In Noel triumph

Men’s slalom in Adelboden from 10.30 am LIVE

Manuel Feller was in the lead at the halfway point and then dropped out again at the end.(Bild: GEPA)

Clement Noel has secured victory in the Adelboden slalom. The Frenchman came out on top by a wafer-thin margin ahead of neo-Brazilian Lucas Braathen (+0.02) and Henrik Kristoffersen from Norway (+0.14). Half-time leader Manuel Feller was eliminated again. Fabio Gstrein in fifth place (+1.25) was the best Austrian.

Austria's slalom men also failed to secure their first podium finish of the winter in Adelboden. Half-time leader Manuel Feller retired on Saturday, victory went to Clement Noel. The Frenchman won ahead of the Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (+0.02 sec.) and the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen (+0.14). The best Austrian was Fabio Gstrein in fifth place, Michael Matt also finished in the top ten in ninth.

Fabio Gstrein(Bild: AFP/APA/FABRICE COFFRINI)

Raschner and Pertl are also eliminated
Seven Austrians took part in the decision, four made it into the rankings. Johannes Strolz finished in 15th place, Marco Schwarz achieved his first slalom result of the winter in 25th place. Dominik Raschner slipped off the piste in the steep slope after a good intermediate time, Adrian Pertl fell in. In a historical comparison, the ÖSV technicians last started worse in the 1984/85 season, when they only achieved their first podium finish in the tenth slalom. Adelboden was the sixth competition of the current season.

Upward trend pleases Gstrein
Feller had already dropped out of the night slalom in Madonna di Campiglio three days ago with a chance of victory in the second run. This time, too, he stumbled in the steep slope and lost the ideal line, ultimately missing a gate. Last year's winner then disappeared from the finish area without any interviews.

For Gstrein, it was the best result of the season. "Sure, the visibility wasn't exactly great, but it was actually pretty good for driving," said the moustachioed man in the ORF interview. "The direction is right, we're always moving forward." In the next races, he will see "that I get two solid runs down again, then it will look good".

Schwarz, who won the classic race in the Bernese Oberland in 2021, was disappointed. "It's difficult for me when you can't see anything. There were a few shots inside that I took before the flat section. That's where I sputtered out and then the momentum was completely gone," analyzed the Carinthian.

Marco Schwarz(Bild: GEPA)

Noel's third win of the season
Olympic slalom champion Noel had suffered an ankle injury at the giant slalom start in his home town of Val d'Isere in mid-December, but this did not hinder him for long. He only missed the slalom the following day and was back in action in Alta Badia at the end of the month. This time, Noel achieved his third win of the season after Levi and Gurgl. It was the 27-year-old's 13th slalom success in the World Cup and his first in Adelboden.

Clement Noel(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

"It's unbelievable. It was a very, very good race for me," said Noel. "The second run was a battle, it was very difficult. I'm so happy about this race, Adelboden wasn't my favorite. But this year it's an incredible day with an incredible atmosphere."

Braathen, who raced for Norway until 2023, missed out on his first win for Brazil by just the blink of an eye. "Adelboden is really special for me. It's a perfect moment for me," said the 24-year-old, who won here two years ago. "I live for these moments where I can have a Superman feeling, and today was one of those days."

Kristoffersen reclaimed the lead
Kristoffersen took back the lead in the discipline classification with his third place. Switzerland's Loic Meillard, who came to Adelboden as the slalom World Cup leader, had already made a mistake in the morning in heavy snowfall. Norway's Atle Lie McGrath, the virtual leader, was eliminated shortly before the finish. Croatia's Samuel Kolega, who finished third in Madonna, also dropped out in the first run.