After Schladming’s success, the Frenchman is chasing an encore in the last race before the World Cup
Schladming’s success rekindled Clement Noel. After a start to the season below expectations, the Frenchman was the fastest in the first run of the slalom in Chamonix (Fra), the last race before the World Championships in Courchevel and Meribel starting on Monday.
The race
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Not an impossible slope, a double placed under a hump, the track enhanced Noel’s clean style, first in 50″28 and ready to face a battle to reconfirm himself in the second heat. The first 30 are narrowed down to a second and 67 hundredths of a second. Behind Noel there are 13 athletes in just over a second, from the Swiss couple Yule and Zenhauesern (at 15 and 17/100) to Alex Vinatzer (at 1″11), Filip Zubcic (at 1″13) and Luca Aerni ( to 1″15).
For Vinatzer, fresh from the exit of Kitzbuehel and from the 27th place of Schladming, there is a tenth place conquered in safety. The other blue Tommaso Sala finished at 1″30, Simon Maurberger at 1″60. Gross and Kastlunger did not qualify. Still absent Giuliano Razzoli, stopped by back pain.
A lot of Norway, a little Austria
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The leader of the specialty rankings, Lucas Braathen, has been operated on for appendicitis and will try to return in time for the giant slalom and the World Championships. Similarly, Norway places three athletes in the top six: Kristoffersen fourth at 40/00, Foss-Solevaag at 58/100 and McGraath at 61/100. Among the best was the Bulgarian Popov, seventh at 80/100. In the ten also Strasser (at 88/100) and Ryding (at 98/100). The Austrians, on the other hand, are far from the best, the fastest being Pertl, who finished at 1″41 and is currently nineteenth.
February 4, 2023 (change February 4, 2023 | 1:06 pm)
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