Levi, Finland – Jean-Baptiste Grange of France, who missed most of last season with an ACL tear, earned the wire-to-wire slalom victory in today’s World Cup slalom ski race in Finland.nThe Vancouver slalom podium did an Olympic shuffle as slalom bronze medalist Andre Myhrer of Sweden put the second run pedal down to finish in second place ahead of Croatian silver medalist Ivica Kostelic. Grange won the 2009 World Cup slalom title, but was sidelined for most of season after tearing his ACL during a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colo.

A tricky top section in the first run played havoc on the field as 30 of the 80 starters when out in the first run, including Olympic champion Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H., Vermonter Nolan Kasper and Tim Jitloff, of Reno, Nev. World Cup rookie Colby Granstrom, of Lake Stevens, Wash., showed promise on the top before hiking after missing a gate down the pitch.

“You could see there was a lot going on at the top of that first run,” said U.S. Ski Team men’s technical Head Coach Mike Day. “Our guys fell into the same traps as the majority of the guys going out there. It was challenging, especially for the first race of the year. Unfortunately we didn’t execute tactically today.”

Park City, Utah’s Ted Ligety climbed eight slots in the second run to top the Americans with 18th.

“Ted did a better job in the second run,” Day said. “He knows he has a ton more speed and can do a better job. It’ll just take some more time and he’ll be right in there. It was a solid result and didn’t do any damage.

“Neither run was spectacular, but I tied my best at Levi, which is very mediocre,” said Ligety. “The skis are getting better, it just takes time to fully adjust especially in slalom. With things being as quick as they are, even with a little mistake, you can lose a lot of time fast.”

Ligety will return to Colorado for a few days of downhill training before the World Cup speed season opens in Lake Louise, Canada on Thanksgiving weekend followed by the storied Birds of Prey race week in Beaver Creek.

Olympian Will Brandenburg, of Spokane, Wash., was 8th after the first run and well on his way to his first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup top 10 Sunday, when he was disqualified after straddling a gate on the steep part of the course.

“I know I can compete with the best in the world now,” said Brandenburg, who was 10th in the Olympic super combined. “I was actually pretty surprised with where I was in the first run. I didn’t think I skied that great. The second run I felt more comfortable and pushed it a little bit more on the pitch. Good things were going to come without that straddle, but I’ve just got to keep pushing it.”

“Will absolutely showed he’s got world class speed,” added Day. “He’ll make his way into the 30 and into the 15. He was on a good line and skiing solid, it was just an unfortunate straddle and that happens in slalom.”

Brandenburg credits the extra time in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s Center of Excellence in Park City this summer to progressing his skiing. Fitness, he said, has been the key to maximizing his training and translating that success onto the race hill.

“The hard work in the gym is definitely the biggest step I made this summer,” said Brandenburg, who will return to Park City for a week before flying to Lake Louise, Canada for the opening speed races. “I’m stronger and I’m 10 pounds lighter, which makes me a little bit quicker down the hill for sure.”

Brandenburg’s 8th place slot from the first run went to Canadian Julien Cousineau, of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, after the second run. Cousineau’s results topped the rest of his Canadian teammates.

“I feel really good about this race. I didn’t really know what to expect because we hadn’t skied with the other nations so far this year,” Cousineau said. “I knew that I was skiing well in training and all I had to do was to ski well during the race. I’m happy because I started exactly where I left off last season, so it’s a good start for me and it gives me a lot of confidence for the races to come.

“The snow conditions where good but not as hard as I would have liked it to be,” he admitted. I’m a better skier when the snow is not as grippy. It’s another reason why I feel really good about my race today.”

Four of the Canucks finished in the top 25. Brad Spence, of Calgary, Alberta, finished in 16th place for his first time completing two runs in Levi. Trevor White, another Calgarian, finished in 19th place while Patrick Biggs, of Orleans, Ontario, finished in 22nd. Paul Stutz, of Banff, Alberta, didn’t qualify for a second run while Whistler’s Mike Janyk and Mont-Tremblant, Quebec’s Ryan Semple failed to finish their first run.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2011 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Levi, Finland – Nov. 14, 2011
Men’s Slalom

1. Jean-Baptiste Grange, France, 1:46.64
2. Andre Myhrer, Sweden, 1:46.97
3. Ivica Kostelic, Croatia, 1:47.61
4. Cristian Deville, Italy, 1:47.89
5. Manfred Pranger, Austria, 1:47.99