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Italian alpine racer Peter Fill credited luck — an early bib number and short-lived sunny skies - for snagging his first World Cup victory Saturday on the Lake Louise downhill course, which saw race favourites left well back of the podium.

The 26-year-old surprised even himself by winning the first race of the men's speed season in 1 minute and 47.40 seconds over the 3.025-metre course.

"Today I was a little bit more lucky than the other guys," Fill said, before waving the Italian flag atop the podium. Fill has done well here before. He came third in the downhill in 2006.

Relative rookies rounded out the top three.

Carlo Janka of Switzerland, on his first full-season on the World Cup tour, grabbed silver, just 0.08 seconds off the pace. Hans Olsson of Sweden was third, just 0.16 seconds back, to step on his first World Cup podium.

Fill was the 10th racer down the course and one of a handful in the 73-man pack to race with the benefit of the sun. But as the light disappeared behind clouds, the track was left under flat light making it tricky for the racers to navigate turns and bumps. Times slowed so dramatically after the first dozen racers, even race officials were confident victory was Fill's and handed him the red bib, which signifies No. 1.

But as he watched Janka pop 65th out of the gate he wasn't so sure.

"I said I think it's too early," he recalled of the anxious moments watching Janka's race.

Janka, who said he had an eye to finishing in the top 20, couldn't believe the roar of the crowd when he crossed the finished line. Then he looked back at the clock.

"It was quite unbelievable," the 22-year-old said.

"At the start when you watched the weather improving, [I] said hey this could be something very interesting, let's go for it. Let's make the best out of it and that's the way it turned out," he added.

Olsson also took advantage of favourable conditions as the fifth man out of the gate.

"I'm extremely proud," said the 24-year-old, who suffered a back injury last spring, "I'm the first Swedish guy ever to reach the podium in a World Cup downhill."

All three will be racing Sunday in the Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart Super G.

The top Canadian in the downhill was Erik Guay who finished 10th , 0.55 seconds back.

The Mont-Tremblant native said his hopes for a fast course vanished when he watched shadows cover the hill as he prepared to start.

"I let it get to my head too much," Guay said, "I wasn't as pumped up as I would have been if I had some sun. That I would say is a little bit of a rookie mistake on my part. I should not have let that affect me for sure."

Robbie Dixon of Whistler finished a surprising 24th and Vancouver's Manuel Osborne-Paradis was 30th.

"You can tell when there's people like Bode [Miller] and Didier Cuche and they're coming down favourties to win and they're placing behind me even, it's just tough, Osborne-Paradis said, "You can't see what's under your feet."

Miller of the United States, the defending overall World Cup champion, had posted the fastest times this week in training and was considered the man to beat, walked by reporters declining comment after placing 16th. Switzerland's Cuche, another favourite, was 32nd.

Calgary's John Kucera, the fastest Canadian in training, came in a disappointing 35th.

"I was looking for a little bit more than today, but it's an outdoor sport and those things play a factor," said Kucera, referring to the flat light conditions, "Sometimes that's what you get and you've just got to roll with it."

Louis-Pierre Hélie of Berthierville, Que. came in 51st spot and Jeffrey Frisch of Mont-Tremblant was 65th.

Defending race champion, Jan Hudec, the first Canadian to win the men's downhill event at Lake Louise, didn't compete today. Hudec, who is still recovering from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training run last January, was forced to cheer on him teammates from the sidelines and isn't sure when he'll be returning to the circuit.

"Obviously it's a little bit frustrating," he said, "It's a little bit tough because I love racing Lake Louise so much and being the defending champion. It's such a great place to start in front of friends and family that I really wanted to be there. But I really have to sit down and look at the big picture, which is the Olympics. That's pretty much what I'm getting myself ready for."

On Friday, teammate François Bourque tore the ACL in his left knee during warm up before the final day of training.

Dr. Christopher Irving, Apline Canada Alpin's medical director, said surgery has not been ruled out, but rehabilitation usually takes at least six months, sometimes longer.