Lou Barin

Lou Barin needed only one FWT season to become World Champion. The Val Thorens skier built steadily through her 2026 rookie campaign before delivering her biggest performance on the Bec des Rosses to win the YETI Xtreme Verbier and secure the title.

Barin came to the Tour later than many of her rivals, with years of Val Thorens terrain behind her. That experience shows in a style that rarely looks hurried, even on the sport's most serious faces.

At 28, she returns for 2027 as defending champion, with the added significance of competing in front of a home crowd when the Tour reaches Val Thorens.