Born in Briançon (Hautes-Alpes), Alphand made his World Cup debut in 1984. In 1997 he won the World Cup overall title by collecting points only in the two speed disciplines, downhill and super G – a unique achievement in World Cup history. For this accomplishment he was voted L'Equipe Champion of Champions in 1997. The previous year he won a bronze medal at the 1996 World Championships at Sierra Nevada, Spain.