TURIN – The lead-up to the men’s downhill race at these 20th Winter Olympic Games had all the makings of an upset. Austria’s brightest star, Hermann Maier, was battling the flu and in a bad mood in general. His compatriot and defending gold medalist, Fritz Strobl, was forced to ski with a brace on his broken hand. Meanwhile, American Bode Miller was struggling with his newfound infamy as America’s Olympian du jour and turned in erratic performances leading up to the Games. None of them seemed ready to contribute to the Austro-American showdown the world was promised.

One by one, the top-ranked downhillers skidded short of the 1:49.52 that Austria’s Michael Walchhofer posted early in the race. As it wound to an end and the pack of also-rans made their way to the starting gate, Walchhofer’s smile grew wider. Only France’s Antoine Deneriaz stood between him and certain victory.

But the modestly ranked Frenchman turned in a shocker. Despite the rutty course, Deneriaz shaved 0.72 seconds off the Austrian’s mark, bringing France its first gold medal of the Turin games and the element of surprise downhill fans have come to expect at the Olympics.

“Starting in last place was not an advantage, but I attacked it,” he said. “My dedication paid off … It’s incredible. I’m an Olympic champion.”

Deneriaz, 30, wasn’t exactly a long shot. He has three victories on his resume, which is one more than Miller can claim. He clocked the fastest time on Saturday’s training run, but that honor is a double-edged sword in skiing. Yesterday, it translated to a 30th-place start, which meant most of the field had already carved up the course and the ruts felt like train tracks under his edges.

Miller and Maier, who ran consecutively in the middle of the pack, enjoyed perfect conditions: slick enough to be fast, but not so grooved as to be treacherous. On this piste – the Kandahar Banchetta at Sestriere, with an early 58.8% grade (a downward angle of 65 degrees) and tricky curves – conditions are especially critical.

Maier’s slip-up was patent on the final lip when he landed on the tails of his skis and lost his balance. He finished 0.48 seconds behind then-leader Walchhofer, squatting at the finish line and swearing under his breath. Miller, on the other hand, turned in a prettier performance, flying through the first gates on a medal-earning pace, 0.18 seconds behind the leader at the halfway mark. He was still clinging to second after the third of five splits, then lost his grip on the final two turns and skidded to a fifth-place finish.

Miller said he “had a couple beers but then was in early” Saturday night. Ever on his own terms, Miller skipped a chance to inspect the hill yesterday morning. When he finished out of contention, Walchhofer permitted himself a smile.

“My heart stopped,” the Austrian told the Associated Press. Meanwhile, if Miller was disappointed, he didn’t let it show.

“The way Deneriaz skied today, he was pretty much untouchable,” Miller said.

A bigger disappointment for the American team was Daron Rahlves, who finished the day in 10th place. The Californian, who has nine career victories, was among the favorites yesterday, especially after he took first place in Thursday’s training run. Among those he left in his wake on that day were Walchhofer (by 1.21 seconds) and Maier (by 1.27.) This was to be his big chance – and likely, at 33, his final downhill as an Olympian – but it wasn’t to be.

Certainly, yesterday’s result was not great news for Miller, either, but then, he is the most versatile skier on the team. Remember that his two silver medals in Salt Lake City four years ago came in the Super-G and the combined. For the next two weeks, all eyes will remain fixed on Miller to see if he lives up to his title as the best skier in the world.

Even on this side of the Atlantic, Miller has become a major celebrity thanks to eyebrow-raising comments about his hard-partying lifestyle. Like other Americans who have dominated an otherwise European sport, he hasn’t been warmly welcomed. It did not go unnoticed, for example, that he decided against taking the traditional reconnaissance run before yesterday’s race.

After all, the appeal of the rivalry between the cavalier Miller – the overall World Cup champion – and the persnickety Maier – the two-time Olympic gold medalist – transcends national bounds. Critics sighed in exasperation as the New Hampshire native was spotted at a Turin club on Saturday night, beer in mano. They sneered at the camper van he bought with sponsorship money and parked just outside the Olympic Village.

Maier, meanwhile, who routinely goes through dozens of boots before every competition – this time only four, he noted – firmly occupies the other end of the cool spectrum. Closed in his room over the weekend battling the flu, he snapped at an official who presented him with a surprise urine test, disguised as an autograph-seeking fan.

The monumental matchup between teacher and pupil (Miller has spent long periods in Austria studying Maier’s technique) has nearly eclipsed the rest of the field in Turin. But as yesterday’s results showed, the field is greater than two men.

Norway’s Kjetil-Andre Aamodt, for example, who arrived in fourth place, missed a potential eighth Olympic medal by just six hundredths of a second. It would have been his 20th career podium, and he is certainly not finished in the spotlight. Liechtenstein’s Marco Buechel, who finished one spot south of Maier yesterday, also has had a promising World Cup season. He could be a surprise candidate in the giant slalom, as might Italy’s Giorgio Rocca, who has turned on the steam in the past three years to make up for a disastrous performance in Salt Lake City.

Other competitors have yet to be seen. Austria’s Benjamin Raich, who is not a downhiller, went on a tear in the 2005 World Championships, winning medals in the slalom, giant slalom, Super-G, and combined. He will be a great threat in upcoming events. The combined takes place tomorrow, the Super-G on Saturday, while the slalom and Giant Slalom are run next week.