Meillard leads Swiss podium sweep in World Cup giant slalom

Loic Meillard led a stunning Swiss podium sweep in a World Cup giant slalom in France on Saturday as the first run leaders faltered.

Meillard won .18 of a second from Luca Aerni and the team's superstar Marco Odermatt, who missed a 50th career victory and fifth in a row in Val d'Isere by .33 of a second.

Meillard rose from fifth to the top for an eighth career success, Aerni from 13th to second and Odermatt from fourth to third.

Odermatt, the four-time reigning overall and giant slalom World Cup champion, had won two of the three previous season races in the discipline but did not manage a flawless second run.

First-run leader Stefan Brennsteiner of Austria faded to fifth, Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen from second to 11th, and his team-mate Tim Haugan from third to fourth.

It was the third giant slalom podium sweep for the Swiss men in World Cup history, the previous one coming just nine months ago in Hafjell, Norway, where Meillard also prevailed, ahead of Odermatt and Thomas Tumler.

A slalom is scheduled for Sunday in Val d'Isere.