Chapuis, who won the World Cup title in 2015, had an uncharacteristically poor qualification after finishing in 28th position.

However, he proved it was just a blip as the Frenchman won the first heat and quarter-finals, before finishing as the runner-up to his team-mate Jonas Devouassoux in the semi-final stage of the competition.

They joined their compatriot Sylvain Miaillier and Germany’s Daniel Bohnacker in the big final, which came down to a dramatic finish with all three French skiers vying for the top of the podium.

Chapuis, though, was able to get the better of his team-mates to earn victory, with Miaillier and Devouassoux finishing second and third respectively.

Following his win, Chapuis now leads the overall World Cup standings on 450 points, while Canada’s Brady Leman lies 100 adrift in second position.

Women’s World Cup leader Anna Holmlund continued her stunning run of form, meanwhile, which has seen her appear in the big final at each of this season’s events.

She emerged as the victor in both of her heats and the Swedish skier proved able to repeat the feat in the final, winning her third of the opening six competitions.

France’s Alizee Baron was forced to settle for second place, while Austria’s Andrea Limbacher completed the podium positions in third.

As the halfway point of the season approaches, Holmlund has a 166 point advantage over Baron in the World Cup standings, with her overall tally having move onto 510.

Holmlund will hope to earn back-to-back victories as the World Cup continues tomorrow in Watles, with the venue having stepped in to stage competition after a lack of snow had forced the event in La Plagne, France, to be cancelled.