In the space of thirty days, no less than six races are planned between tight pickets, from Garmisch to Chamonix via the great Swiss classics of Adelboden and Wengen and Austrians of Kitzbühel and Schladming.

Provided that the current temperatures, extremely mild for the season in Europe, allow this sequence.

With more than half of the slalom season condensed over this period (six events out of ten), the slightest error will pay dearly in the race for the small crystal globe of the specialty, which is still missing from Clément Noël's impressive purse. .

Especially since the 25-year-old from Vosges has already grilled his jokers by not scoring any points in the first two races of the season.

At the beginning of December, in his adopted resort of Val d'Isère, Noël came out after about forty seconds in the first run.

And just before the end of year celebrations, after a failed first run (15th time), he stopped two-thirds of the way through the second track at Madonna di Campiglio.

"I didn't start the season well. The races in January are always important, this is all the more important because I have to start getting results. I'm going to try to do that in January, to keep a good bib and gain confidence for the World Championships," he said.

"Pretty steep upper part"

"Even if everything is reset before each race and we try to forget what happened before, but there is bound to be an influence when we go out twice in a row. We have to do everything to arrive down, while not being slow either," he added.

The competition did not miss the opportunity to get ahead.

Norway's Lucas Braathen, winner of the opening slalom in Val d'Isère, is currently in the lead with 150 points;

Switzerland's Daniel Yule, who won at Madonna di Campiglio, is second with 136 points.

Clément Noël during a training session before the first event of the alpine skiing season, October 20, 2022 in Sölden © Johann GRODER / APA/AFP/Archives

The irregularity has already played tricks at Christmas last season, with five track exits in ten races, including two on the Gudiberg in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where he is expected on Wednesday late afternoon and early evening. .

"It's not an easy track. The whole upper part is quite steep, it's quite demanding. It went badly last year, but I think I can afford to do well on a track like this. there,” he slipped.

To arrive with confidence at the Courchevel-Méribel Worlds, where the men's slalom is scheduled at the end of the competition, on February 19, Clément Noël has the January races to settle and find the podium, he who has climbed 17 times on the "box" and has nine World Cup victories.

He can aim this season for a very rare Olympic gold double followed by world gold, which only the Swede Ingemar Stenmark, legend of alpine skiing, has managed to achieve (Lake Placid 1980, Schladming 1982).

Program of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen slalom:

Wednesday: 1st round at 3:40 p.m., 2nd round at 6:45 p.m.

© 2023 AFP