Even if he is not the favorite, Clément Noël can still mathematically win the slalom crystal globe on Wednesday. The Vosges native believes in his chances.
His goal for the season was to retain his Olympic title in Milan-Cortina, but he failed miserably, dropping out during the second run. But Clément Noël still has a nice goal to achieve this Wednesday, on the very last day of the alpine skiing World Cup season: winning his first small crystal globe. The Vosges native, soon to be 29 years old, winner in Madonna Di Campiglio, second in Levi and Alta Badia, and third in Schladming this season, is currently third in the rankings with 475 points, behind Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath (552) and Brazilian Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (511).
Noël: “We will try to shift the hundredths to the right side”
The final of the slalom World Cup will take place on Wednesday in Lillehammer, with the top 25 specialists of the season, and the top 15 will earn points: 100 for the first, 80 for the second, 60 for the third, 50 for the fourth, 45 for the fifth… Mathematically, Clément Noël can still lift the small globe at the end of the second run. And even if he will not be the favorite and will likely need a set of circumstances, the Frenchman wants to believe. “I feel pretty ready. I will be happy when winter is over, but I am happy to still have an opportunity with this final race. Physically and mentally, it’s going well. Winning a second time this winter would please me. I don’t control much in the fight for the globe, I don’t have all the cards in hand. Atle still has quite a lead over me, but it is still mathematically possible. We saw in Kranjska Gora how tight slaloms can be, I was 6th, 12 hundredths behind the winner (McGrath), it was frustrating. But here, there is a new race, and thus a new chance. We will try to shift the hundredths to the right side,” explained Clément Noël to L’Equipe.
It has been 17 years, and the triumph of Jean-Baptiste Grange, since France has not won a small globe in slalom.
