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