Last year’s winner Linus Straßer had no chance against the top drivers at the World Cup slalom in Kitzbühel this year. In the end, the Munich team ended up in fifth place. Clement Noel from France won.
Especially in the first run, Straßer did not really find the rhythm. At the same time, he made some smaller mistakes, which then added up to a deficit. In the second round things went much better, Straßer made a few places well – from nine rank in the first run it went up to fifth place.
In difficult weather conditions on the Ganslernhang, Clement Noel got the best. The rain had softened the slopes before the first round – it was not as icy as usual, but no less selective.
Noel benefits from failures and wins
Norwegian Timon Haugan had set the record with the start number one in the morning. In the second run he fell shortly after the start and left. Haugan’s Norwegian compatriot Atlie Lie McGrath, who had won in Wengen a week ago, did not cross either.
The great profiteer was Clement Noel, who was at the top of the podium after fourth place in the first round in the end and celebrated his fourth victory this season. The second was Alex Vinatzer from Italy ahead of Lucas Pinheiro Braathen from Brazil.
Linus Straßer: level is incredibly high
Linus Straßer mourned something in the interview on ZDF. He didn’t let the skis run as it would have been possible. In the final, the 32-year-old from TSV 1860 Munich did much better. The reward was the jump from rank ninth to five.
Why was it not enough? “Because the level in the slalom is so immensely high, that’s incredible”according to the man who grew up in and around Kitzbühel and for whom the race on the Ganslernhang is a real home race. “Of course you are disappointed when you get to the finish and not green. But it was a good trip, I pushed down what went down.”
Hendrik Kristoffersen out early
Hendrik Kristoffersen, which was previously leading in the World Cup slalom ranking, was already eliminated in the first round. Due to the victory, Noel pushed himself past the Norwegian (435) in the fight for the small crystal ball. Straßer is currently ranked in this rating with 191 points.
From the DSV, no other DSV driver made it into the second round. Anton Tremmel, Adrian Meisen and Fabian Himmelsbach were eliminated.