Read CAN, Grahl-Madsen NOR, Carrick-Smith GBR, Hallberg FIN, Gile USA / Photo Carrick Smith
Freddy Carrick-Smith wins the “best race of his life”
Over two days this week, Valloire, set high in the French Alps, hosted the third and fourth men’s Europa Cup giant slaloms of the season.
The race itself
On day one (Tuesday, December 16), 18-year-old Brit Freddy Carrick-Smith stole the headlines with a breakthrough performance. Wearing bib 48, he skied confidently into 21st place in the first run. Then, in run two, he took full advantage of a clean and fast track to surge into the lead.
“I was hoping to ski into the top 15, maybe top 10,” Carrick-Smith said. Still, he remained in front when Finland’s in-form Eduard Hallberg crossed the line, 0.19 seconds back.
Ultimately, it came down to the final racer, Norway’s Hans Grahl-Madsen. Just days earlier, he had scored his first World Cup points by charging from bib 50 into sixth place in the Val d’Isère slalom. Despite holding a 1.80-second advantage from the first run, the young Norwegian could not deny Britain its first-ever Europa Cup giant slalom victory.
As a result, Carrick-Smith became the first British man to win a men’s Europa Cup giant slalom.
Day 1 – Men’s Valloire Europa Cup Giant Slalom (Dec. 16):
Freddy Carrick-Smith (GBR) — 1st — 2:29.57
Hans Grahl-Madsen (NOR) — 2nd — +0.02
Eduard Hallberg (FIN) — 3rd — +0.19
Erik Read (CAN) — 4th — +0.40
Bridger Gile (USA) — 5th — +0.51
Patrick Kenney (USA) — 15th — +1.35
What Freddy said
Reflecting on the win, Carrick-Smith admitted the moment still felt surreal.
“It was pretty insane, to be honest,” he said. “I think it probably was the best race of my life, and it might be hard to top that.”
He added, “I was super happy with my place after the first run. The second run was definitely less tiring and less bumpy. I knew the last guy had a huge lead and wasn’t expecting the win, but there you go.”
Meanwhile, the two Scandinavians completed the podium. Grahl-Madsen missed the win by just two hundredths of a second, while Hallberg secured third.
Two North Americans in the top five
Among the North Americans, Erik Read climbed from bib 42 into 20th after the first run. Then, pushing hard in run two, he finished just four tenths of a second behind the winner. The top American on the day was Bridger Gile, who placed fifth and earned valuable Europa Cup points.
Zurbruegg dominates on day two
In contrast, the second giant slalom in Valloire belonged to Switzerland’s Sandro Zurbruegg. He dominated from the outset, winning the first run by half a second ahead of Carrick-Smith and Italy’s Simon Talacci.
Later, another strong second run from Hallberg vaulted him into sixth and briefly put him in the leader’s chair. However, Erik Read edged ahead moments later by just one hundredth of a second.
Then, racing from bib 42, Diego Orrechioni seized the top spot with six racers still to come. Shortly after, Tobias Kastlunger—second in the first two Europa Cup GS races in Zinal earlier this month—took control of the race.
Talacci failed to match the pace, and Carrick-Smith, carrying significant speed through the mid-section, launched into the air and unfortunately skied out.
The winner
That sequence opened the door for Zurbruegg. He capitalized decisively, winning by a commanding 0.89 seconds to claim his first Europa Cup victory. The result also backed up his third-place finish from the home race in Zinal on December 5.
Day 2 – Men’s Valloire Europa Cup Giant Slalom (Dec. 17):
Sandro Zurbruegg (SUI) — 1st — 2:27.90
Tobias Kastlunger (ITA) — 2nd — +0.89
Simon Talacci (ITA) — 3rd — +0.91
Diego Orrechioni (FRA) — 4th — +1.63
Erik Read (CAN) — 5th — +1.63
Eduard Hallberg (FIN) — 6th — +1.63
Bridger Gile (USA) — 11th — +2.19
Isaiah Nelson (USA) — 28th — +4.45
Freddy Carrick-Smith (GBR) — DNF
Men’s 2025–26 Europa Cup Overall Standings
Hans Grahl-Madsen (NOR) — 280 pts
Tobias Kastlunger (ITA) — 280 pts
Eduard Hallberg (FIN) — 245 pts
13. Freddy Carrick-Smith (GBR) — 114 pts
22. Erik Read (CAN) — 95 pts
Men’s 2025–26 Europa Cup Giant Slalom Standings (after four races)
Tobias Kastlunger (ITA) — 280 pts
Eduard Hallberg (FIN) — 245 pts
Sandro Zurbruegg (SUI) — 239 pts
7. Freddy Carrick-Smith (GBR) — 114 pts
8. Erik Read (CAN) — 95 pts
14. Bridger Gile (USA) — 69 pts
About the Author: Matt Garcka
