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Noel takes narrow lead after Alta Badia slalom first run
Noel takes narrow lead after Alta Badia slalom first run / Photo: Stefano RELLANDINI - AFP

Noel takes narrow lead after Alta Badia slalom first run

Olympic champion Clement Noel showed signs of a return to top form ahead of the Winter Games, setting the fastest time in the first run of the World Cup slalom in Alta Badia on Monday.

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The Frenchman edged out Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath by just 0.09 seconds, with Switzerland's Loic Meillard in third, 0.26secs off the pace.

The second run will be a tight battle as the top 11 — including virtually all the discipline's heavy hitters — are separated by less than a second.

With the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina starting on February 6, Noel is still chasing his first win of the winter.

He finished second in the season-opening slalom in Levi, Finland, last month and is coming off a frustrating DNF in front of his home crowd in Val d'Isere.

The second run is scheduled to start at 1230 GMT.

A.Aguiar--PC