Paris (AFP)

Having passed very close to the coronation in the Slalom World Cup last winter, Clément Noël must wait until the end of December to find his favorite discipline, more than two months after resuming alpine skiing in Sölden (Austria).

After having tasted the giant for the first time in the World Cup in February, the 23-year-old Vosges explains to AFP wanting to "confront others", ideally via internal qualifications, in an attempt to win his place in the loyal in this discipline.

QUESTION: The season has resumed but the first World Cup slalom will only take place on December 21 in Alta Badia (Italy), more than ten months after the previous one in Chamonix (February 8) ...

ANSWER: "It's been a long time without a race between mid-February and December 21st, it's a big cut and therefore a big preparation. You have to take the time to do things well to get ready, that's for sure. that we are not pressed for time ... "

Q: In ten months without a slalom, do you lose your level?

A: "I'll see that in the first race. Putting on a bib is always different for sure. There we had an extra month of cut in the spring and a month this fall, I don't know if that will change. something. In any case before the first race we lack benchmarks. "

Q: What do you think of the changed schedule due to Covid-19?

A: "If everything goes normally, it's going to be pretty good with a lot of good races. It will be very condensed between the end of December and January (nine slaloms, Editor's note). I like to do a series of races so it's not You will have to manage fatigue, isolate yourself well, be very careful, this will not be the time to have a positive test (for Covid-19). Even getting sick from something else would be very annoying, you will have to be fit and ready. "

Q: You played in a giant last year.

Do you plan to continue on this path?

A: "I train, I do everything to improve. I don't want to line up with a giant by not being ready or by taking the place of someone who is better than me. Several factors come into play. If it was just the urge, I have it, I want to do a lot. I also have to be physically able to do giant. "

Q: Do you think you will go through the European Cup first (the secondary circuit)?

A: "I don't know. We can also do qualifying internally ... If I have the level I would like to compete with others to win my place for the World Cup races. The giant French team is very strong and very dense. We will see with the coaches (...) This summer, I did a little more in training than last year when I was hampered by the back. I am progressing well , it's positive."

Q: Did you manage to miss the small slalom globe for two points behind the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen?

A: "I didn't have a moment when it really took my mind off. I was a little frustrated, but all I could do I did pretty well, I didn't nothing to regret about my season. It was great (six podiums including three wins). "

Q: Are you planning your career?

Until the Beijing Olympics in 2022 for example?

A: "I don't have a career plan, I don't project myself. I'm more in the moment. If I imagine a full career, I have done great things in the World Cup, the others Goals like the Olympics, the Worlds and winning a globe are inevitably in the back of my mind, these are the best things to win and I have not won them. But I have no plan of the type to ramp up until 'at the 2022 Games. It's a very unpredictable career as a skier. So far, it's managed to me to think like that and it's part of my character, so I'm not going to change that. "

Interview by Robin GREMMEL

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