KLINGENTHAL Germany — Bill Demong of the United States won his third Nordic combined World Cup event of the season Sunday, getting a boost before next week's Nordic Ski World Championships.

Demong won in a tight finish by covering the 10-kilometer cross-country race in 27 minutes, 4.4 seconds for his sixth career win.

Jason Lamy Chapuis of France was 0.6 seconds behind and Pavel Churavy of the Czech Republic, who led after the ski jumping portion, was 1.7 seconds back.

Johnny Spillane of Steamboat Springs, Colo., was the other top U.S. finisher in 10th.

Anssi Koivuranta of Finland defended his overall World Cup lead by finishing seventh. Demong, of Vermontville, N.Y., is fourth in the overall standings.