First gala round in Adelboden, Luca Aerni 3rd

An Austrian duo in the lead, six Swiss in the second and tiny gaps: the Bernese slalom keeps all its promises. Decision from 1:30 p.m.



Manuel Feller leads the way, tied with his compatriot Fabio Gstrein.


© AFP
Manuel Feller leads the way, tied with his compatriot Fabio Gstrein.

Adelboden mightn’t ask for better publicity. After the sad events of Zagreb, the Oberland resort offers men’s downhill skiing the most beautiful sporting showcase. On Saturday in giant, there was the local hero Marco Odermatt. Sunday’s slalom is worth for its density and uncertainty.

In the lead following the first round, nothing less than a pair. The Austrian Manuel Feller was joined in his leader’s seat by his compatriot Fabio Gstrein, who started with the bib 17. Proof of the good performance of the Bernese track. A few seconds before him, Luca Aerni had delighted the spectators gathered in the finish area. The Swiss are 3rd, 5 small hundredths from the lead.

So goes the deal for this slalom. They are six in 16 hundredths (Ramon Zenhäusern is precisely in 6th place); 24 in less than a second. Among them, six Swiss representatives. Both Daniel Yule and Sandro Simonet, Tanguy Nef and Loïc Meillard can hope for a fantastic comeback in the followingnoon. Vaudois Marc Rochat qualified in extremis (30th).

The favorites that are Clément Noël, Sebastian Foss-Solevaag or Kristoffer Jakobsen, all left at the fault, can blame themselves. The show will go on without them.

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