Despite his four winter victories, Clément Noël will not win his first little crystal globe, which returns to Henrik Kristoffersen. Second this Thursday of the Slalom of Sun Valley, the Vosgien does not even finish on the podium, to his great regret.
Clément Noël (27 years old) will still have to wait before raising his first little crystal globe, just like the world cup victories record for one of our representatives of Perrine Pelen still holds while the winter of slalomers ended on Thursday evening in Idaho. He could very well have ended in apotheosis for the Vosgien, deprived for three hundredths by the Norwegian Timon Haugan of this fifteenth success which would have enabled him to join his elder on the tablets.
Unfortunately for the one who had become last January when he barely returned to a sprain in an ankle the first French to win fourteen world cup victories in the specialty, not only did this fifth winter victory escaped him, as well as this first little crystal globe to which the native of Remiremont could still dream before this last outing of the season, but Christmas does not even finish on which Henrik Kristoffersen, however only 4th Thursday, was able to slash champagne after having won his fourth little globe. The Norwegian thus equals the legendary Alberto fell.
Christmas: “On this race, I have no regrets”
Our best French slalomer, for his part, is left for a huge disappointment. “I am very disappointed to finish fourth. With four victories, I think I deserved better, but that’s it, that’s how it is. I finish behind Loïc (Meillard) and I finish a point behind Timon Haugan, “deplores Noël, interviewed Eurosport And which nevertheless retains the positive of his winter. “I learned a lot this winter. I skied well at the start of the season in very harsh conditions. When it is difficult, when it is frozen, I always go out very well. »»
The Frenchman would have liked to be at least rewarded for his very good season by finishing on a victory. This was not the case. But it took little. “I gave the best of myself and on this race, I have no regrets. I am very happy with my race, I skied as I wanted. Under these conditions, it was not easy for me, but I managed to ski very well. I’m happy. It is more compared to my last races that I feel a lot of regrets. »»
