Portugal Colonial - Braathen in control of slalom as Kristoffersen slides into trouble

The 22-year-old Braathen, who has already won a slalom in Val d'Isere and a giant in Alta Badia this season, completed the course in 54.35 seconds, 0.52sec ahead of the Swiss Loic Meillard and 0.60sec ahead of the German Linus Strasser.

Last year on the same course 24 skiers were with one second of each other but the mild and slightly rainy weather made for a much more awkward surface this time around as several favorites slid out.

Kristoffersen was in sparkling form in Wednesday's slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and took second in Saturday's giant in Adelboden but this time the Norwegian slipped and clipped a gate.

He managed to stay upright and returned to the piste but finished 4.12sec behind Braathen which ruled him out of competing in the second run.

Frenchman Noel, who had a good third place in Garmisch, made an excellent start to the course, with better intermediate times than Braathen, before going out in the final section.

"I could understand if I took all the risks but now I feel like I'm doing things right and it's not happening. It's complicated," said the 25-year-old who won Olympic gold in China last year but has now been eliminated in six of his last eight World Cup slaloms.

The second run is scheduled to start at 1230 GMT.

F.Ferraz--PC