Noel returns to win in Adelboden
The Return of Noel
Clement Noel returned to the front and signed the slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, at the end of a second run held in fog and which saw the transalpine come up from third partial place to get the better of Lucas Pinheiro Bråthen by just two hundredths, with Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen third at 0″14. As already on Wednesday in Madonna di Campiglio, Stefano Gross è was the best of the Italians with an 18th place finish; 28th instead was Alex Vinatzer, 14th halfway through the race but stumbled into a mistake in the middle of the second run.
After the two successes of the beginning of the season and some empty passages, Noel therefore returns to rejoice: 1’51″53 the final time of the transalpine, ready to curb the’enthusiasm of a Pinheiro Bråthen who seemed launched towards the first Brazilian success.
At the foot of the podium, è fourth is German Linus Strasser (+0″97), with Austria’s Fabio Gstrein (+1″25) and the other Frenchman Steven Amiez (+1″36) in fifth and sixth place; out in the second heat was Austrian Manuel Feller who was in the lead after the first.
First fraction that saw Stefano Gross insert himself in 24th place: from lì è began the comeback of the 38-year-old from Trentino who on the track where he was able to win the’only success of his career closes with 2″42 from Noel.
“It’s one of my favorite tracks, I always have great memories. Unfortunately, the fog today took away some’ of the show. Too bad, because it’ was really difficult, you have to trust and I couldn’ t make it from the whole thing. I am positive again today: let’s try to work to take some more good satisfaction”.
Twenty-eighth place with a mistake in the second run for Vinatzer. “I tried to attack to make the result. Maybe I went in too direct; è a bit of a complicated situation, but until you reach the top step, you don’t give up. Visibility è was not a problem”. Not qualified at the end of the first heat Tommaso Saccardi and Corrado Barbera, out Tobias Kastluger and Simon Maurberger.
Kristoffersen (375) takes back the red bib as leader of the specialty; to the detriment of Meillard (325, today out in the first one), also overtaken by Noel (340) and moves to minus 56 points from Marco Odermatt in the overall ranking (630 to 574), where Meilalrd è third at 394; tenth place for Mattia Casse with 212.
On Sunday, January 12, the Adelboden stage is completed with the giant slalom: first run at 10:30 a.m., second at 1:30 p.m.
