Alpine skiing news - Noel wins slalom in Zagreb to take World Cup lead
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Published 05/01/2020 at 17:48 GMT
Clement Noel claimed his fourth career World Cup slalom victory in Zagreb, edging out Ramon Zenhaeusern by just seven hundredths of a second.
ZAGREB, CROATIA - JANUARY 5 : Clement Noel of France takes 1st place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's Slalom on January 5, 2020 in Zagreb Croatia. (Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
The 22-year-old recorded the fourth-fastest time of the opening run and went down the hill for a second time chasing the time of Alex Vinatzer.
He beat the Italian by almost three tenths but still had a nervy wait with Zenhaeusern, Linus Strasser and Michael Matt all still to come.
Matt had finished fifth in the slalom at Val d'Isere but missed a gate high up the course and failed to finish before Noel's last remaining threat, Switzerland's Zenhaeusern, took the slope.
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WATCH: Noel's first run en route to Zagreb win
He led Noel at every checkpoint but with the margin narrowing rapidly and crossed the line agonisingly behind, pipped into second.
The Frenchman goes top of the slalom rankings courtesy of the victory, keen to go one better than last year when he was edged out by overall champion Marcel Hirscher.
The result also moves Noel, 11th in the overall rankings last year, back inside the top 20 for 2019/20.
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