Austrian World Cup leader Stephan Eberharter was on course for an unprecedented treble in Val d'Isere, France after setting the fastest time in the first leg of a men's giant slalom today.
Eberharter, the winner of Friday's super-G and yesterday's downhill, clocked one minute 14.08 seconds on the Oreiller-Killy piste as his impressive weekend performance continued.
France's Frederic Covili, the only man to beat Eberharter this season - in the opening giant slalom in Soelden - was second fastest in 1:14.20. American Bode Miller was third in 1:14.40.
Sweden's Fredrik Nyberg clocked the fourth fastest time with 1:14.51 while giant slalom world champion Michael von Gruenigen was fifth in 1:15.08.
Eberharter is the only skier apart from compatriot and arch-rival Hermann Maier to have won two races in different disciplines in the same year in Val d'Isere.
Maier, the overall World Cup champion, is still out of action after a bad motorcycle crash in August.
