The Men's Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Moves to Val d'Isere this Weekend

This winter "The Critérium de la Première Neige à Val d'Isère" celebrates its 70th anniversary. Since 1968, Val d'Isere has been a key stop on the Alpine Ski World Cup calendar. The Men’s Giant Slalom and Slalom events will be held on December 13th and 14th at La Face de Bellevarde, one of the most iconic and challenging racecourses on the Alpine Ski World Cup Tour.

Val d'Isere (FRA)

December 13th Giant Slalom / Men

December 14th Slalom / Men

Every year, Val d'Isère hosts men's and women's races as part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. The Men's Downhill, Super-G, and Giant Slalom events of the 1992 Albertville Olympic Winter Games were held on the Face de Bellevarde. The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 were also held in Val d'Isère.

In December 1955, Charles Diebold launched the Critérium de la Première Neige to open the winter season. The aim was to establish Val d’Isère as a world-renowned ski destination. The Criterium was formally adopted by the FIS in December 1968, and since then, the event is a key stop on the Alpine Ski World Cup calendar.

Val d'Isère is a high-altitude village located in the Savoie, recognizable by its charming Chalet architecture. In 1936, the Rogoney, the resort's first drag lift at the bottom of Solaise, came into operation.

Val d'Isere offers skiers one of the most incredible Ski Paradises in the Alps: the Espace Killy, the Val d'Isere and Tignes combined skiing area, named in honor of Jean-Claude Killy, the all-time French best skier who won 3 gold medals in the 1968 Olympic Games. A playground for every skier that stretches from 1550 to 3450m, with 300km of prepared pistes and two glaciers (Pissaillas Glacier in Val d'Isere and the Grande Motte in Tignes) as well as some magnificent and easily accessible off-piste opportunities.

After failing to finish the first two Giant Slaloms in Sölden and Beaver Creek, Marco Odermatt achieved his first Alpine Ski World Cup Giant Slalom victory of the 2024-2025 winter season in Val d'Isere. Odermatt has won the Giant Slalom at Val d’Isère for the past four seasons (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024).

An Austrian duo completed the podium. Patrick Feurstein finished in second place, +0.08 seconds behind, and Stefan Brennsteiner took third, +0.12 seconds off the pace.

Last season, Henrik Kristoffersen achieved a remarkable victory, leading a Norwegian one-two finish on the podium at the Slalom World Cup in Val d'Isere. He beat his teammate, Atle Lie McGrath, by 0.52 seconds. Loic Meillard finished in third place, 0.89 seconds behind. It was Henrik Kristoffersen's third victory in the Slalom at La Face de Bellevarde in Val d’Isere, after winning in 2015 and 2016.