He had the double in his hands! With disconcerting ease, Frenchman Clément Noël advanced to victory in Madonna di Campiglio’s slalom on Wednesday 22 December. In the lead at the end of the first round, he flew over the second, before falling two gates from the finish, missing a stake before crossing the line on his stomach with a second ahead of the Norwegian Sebastian Foss -Solevaag. It was therefore ultimately the latter who was declared the winner of this night slalom, ahead of the Frenchman Alexis Pinturault. ViThe most successful slalom at home in Val d’Isère ten days ago, Noël showed that he was above the competition. But this mistake is costing him dearly.
WHAT A DISILLUSION!
☁️ On a cloud until then, @clement__noel miss the last gate and miss the victory at #MadonnadiCampiglio !
On the good news side, @AlexPinturault is reassured by stepping onto the podium!#ChaletClub @FedFranceSki pic.twitter.com/COLFpRyfje
– Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) December 22, 2021
Fifth in the 1st round, Alexis Pinturault delivered a formidable 2nd round. He finishes ten hundredths off Foss-Solevaag, and ahead of the third, Jakobsen, by a small hundredth. Reassuring for the French, yet frustrated by his checkered start to the season. Even if he considered himself Monday “much too far for the general”, Pinturault points, Wednesday evening, to 4th place in the standings, fifteen points from the podium.
“To come out of the water after this difficult weekend, it does me a lot of good”
Alexis Pinturaultin mixed zone
The disappointment is, on the other hand, immense for Clément Noël. On a cloud over both runs, the 24-year-old skier did almost everything right until his fall. “It’s a little cruel that it ends like this, analyzed the French in mixed zone. I don’t feel my mistake coming, it’s going super fast. “
Even more annoying, his little mistake prevented him from scoring points in the standings. He remains stuck in 33rd place, while a victory would have allowed him to reach the top 10, and to win a second slalom in two races this season. One thing is certain: Christmas is above the competition in slalom and confirmed it, ten days after his recital in Val d’Isère. “My ski is going well at the start of the season”, he confirmed.
After a complicated start to the season, these performances, in addition to Victor Muffat-Jeandet’s ninth place, are likely to reassure the French team. Not a luxury, a month and a half from the Beijing Olympics.