“Come on… children… of… the… homeland…”: it’s a Marseillaise at a very low tempo which resonated from the speakers of the Levi track (Finland) this Sunday. The same one where Frenchman Clément Noël won his 11th World Cup victory, the first since the Schladming slalom in January 2023.
Ahead of the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen and the Swiss Loïc Meillard, Noël took first place on the podium after the second round. At the bottom of the track, the Vosges heard “La Marseillaise” resounding… at a much slower pace than usual. Very expressive, Clément Noël did not hide his astonishment and showed himself doubtful from the first notes of the anthem.
Hand on his heart, the 27-year-old skier had a little difficulty keeping up with the rhythm, trying despite everything to sing to savor his victory. Complicit glances around him followed, seeming to show that something had changed. Perplexed then amused by the situation, Clément Noël even said to his staff and Kristoffersen “It’s too long!” “.
An anecdote which made the Frenchman smile, who could well have shared this funny Marseillaise with his compatriot Steven Amiez, third after the first round but ultimately sixth after his last passage on the track. Enough to match his best result in the World Cup despite everything.
