Alexis Pinturault, on the other hand, experienced a new disappointment with an elimination in the first round.

Only 7th in the first layout at 77/100 from the leader Henrik Kristoffersen, Clément Noël was able to reverse the situation, like his Olympic title acquired last winter in Beijing (6th in the first run).

Thanks to a strong, but imperfect second run, and the errors of a few competitors, Noël notched the 10th victory of his career in the World Cup, the first on the circuit since December 2021, which ends a period of personal doubts and to a worrying shortage for the Blues a few days before the Courchevel/Méribel World Championships (February 6-19).

"It feels really good, in the second run I managed to put things in the right order, to be in the fight, in the moment, natural, not to think too much. My skiing was more slender, more fluid, more natural. That's how I have to ski but when you don't have 100% confidence sometimes you can't ski like that", explained the 25-year-old from Vosges in the mixed zone.

"Doubts"

"I never really doubted that I had the level to come back among the best, but I was frustrated by this start to the season where everything was coming together in the wrong direction. A bit like last year, so I felt like I didn't learn from my mistakes."

"It erases doubts", he agreed, after a chaotic start to the season (four off the track, an 8th place, a 6th place and a 3rd place).

Clément Noël savors his victory in the Schladming night slalom on January 24, 2023 © ERWIN SCHERIAU / APA/AFP

In the nocturnal madness of Schladming, where the public gathers all around the track, the Swiss Ramon Zenhäusern took 2nd place a breath away from the Frenchman (at 07/100).

Norway's Lucas Braathen, 3rd at 38/100, sparked cries from young groupies after he got the Austrians in the pocket the day before in the bib draw by wearing a fan club T-shirt of local hero Manuel Feller, at the foot of the podium on Tuesday.

Far from such a party, dark clouds are gathering over Alexis Pinturault's head, less than two weeks before the World Championships played in his resort, and already a year after a failure at the Beijing Olympics ( no medal).

Hardware concerns

For the second time in three days, after Kitzbühel on Sunday, the Frenchman was unable to qualify in the second heat, without however committing a major error, finishing 31st at 4 seconds 04 from the lead.

The world No.1 of 2021 immediately left the finish area, without changing, a rage contained on his face, humiliated by this gap unworthy of his record.

Clément Noël launched to victory on the Schladming night slalom track, January 24, 2023 © GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA/AFP

His setbacks in slalom, he remains on 15 races without a podium, condemn his chances in two disciplines (slalom and combined) of the World Championships if he does not find a solution by then.

A little more comfortable as a giant, he is counting on the Schladming test on Wednesday to find adjustments.

The three-time Olympic medalist and five-time world medalist has insisted for several weeks on problems with his equipment.

"The problem is that for the moment we are discussing with Head (its equipment supplier), and it is difficult to analyze. My feeling is that I cannot express myself as I want. We are losing too much time to my liking. We are working hard but it is difficult to identify and correct these problems", he explained to Kitzbühel.

© 2023 AFP