new success in slalom for Clément Noël, who confirms his current form

The red leader's bib of the Slalom World Cup will remain on his shoulders. Clément Noël won his second success in two races this season, Sunday November 24, in Gurgl, Austria. Already a winner in Levi (Finland) on November 17, the 27-year-old French skier was able to rely on a successful first run late in the morning to win his twelfth World Cup victory.

Clément Noël beat the Swede Kristoffer Jakobsen by 43 hundredths and the Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath by 44 hundredths. His compatriot Steven Amiez, already sixth in Levi last week, once again signed the best result of his career in the World Cup, taking fourth place, 60 hundredths behind.

“It’s very, very important to achieve victoriesrejoiced Clément Noël, at the microphone of the organization. We always want to be fast and win in every race. I am very happy. The second round was a big fight. I was confident before setting off but I made a few mistakes that scared me a little. Fortunately, I had a good lead over my pursuers. »

The Vosges skier only took the twentieth time in the second part of the race – although set by his coach – after winning with almost a second ahead of his runner-up in the morning.

In search of the little slalom globe

Clément Noël set out perfectly to conquer the small slalom globe, undoubtedly the discipline with the densest number of competitors capable of winning. He had failed, by one place, to win this award three years in a row, in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

This second success in a row ensures him a comfortable lead at the top of the World Cup rankings in the discipline, with 200 points, ahead of the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen (120 points) and the Swiss Loïc Meillard (105 points). Steven Amiez is fifth in the ranking, with 90 units.

On the other hand, for the third time in three races this winter (after the giant of Solden and the slalom of Levi), the Austrian Manuel Feller, winner of the slalom globe in March, went off the track during the first round. A zero point similar to that achieved by Marcel Hirscher. The six-time winner of the slalom globe (between 2013 and 2019) also made a mistake at the end of the morning when he had already finished very far from the best for his return between the stakes in Levi after five years away from the ski slopes (46^e).