After the first victory of the season in Levi last week, Clément Noël confirmed his good form this Sunday, victorious again on the demanding Gurgl track in Austria. The skier from Val d'Isère is satisfied to have achieved victory despite the difficult conditions.
What is your feeling after this victory this Sunday in Austria?
“It was perhaps one of the most difficult races we have done in several years. Ice conditions with a very steep slope. It was definitely a challenge and I'm glad I got through it. In the first round, I was really surprised to make big gaps because the sensations were difficult. I was quite confident before the race, I see the snow, the route and everything. I'm saying to myself, it's going to be pretty easy, the snow is good, I'll be able to express myself fully. And in the round, the sensations were much more difficult than expected. I told myself either it's me who's not great, or it's the terrain which is really difficult. It turns out it was the terrain that was really difficult. So, I'm very happy to find myself in this position in the first round. On the other hand, it puts a little pressure on the second round. We know that it's still going to be very difficult, there are a few small marks. So we also had to manage the second round. I'm glad I did it even though I had some scares and it was difficult. »
“Really ideal for the season”
A second consecutive victory must give a lot of confidence?
“Yes, of course it gives a lot of confidence. It's been a long time since I won two races in a row, but it's really ideal for the season. With Levi, it was also two quite different profiles. Today was a very difficult race, so there is also a big mental part which is very important. I'm happy to manage these moments. Afterwards, I will try to continue to do my best, that doesn't mean that I will always be able to do exactly what I want all season. I did the job in these first two races and it's great. (…) I am obviously happy to have won this race. It was a big fight, it drained my energy. It was a tough race, so I'm just happy. There is always relief after a race when things go well. We are relieved that it is behind us and that the job was well done. »
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How did you manage such a lead (+88. on the 2nd time) at the end of the first round?
“I knew Steven (Amiez) had gone behind because I looked at him. Macgrath, I didn't know, but I didn't hear any particular noise from his staff. I told myself that he hadn't arrived with a big lead, but I knew that I was going to have a head start anyway. At worst, I was nine tenths ahead at the start. How this is managed… I don't know… It's not easy. I don't really know how to do that, because if we say to ourselves that I'm ahead and that if I was this fast in the first, I just need to be calm in the second and it will pass, it won't doesn't work like that. You still have to ski really committed, really fully. But I also didn't want to start as if I was fifteenth from the first, take all the risks and get stuck in the pile after five doors. It's a mix that you have to find, manage, ski well, technically. But frankly, it's harder to manage than in Levi where I had a two hundredths lead. Where there is no question to ask yourself if you want to win the race, but hey, it happened, so good. »
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The complete interview with Clément Noël
