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Jan Hudec made the most of an icy slope and freezing conditions to seal a surprising victory in Saturday’s World Cup downhill in Chamonix, France — more than four years after his last win in an injury-plagued career.

The Canadian, who has been blighted by multiple knee injuries and operations, was trailing Romed Baumann until he reached the midsection and then started shaving huge chunks off the Austrian’s time.

“What can I say? I knew the day was coming,” Hudec said. “Sometimes it’s harder for everybody else to see, but I knew it was coming. I was close a few times this season, but I was still missing something in my skiing and I knew Chamonix was a excellent start.”

It was only Hudec’s second World Cup win and first since his downhill triumph at Lake Louise, Canada in November, 2007. He had started that year promisingly with a silver medal at the worlds in Are, Sweden, and finished it with another podium when he took third spot in a World Cup downhill at Bormio, Italy a month later.

Then his career nosedived as he tore ligaments in his right knee and needed multiple operations.

While Klaus Kroell won Friday’s downhill by just 0.01 seconds, this time Hudec smashed Baumann’s time by 0.53 to deprive the Austrians of a second straight win.

Hudec had been close on Friday, posting the leading time early on before slipping down to sixth place.

“I felt yesterday like I had a winning run but it was maybe too early a start … but no excuses,” Hudec said. “I didn’t reckon it was possible, but I had an even better run than yesterday, and place the nail in the coffin as they say.”

Temperatures dropped down to about minus 26 degrees Celsius (-15 F) at the top, and the 30-year-ancient Hudec’s run was even more special because he did not have the best light after starting 24th on the La Verte des Houches course. Those before had blue skies and profited from brighter sunshine.

After a tough and technical top section, Hudec found himself behind Baumann, but as he started to pick up speed he went 0.36, 0.47 and 0.54 ahead of the Austrian at successive time splits.

Hudec thumped his chest with his fist as he took in the victory — while Baumann looked on in bemusement.

“I was very confident when I’d finished, I was sure it was enough to win. But I didn’t have the start list and I didn’t realize Hudec was starting after me,” Baumann said through a translator. “I want to win a downhill and I reckon this dream will come right before the end of the season. I reckon I have a chance to get on the podium [Sunday] in the super-combined.”

Erik Guay made it a fantastic day for Canada by finishing third, albeit 0.63 seconds behind his countryman.

Switzerland’s Beat Feuz was fourth, and Canada’s Benjamin Thomsen sneaked into fifth place despite being the 50th skier to go down, knocking Kroell down to sixth and Didier Cuche to seventh.

American Bode Miller, who was second behind Kroell on Friday, finished down in eighth spot after losing time in the bottom section of the course after making a solid start.