Norway’s Timon Haugan powered to victory in the Val d’Isere slalom on Sunday for his sixth World Cup win and first this season edging out early leader Loic Meillard of Switzerland.
Haugan clocked a combined 1min 37.89sec to finish 0.28sec ahead of Meillard who had led ahead of the Norwegian after the first run in the French Alps.
Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersaen was third overall at 0.34sec.
The demanding Face de Bellevarde piste nearly produced a dramatic finish, with spectacular comebacks from Italian Alex Vinatzer and Norwegians Oscar Andreas Sandvik and Hans Grahl-Madsen, who gained 21, 18, and 22 places respectively, ultimately finishing just off the podium.
Olympic slalom champion Clement Noel of France was left frustrated after finishing eighth fastest in the first run and failing to finish the second.
With a third different winner in as many races, following Brazilian Lucas Braathen in Levi and Frenchman Paco Rassat in Gurgl, the slalom season is off to a competitive start with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina from February 6-22. Haugan leads the slalom standings 55 points ahead of Rassat.