Switzerland's Yule wins men's World Cup slalom in Kitzbuhel

Swiss skier Daniel Yule won a men's World Cup slalom Sunday after first-run leader Manuel Feller straddled a gate and failed to finish his home race in Kitzbuehel.

Yule ranked only seventh after the opening run, but he posted the third-fastest time in the second and then saw the top six fail to beat his leading time on the icy Ganslern course. It was his second victory in the classic race after his maiden triumph in 2020.

Dave Ryding, who triumphed last year to become the first British skier to win a World Cup race, posted the fastest time in the second run and improved from 14th to second place, 0.40 behind Yule.

Norway's Lucas Braathen, who was runner-up to Feller in the first run, dropped to third, 0.41 off the pace. Linus Strasser of Germany was one-hundredth further back in fourth.

WATCH | Yule competes in slalom event in Kitzbuehel:

Henrik Kristoffersen, who won the classic slalom at Wengen last week, placed fifth after bouncing back from a disappointing opening run, where he finished in ninth, left him with no realistic chance of winning.

Calgary's Erik Read was the top-ranked Canadian, finishing 2.70 back of Yule to take 22nd place.

Braathen overtook Kristoffersen on the top of the season slalom standings.

Feller was after his third career win and first in almost two years. His best result in Kitzbuehel remained fifth place in 2018, a year after record eight-time overall champion Marcel Hirscher was the last Austrian winner.

The slalom in Kitzbuehel was the first of three technical races in Austria within four days, with a night slalom on Tuesday and a GS on Wednesday scheduled for Schladming.

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