An injury in a FIS night race at Chamonix is going to cost 2009 World Cup slalom champion Jean-Baptiste Grange at least two Cup slalom starts and maybe more.

Grange is currently tied for the lead of the slalom standings with Marcel Hirscher. He reportedly fell hard on his left shoulder Dec. 29 and said he was suffering intense pain. Tests indicated a severely bruised shoulder and he was ordered off snow for a minimum of ten days to rest.

The World Cup schedule has only had two men’s slaloms to date, but a string of them are set for January, in Zagreb Jan. 6, Adelboden Jan. 9 and at Wengen Jan. 15. The season slalom total is ten.

Grange missed most of last season after sustaining a knee injury. In 2009 he won the Zagreb slalom and in 2008 he won at Wengen. -hm

Jean-Baptiste Grange photo by GEPA