Men’s World Cup Val d’Isère Preview: Giant Slalom on Dec. 13, Slalom on Dec. 14
The men return to Val d’Isère for the first World Cup races in Europe since leaving the United States, bringing sharp form and tight standings into a weekend that always delivers drama. With the Olympic season underway, both races arrive at a moment when momentum matters and every point begins to shape the winter ahead.
Giant Slalom: Saturday’s Test on the Face de Bellevarde
Last season’s GS in Val d’Isère belonged to Marco Odermatt, who powered to the win ahead of Austria’s Patrick Feurstein and Stefan Brennsteiner.
GS Standings After Three Races
- Marco Odermatt (SUI) — 200
- Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) — 200
- Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) — 176
- Alex Vinatzer (ITA) — 157
- Marco Schwarz (AUT) — 139
- Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) — 96
- Thibaut Favrot (FRA) — 86
- Filip Zubčić (CRO) — 76
- Žan Kranjec (SLO) — 76
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) — 71
Two Stifel US Ski Team members cracked the top 30 last year:
- River Radamus — 17th, last U.S. man to stand on a World Cup GS podium.
- Tommy Ford — 18th, last U.S. man to win a World Cup GS.
This season opened in Sölden, continued through the North American swing, and now returns to Europe. Odermatt has already collected two victories, while Brennsteiner claimed the first World Cup GS win of his career. Val-d’Isère now marks the first European GS stop since the U.S. races, where December rhythm often begins to shift.
2025 GS Podiums (Through 3 Races)
| Race | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sölden | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Marco Schwarz (AUT) | Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) |
| Copper Mountain | Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) | Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) | Filip Zubčić (CRO) |
| Beaver Creek | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Alex Vinatzer (ITA) | Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) |
North Americans With GS Points
- River Radamus — 66
- Ryder Sarchett — 6
- Erik Read (CAN independent) — 4
- George Steffey (USA Independent)— 4
British & North Americans Racing: World Cup Start List Rank — FIS Rank Shown if Outside Top 30 on WCSL
U.S. – Val-d’Isère GS Roster
- River Radamus, WCSL 14th, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail
- Bridger Gile, WCSL 58th, FIS Rank 52nd, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, HEAD, Oakley
- Ryder Sarchett, WCSL 55th, FIS Rank 62nd, Stifel USST, University of Colorado, Sun Valley Ski Academy, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
- George Steffey, WCSL 60th, FIS Rank 87th, USA independent, Global Racing, Stratton Mountain School, Marker/Völkl, SYNC
Alpine Canada – GS Roster
- Erik Read, WCSL 45th, FIS Rank 56th, World Racing Academy, Banff Alpine Racers, University of Denver, Atomic, SYNC
Great Britain – GS Roster
- Freddy Carrick-Smith — Independent; GBR; rising GS athlete
Slalom: Sunday Spotlight and Noël’s Home Pressure
Last season’s Val-d’Isère slalom saw Norway sweep the top two spots, with Henrik Kristoffersen winning ahead of Atle Lie McGrath. Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard rounded out the podium.
2024 Val-d’Isère SL Podium
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|
| Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) | Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) | Loïc Meillard (SUI) |
2024 Val-d’Isère SL Top 30 Results for Britain & North America
- Dave Ryding (GBR) — 9th
- Laurie Taylor (GBR) — 12th
- Jett Seymour (USA) — 21st
This season’s early slaloms were held in Levi and Gurgl, and now the discipline returns to Europe’s traditional December venues. A major storyline follows Clément Noël. Last year, he arrived in Val-d’Isère as the dominant slalom racer after winning the first two events of the season, but he was injured during the GS the day before his home race. With the Olympic season underway, his approach to this weekend carries added weight.
Slalom Standings After Levi & Gurgl
- Paco Rassat FRA — 140
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen BRA — 126
- Clément Noël FRA — 102
- Timon Haugan NOR — 95
- Armand Marchant BEL — 80
- Atle Lie McGrath NOR — 60
- Eduard Hallberg FIN — 60
- Tanguy Nef SUI — 55
- Laurie Taylor GBR — 50
- Steven Amiez FRA — 48
- Linus Strasser GER — 48
North American & GBR Slalom Outlook
Great Britain – 2025 SL Standings
- Laurie Taylor — 50 points (season rank 9th)
- Dave Ryding — 42 points (season rank 13th)
- Billy Major — 18 points (season rank 25th)
Stifel US Ski Team members With SL Points
- Cooper Puckett (USA) — 5 points (season rank 34th)
British & North Americans Racing: World Cup Start List Rank — FIS Rank Shown if Outside Top 30 on WCSL
Great Britain – SL Roster
- Dave Ryding, WCSL 13th, GB Snowsport, HEAD
- Laurie Taylor, WCSL 27th, GB Snowsport, HEAD
- Billy Major, WCSL 30th, GB Snowsport, HEAD
- Luca Carrick-Smith, FIS Rank 82, GBR independent
Stifel U.S. Ski Team – SL Roster
- Benjamin Ritchie, WCSL 22nd, Stifel USST, Green Mountain Valley School, HEAD
- Jett Seymour, WCSL 41st, FIS Rank 48, Stifel USST, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, University of Denver, Atomic
- Luke Winters, FIS Rank 55, Stifel USST, Sugar Bowl Ski Academy
- Stanley Buzek, FIS Rank 78, Stifel USST, Team Summit
- Camden Palmquist, FIS Rank 88, Stifel USST, Buck Hill, Team Summit, Völkl/Marker
- Cooper Puckett, WCSL 58th, FIS Rank 91, Stifel USST, Dartmouth College, SSWSC, Steamboat Mountain School, HEAD, SHRED
Alpine Canada – SL Roster
- Erik Read, WCSL 55th, FIS Rank 84, World Racing Academy, Banff Alpine Racers, University of Denver, Atomic, SYNC
When & How to Watch: Val d’Isère Men’s GS and SL
Giant Slalom — Saturday, Dec. 13
- First run: 3:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. PT
- Second run: 7:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. PT
- UK (GBR): 8:30 first run / 12:00 second run
Slalom — Sunday, Dec. 14
- First run: 3:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 a.m. PT
- Second run: 7:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. PT
- UK (GBR): 8:30 first run / 12:00 second run
United States: Live and replay coverage on Ski and Snowboard Live.
Canada: Stream on CBC Sports.
Great Britain: Both races air live on Discovery+
About the Author: Peter Lange
