American Bryce Bennett stuns favorites in World Cup downhill at Val Gardena

• Bennett, 31, earns second career win on same course as first
• 6ft 7in Californian edges Kilde (by 0.03) and Odermatt (0.05)

Bryce Bennett of the United States sprang a major shock by winning the first World Cup men's downhill race of the season at Val Gardena in Italy on Thursday.

The 31-year-old from Palisades Tahoe, who started with No 34 bib, crossed first on a shortened course in a time of 1min 23.80sec, three hundredths ahead of Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, a three-time winner at the Dolemites resort, and five better than Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, the reigning world champion in the discipline.