Star Metro - France's Noel wins World Cup slalom at Madonna di Campiglio

Frenchman Noel clocked a combined time of one minute and 43.05 seconds over two runs down the Canalone Miramonti piste, 0.12sec ahead of Finland's Eduard Hallberg who was fastest in the first run.

The 28-year-old's countryman Paco Rassat claimed his second career podium, 0.37sec off the pace, thanks to the fastest time of the second run with 52.32sec.

Noel's win put him just three points behind Timon Haugan in the World Cup slalom standings but both are way behind Marco Odermatt, who didn't compete on Wednesday, in the overall classification.

Haugan is 455 points behind Odermatt in fifth place while Noel trails the Swiss reigning World Cup champion by a whopping 573 points.

World Cup slalom champion Henrik Kristoffersen is yet to win a race this season and finished 15th after a poor second run which left him 1.16sec behind Noel.

Kristoffersen is ninth in the slalom standings, 127 points behind Haugan.

Odermatt will return to action at the weekend as the men's tour moves to Adelboden in Switzerland which will host a giant slalom on Saturday followed by a slalom the following day.

Noel will defend his Olympic slalom title at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games which begin on February 6.

S.Clark--SMC