‘My best season ever’: Noël leaps to top of Slalom standings with thrilling Kitzbühel triumph
Jan 26, 2025·Alpine Skiing
Clement Noël (FRA/Dynastar) emerged from an endlessly dramatic Kitzbühel Slalom to grab a fourth Audi FIS World Cup win of a remarkable season that now sees him head to next month’s FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria as a firm favourite for gold.
Fourth quickest after a tight run one, Noël showed off the recovery skills he has added to his skiing of late to keep a fast, fluid second run on track. It proved too much for the rest of the best, with Kitzbühel’s fearsome Slalom piste claiming some high-profile casualties.
That left the way clear for Alex Vinatzer (ITA/Atomic) to fly up from 11th after run one into second (+0.09 seconds) - his best ever result in 70 World Cup Slaloms.
A somewhat crestfallen Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA/Atomic) added another Kitzbühel podium to his collection. The Brazilian, who was second in 2023 and third in 2022, had been desperate to take home a first Golden Gams (the famous trophy awarded to Kitzbühel winners) but a few line errors over the closing rollers left him a painful 0.19 seconds behind the leader, in third.
Attacking Vikings fall flat for once
It was a whole lot more agonising for the previously dominant Norwegian team. A week after sweeping the podium in Wengen, none of the top-three ‘Attacking Vikings’ even made it to the finish.
The drama started early. Second out of the gate in the morning run, there were audible gasps when Slalom Crystal Globe leader and two-time former Kitzbühel winner Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR/Van Deer) straddled a gate on a right-footed turn before reaching halfway.
Atle Lie McGrath (NOR/Head) was at least in the second run, but with 0.81 seconds to make up on the leaders the Wengen winner paid the price for pushing right to the limit as he skied out in the middle section.
The Norwegians’ rare off day was complete when, after watching his nearest rival Steven Amiez (FRA/Rossignol) ski out, first run leader Timon Haugan (NOR/Van Deer) was pushed on to his heels early and followed the Frenchman off the course before the first split.
'Crazy for me to win here today'
It all left Noel clear to pick up his 14th World Cup Slalom win. That puts him second on the all-time list of French winners, just one behind Perrine Pelen. Perhaps more importantly right now for the reigning Olympic champion, it is a fourth triumph in eight Slalom starts this season and a second victory on a hill that has given him highs and lows.
“Kitzbühel has been my favourite since a really long time but the last time I won here was in 2019, six years ago and then I struggled a lot on this hill in the last few races, the last few years,” said Noël, who had a DNF, a 15th, an eighth and a third in his four Kitzbühel races since that 2019 win.
“So, it’s really crazy for me to win here today.”
Long known as a skier who mixed wins with DNFs, Noël has found an ability this season to stick in, even when the mistakes crop up. That proved crucial on a wet afternoon in Kitzbühel when the heavily salted snow caused issues for all. Caught up in a hairpin early on, the 27-year-old somehow kept his rhythm and took his reward.
“Of course, my biggest goal of the season is still the World Championships (in Saalbach, 4-16 February) but Kitzbühel is just behind. It’s so important for me. So, really happy to be here and to win here.”
Vinatzer told 'not to think'
Vinatzer, who will head to Saalbach as the 2023 Slalom World Championship bronze medallist, risked everything to join Noël on the Kitzbühel podium.
The Italian, like his teammates, has struggled all season in the Slalom. Before Sunday, 10th in Val d’Isere back in December was his best effort and that mixed with four failures to finish. But with his coach telling him “not to think” before he left the start gate in run two, Vinatzer found his way back to his very best.
“It’s been quite some time,” said the skier whose only previous World Cup podiums came back in 2020 (third in Madonna Di Campiglio and third in Zagreb). “I knew I was always fast but it was difficult to continue believing in me after so many mistakes and DNFs. Here in Kitzbühel, putting down one really great run, it makes me so happy. I cannot wait to hug the whole team.
“The first bit (of his second run) was not the best, I lost quite a lot of time, but I would have signed everything to be on the podium today.”
Golden Gams still missing for Pinheiro Braathen
Pinheiro Braathen was not quite as over-joyed with his top-three spot, but the ever-cheerful Brazilian was not downbeat for too long.
“Honestly, I was so disappointed and just to say for the record, I would be proud of a fifth in Kitzbühel or a sixth place or whatever… but I have a third and I have a second on this hill and it’s my dream to walk out with a Golden Gams one day. It’s missing on my shelf back home and I wanted it so bad,” Pinheiro Braathen said.
“So, to see that I was so damn close and I knew exactly when I crossed the finish line where those 19-hundredths (of a second) went, I just wish I could run up and do it once more.
The Kitzbühel dream will have to wait another year for the 24-year-old, but having now collected two Slalom podiums this season, Pinheiro Braathen is loving seeing the green and yellow of Brazil flying high.
“It’s still unbelievable for me to come to these beautiful Alps all around the world and the flag that I feel stands out the most is the bright South American colours,” he said, the smile back in place. “It still feels surreal and I take immense pride in that.”
Elsewhere, a year after finishing second, Kristoffer Jakobsen (SWE/Fischer) nearly repeated the feat. The fastest second run of the afternoon shot the Swede 12 places up into fourth, just three-hundredths-of-a-second off the podium.
Home hopes eye up Schladming and beyond
Meanwhile, with last season’s Globe champion Manu Feller (AUT/Atomic) once again mixing too many mistakes with some fine attacking skiing, it was Marco Schwarz (Atomic) who came closest for the home nation, ending sixth.
He and the rest of the Austrian team will be hoping for a whole lot more, as Austria continues to go ski-crazy.
First, Schwarz and Feller will head to the wildly popular night races in Schladming for Tuesday's Giant Slalom and Wednesday’s Slalom. Then comes the big one, in Saalbach.
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