World Cup: it is getting closer for Clément Noël, 2nd in Flachau

The rule of "never two without three" unfortunately applied to Clément Noël in the slalom of Flachau (Austria) this Saturday morning.

After Zagreb (Croatia) and Adelboden (Switzerland) last week, it's the third consecutive slalom in which the 23-year-old Vosges dominates the first round without winning in the end.

The Frenchman had missed the two previous times on his second pass, 7th and 8th respectively.

But there is still better since this Saturday morning, Noël won the 2nd place behind the Austrian Manuel Feller, winner of the second round.

He signed his first podium of the season and the 11th of his career, he who has six World Cup victories so far.

The Frenchman will have a new opportunity in a new slalom run in Flachau this Sunday morning.

OH THE PODIUM for @clement__noel 🥈🏆

Author of two full heats, the 🇫🇷 takes 2nd place in a very high level #Slalom at #Flachau 🥳

👉 His 1st podium of the season, FINALLY💥 # Allezlesbleus 🇫🇷🇫🇷

📸 Zoom Agency pic.twitter.com/FVqZJrOCWl

- FFS - French Ski Federation (@FedFranceSki) January 16, 2021

"The track is easy, fairly flat, with little speed on fairly slow snow," he explained after the first round, after which he had been 23 hundredths ahead of the Norwegian Sebastian Foss-Solevaag and 25 hundredths Feller.

If you lose speed by getting caught in a movement of land, you never regain it.

You have to be clean, not to make mistakes.

I did that, clean, dull.

"

In the race for the big Crystal Globe, Alexis Pinturault, 9th this morning, scored 29 points for Flachau and increased his lead to 158 points over Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the Norwegian who had beaten him for the title last season, for 54 points.

The latter does not line up in the slaloms.

Morning essentials newsletter

A tour of the news to start the day

Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters

Third and last Habs qualified for the second round, Victor Muffat-Jeandet had to settle for 13th place.