Chamonix (France) (AFP)
French skier Clément Noël won his first victory in over a year on Saturday in the first of two slaloms in Chamonix.
In heavy rain, the Vosges, third at the end of the first round, beat the Swiss Ramon Zenhäusern by 16/100 and the Austrian Marco Schwarz by 19/100.
Without a win this winter so far, the 23-year-old French slalomer was going through a period of doubt even if his two podiums in Flachau and then in Schladming over the past two weeks had reassured him.
Holding the title in Chamonix where he had won for the last time in the World Cup almost a year ago (February 8, 2020), Clément Noël only signed the 15th fastest time in the second round played in terrible conditions.
The Swiss Luca Aerni, 29th after the first, held the reference time for a long time on the track made heavy by the downpours before being dislodged from the provisional first place for 47/100 by Noël, which had more than two seconds ahead of the starting gate.
Zenhäusern then Schwarz, almost at the same time as the Frenchman (respectively 1/100 and 3/100 ahead), could not do better than Christmas.
Leader in the classification of the big crystal globe, Alexis Pinturault limits the damage on Schwarz, his new runner-up.
His eighth place allows him to maintain a 266 point advantage over the Austrian before the second slalom in Chamonix on Sunday.
Schwarz, on the other hand, consolidates its position as leader in the world ranking of the specialty with this seventh podium in eight slaloms this season.
The Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen straddled him from the second gate of the first round
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