GURGL, Austria -- Unheralded French skier Paco Rassat had a blistering final run to win the second men's World Cup slalom of the Olympic season Saturday.
Rassat was 14th after the opening run but posted the fastest second-run time by far to earn his first career win. He finished 0.07 seconds ahead of Armand Marchant, who gave Belgium its first podium in Alpine skiing's World Cup.
First-run leader Atle Lie McGrath of Norway dropped to third, 0.09 behind Rassat.
"This is insane," Rassat said. "My dream just came true today, so this is amazing."
The victory sent Rassat to the top of the slalom and overall standings.
The Frenchman had his best career result last week, when he placed sixth in the first slalom of the season in Levi after only one previous top-10 result, finishing ninth in Wengen in January.
"It helped me today to enjoy, to push during this race. It's always easier to come to a new race on [the back of] good results," said Rassat, who was 0.27 seconds faster than any other racer in the final run.
Finnish prodigy Eduard Hallberg shared second place with Tanguy Nef after the opening run but lost his balance in a right turn and fell shortly before the finish.
Hallberg earned Finland's first World Cup podium result in nearly 18 years last week by finishing third in his home race in Levi.
Nef dropped to fifth.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who gave Brazil its first Alpine skiing World Cup win last week, finished 10th, and Olympic champion Clement Noel of France was 12th.
Slalom world champion Loic Meillard was 20th after the opening run before the Swiss skier failed to finish his second, a week after he started the season in 14th in Finland.
