Matti Suur-Hamari of Finland claimed victory today in Trentino ©Getty Images

Finland’s world champion Matti Suur-Hamari won the penultimate stage of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Snowboard World Cup today in Trentino to move joint top of the leaderboard alongside United States rival Michael Shea with just one race to go.

Suur-Hamari, who has enjoyed remarkable improvement in recent years after finishing 11th at the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, overcame American rival Shea in the big-final today in the Italian resort. 

The duo now lie tied on 5,000 points apiece in the SB-LL2 class ahead of the final race tomorrow.

Canada’s Alex Massie claimed third in the race today after winning his small final ahead of team-mate John Leslie.

Dutch world champion Chris Vos now has a 1,000 point lead in the SB-LL1 class after beating Austria’s Reinhold Schett today.

It followed Vos' banked slalom victory yesterday.

Chris Vos, pictured at Sochi 2014, followed his banked slalom victory yesterday with a snowboard cross success today ©Getty Images
Chris Vos, pictured at Sochi 2014, followed his banked slalom victory yesterday with a snowboard cross success today ©Getty Images

Fellow Dutchman Mike Ultee took third in his race after overcoming Norway’s Kristian Moen in the small final.

Australia's Simon Patmore beat Italian rider Roberto Cavicchi in the SB-UL class.

Austria’s Patrick Mayrhofer remains top of the overall rankings despite a fourth place finish today.

In the absence of American Nicole Roundy, who had already claimed the overall World Cup in snowboard-cross, France’s Cecile Hernandez-Cervellon picked up maximum points in the women’s SB-LL1 category.

There was more Dutch domination in the women’s SB-LL2 class as Bibian Mentel-Spee edged out Lisa Bunschoten to win on the day and in the overall standings.

Action is set to continue with the final snowboard-cross races tomorrow ahead of banked slalom action on Friday (18 March).