.
For Schmid it was the second top 10 result in the second giant slalom.
"It gives you confidence now.
I see that I can ride up front.
At some point it will work out,” said the 28-year-old, who has already agreed to the next World Cup in Alta Badia.
In South Tyrol he achieved his best result in the giant slalom with a third place last season.
Marta Bassino celebrated a home win in the women's giant slalom in Sestrière.
After two runs in 2:28.89 minutes, the 26-year-old prevailed in front of Sara Hector from Sweden (+ 0.11 seconds) and Petra Vlhova (+ 0.40) and made her sixth World Cup success perfect.
Slovakia's Vlhova gambled away her lead from the first round.
US star Mikaela Shiffrin (+ 1.96) had to settle for sixth place.
The DSV runners Andrea Filser and Jessica Hilzinger had previously retired.