VAL D’ISERE, France (AP) — Two-time defending World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher produced a superb second run to win a giant slalom race on Saturday, while favorite Ted Ligety was among several racers to ski out.
It was Hirscher’s second win of the season after his slalom victory at Levi, Finland, and fourth podium from five races so far.
The Austrian was third after the first run, 0.41 seconds behind Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, but tamed the hostile Stade Olympique de Bellevarde course to finish 0.76 seconds ahead of Thomas Fanara of France and 1.09 clear of Germany’s Stefan Luitz.
Pinturault made an error on the top section and finished fourth.
The Bellevarde course lived up to its tough reputation as Ligety, Bode Miller and Aksel Lund Svindal failed to finish their first runs.
