Croatia's Filip Zubčić won the first giant slalom contest at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Bansko ©Getty Images

France’s new giant slalom world champion Mathieu Faivre had to settle for silver today behind Croatia’s Filip Zubčić at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Ski World Cup in Bansko.

In the first of two giant slalom races scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian resort this weekend, Faivre, who earned the world title in Cortina d'Ampezzo last week, produced the fastest first run, clocking 1min 08.37sec.

Zubčić was second on 1:08.46, with France’s overall and giant slalom World Cup leader Alexis Pinturault third on 1:08.60.

But after a second run of 1:12.14, Zubčić moved up to take gold with a combined total of 2:20.62.

Faivre was 0.40sec back in second and Austria’s Stefan Brennsteiner moved up to take bronze, 0.93 back.

France's newly-installed world giant slalom champion had to settle for silver in the first of two giant slalom races this weekend in Bulgaria ©Getty Images
France's newly-installed world giant slalom champion had to settle for silver in the first of two giant slalom races this weekend in Bulgaria ©Getty Images

Pinturault, whose high hopes of winning the world giant slalom title fell apart in Cortina when he lost a ski and failed to finish his second run, finished fourth, 1.06 behind.

But the Frenchman still finished above his main rival for the overall and giant slalom World Cup titles, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, who was fifth, 1.52 off the winner's pace.

After seven of the 10 scheduled World Cup giant slalom races this season, Pinturault still leads with 490 points, Zubčić’s victory has moved him up to second place on 468 ahead of Odermatt, who has 445.

In the overall FIS Alpine Ski World Cup standings, Pinturault leads with 974 from Odermatt, who has 744, and Austria’s Marco Schwarz, who is on 692.