Loïc Meillard SUI / GEPA picture
Sunday, Dec. 14 | Third slalom of the 2026 season
Meillard leads as Taylor breaks elite grip in fast first run
Loïc Meillard (Switzerland) set the pace in the first run of the men’s World Cup slalom in Val d’Isère, charging to a time of 47.49 on a sunny morning that rewarded commitment, sharp timing, and disciplined line choice.
Norway stacked the leaderboard behind him. Timon Haugan slotted into second just 0.05 seconds back, followed by teammate Atle Lie McGrath in third at +0.14. Henrik Kristoffersen, the reigning World Cup slalom champion, held fourth at +0.43, keeping the Norwegians firmly in control of the race.
Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen placed fifth at +0.51, with Fabio Gstrein (Austria) sixth at +0.71. That group was locked in.
Taylor breaks through as Noël gets bumped
As the light improved and later starters grew more confident, Laurie Taylor (Great Britain) delivered the defining run outside the early favorites. Starting with bib 27, Taylor skied with increasing speed through the timing sectors and surged into seventh place at +1.08, becoming the only skier outside the top seven bibs to crack the top seven.
That move pushed Clément Noël (France) out of the elite group. The home-nation favorite skied aggressively but finished eighth at +1.10, making him the only member of the original elite seven not to finish inside the fastest seven after the first run.
Britain puts three inside the top 15
Taylor’s breakthrough anchored a strong British performance. Billy Major followed with another composed run to finish 12th at +1.59, while veteran Dave Ryding skied cleanly to slot into 14th at +1.63.
All three British skiers qualified comfortably for the second run, marking one of Britain’s strongest opening-run showings.
High-bib qualifiers (bib 31 or higher)
- 39 — Sam Maes (BEL) — 18th, +1.85
- 68 — Auguste Aulnette (FRA) — 20th, +1.96
- 32 — Ramon Zenhaeusern (SUI) — 21st, +2.04
- 40 — Oscar Andreas Sandvik (NOR) — 23rd, +2.16
- 41 — Hugo Desgrippes (FRA) — 25th, +2.29
- 50 — Hans Grahl-Madsen (NOR) — 28th, +2.42
- 37 — Tobias Kastlunger (ITA) — 29th, +2.47
- 61 — Matthias Iten (SUI) — 30th, +2.58
Belgium’s Sam Maes, skiing for Global Racing out of Austria, led the high-bib group, while Auguste Aulnette (bib 68) became the highest bib to qualify, igniting the home crowd.
DNFs and non-qualifiers open space
The course, set by Belgium’s Gabi Coulet — a French native from Chamonix — skied fast and fluid, but mistakes were punished. Six of the first thirty starters failed to finish, opening valuable space in the qualification cut as conditions continued to improve.
Among those out were Paco Rassat, Tanguy Nef, Manuel Feller, Dominik Raschner, and Kristoffer Jakobsen.
North American struggles continue
It was another difficult opening run for North America.
For Canada, veteran Erik Read was unable to crack the top 30 and did not qualify for the second run.
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team also came up empty. Benjamin Ritchie straddled in a flush in the final sector and recorded a DNF. Jett Seymour crossed his tips and went down in the second sector, while Luke Winters straddled at the top of a hairpin in sector three. The younger Stifel U.S. skiers also failed to qualify, continuing a challenging start to the 2026 season.
The U.S. veterans remain proven World Cup competitors, but the season has yet to turn in their favor.
Second run wide open
As usual in Val d’Isère, good line choice and sharp timing were rewarded, while getting low and late was punished immediately. With the start order reversed and margins tight throughout the top 15, significant movement remains possible when the second run begins.
Final results will not be decided until the last skier crosses the line.
First Run top thirty results
Click images to enlarge
Run Analysis of the fastest three and British Qualifiers
About the Author: Peter Lange
