Clément Noël is the only rider to have found the key during the first round of the Gurgl slalom. On a demanding course, the Swiss had a complicated morning. Tanguy Nef (9th) is the best of them, while Loïc Meillard could not do better than 14th.
Only the Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath (2nd at 0”88) and another Frenchman, Steven Amiez (3rd at 0”94), lost less than a second on Clément Noël. Best Swiss, Tanguy Nef set the 9th fastest time on a track concocted by the Swiss coach, 1”45 from Christmas.
The Genevan, full of confidence after having signed his best result in the World Cup in Levi (5th), would certainly have tickled the provisional podium without a big mistake committed at the bottom of the wall. Loïc Meillard is in 14th place, 1”78 behind the leader and 0”84 from the top-3. The skier from Hérémence never found the right rhythm, whether on the wall or on the final part.
Distinguished eliminations
The other Swiss competing in Austria conceded more than two seconds: Daniel Yule is 21st (at 2”08), Luca Aerni 23rd (at 2”12) and Ramon Zenhäusern 30th (at 2”75). Marc Rochat, for his part, was eliminated before halfway through the race, caught on the back of his skis.
Holder of the Little Globe in the discipline and winner last year in Gurgl, Manuel Feller experienced his third elimination in three races this winter. The returnees Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Marcel Hirscher are also out.
ats/btro
Swiss
