Val Gardena, Italy - Werner Heel of Italy made the most of favourable wind conditions during his run to win a super-g on Friday in which third-placed Swede Patrick Jaerbyn became the oldest podium finisher in World Cup history.

Heel, 26, clocked 1 minute 35.04 seconds in front of a home crowd to claim his second career win.

Didier Defago of Switzerland was second in 1:35.47 and Jaerbyn, who turns 40 in April, came third on the demanding Saslong piste in 1:35.49.

The racers with bibs one to five finished in the top six, with Defago the only later skier with bib 17 to match these times as wind made the conditions difficult for later starters and stopped all the favourites who compete towards the top of the first 30 starters.

Austrian hero Hermann Maier managed no better than ninth and Norwegian World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal had to settle for 28th place.

"I am lost for words, can't explain it. The conditions changed. My bib was definitely not a disadvantage, if not an advantage," said Heel.

Maier said: "I had an extreme headwind. There was nothing more I could do."

Svindal leads the World Cup with 398 points from 10 races ahead of Swiss Carlo Janka (317). Maier is first in the discipline list with 209 points from three super-g races, and Defago follows with 170.

The men's World Cup continues in Val Gardena on Saturday with a downhill. (dpa)