It was a landmark race for Frenchman Paco Rassat, who secured his first career World Cup victory in the men’s slalom in Gurgl, Austria.
His time of 1:44.55 was just enough to clear second-place finisher Armand Marchant's (BEL) mark (+0.07). Olympian Atle Lie McGrath (NOR), the leader after Run 1, claimed third (+0.09).
Meanwhile, the early-season struggles continued for American technical racers. Of the three that competed, none qualified for a second run. Jett Seymour and Ben Ritchie finished outside the top 40 and Luke Winters DNF’ed.
The story of the day unequivocally was Rasset. His potentially star-making performance came on the heels of a strong 6th-place effort in Levi. The 27-year-old didn’t have any podium experience prior Gurgl and ended the 2024-25 season ranked 64th. Now, he leads the overall World Cup standings with 140 points, and is one of two Frenchmen in the top five (Clement Noel is fifth) and one of five in the top 20.
It was a first for runner-up Marchant, as well. The second-place finish was his inaugural podium appearance, a nice rebound from Levi where he did not even qualify for a second run.
Third place quickly is becoming McGrath's place, having accomplished the same feat prior in Soelden. It's a strong start to the 25-year-old's season, as he's collected 120 points thus far, which is good for (you guessed it) third overall.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who turned in a dazzling, victory worthy performance in Levi, grabbed 10th in Gurgl. In the process, he surrendered the red bib to Rassat.
Rassat’s fellow countryman and last year’s event winner, Noel, looked strong in his first run, but struggled to find his footing in the second with a time worthy of 26th. Overall, he placed 12th.