Steven Amiez takes surprise lead of World Cup slalom with Olympic champion Clement Noel out injured

VAL d'ISERE, France (AP) — Without Olympic champion Clement Noel, French teammate Steven Amiez was the surprise leader after the opening run of a men’s World Cup slalom Sunday.

Amiez has never finished on a World Cup podium although he was a career-best fourth in Austria last month.

The 26-year-old Amiez had a flawless run down the challenging Face de Bellevarde course to build a lead of 0.32 seconds over world champion Henrik Kristoffersen.

Slalom World Cup champion Manuel Feller was third-fastest, 0.66 behind Amiez as he aims to finish his first race of the season.

Feller dominated last season — finishing fifth or better in each slalom on his way to winning the discipline title — but has failed to finish each of his previous four races, between slalom and giant slalom.

The two slalom races were won by Noel but he pulled out of the Val-d’Isère race in the morning after injuring his ankle in the giant slalom the previous day.

While the injury is not thought to be serious, Noel said he didn’t want to take any risks and hopes to return for the next slalom in Alta Badia in eight days.

Marco Schwarz made his return after almost a year out injured and was 10th after the opening run, 1.73 behind Amiez.

Austria's Manuel Feller speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Val d'Isere, France, Sunday, Dec.15, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Val d'Isere, France, Sunday, Dec.15, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

France's Steven Amiez speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Val d'Isere, France, Sunday, Dec.15, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

France's Steven Amiez speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Val d'Isere, France, Sunday, Dec.15, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — At least 11 people have died after Cyclone Chido caused devastating damage in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, France's Interior Ministry said Sunday.

The ministry said it was proving difficult to get a precise tally of the dead and injured amid fears the death toll will increase. A hospital in Mayotte reported that nine people were in critical condition in the hospital and 246 others were injured.

The tropical cyclone blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting Comoros and Madagascar. Mayotte was directly in the path of the cyclone and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. The prefect of Mayotte said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

Chido has now made landfall in Mozambique on the African mainland, where emergency officials had warned that 2.5 million people could be impacted in two northern provinces.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

This undated photo provided by NGO Medecins du Monde on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, shows a devastated hill on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Medecins du Monde via AP)