BORMIO (Italy), March 15: Manfred Moelgg of Italy won the World Cup slalom title in the final race of the season Saturday.

Moelgg led after the first run and finished in a share for sixth place after the two heats, good enough for the title after pre-race standings leader Jean-Baptiste Grange of France slipped in the second run and finished at the bottom of the field.

Reinfried Herbst of Austria won the race, clocking 1 minute, 51.31 seconds for the two runs to post his second victory of the season.

Grange led at the intermediate times with three other racers, including Moelgg, still to come. But at the bottom of the Stelivo course Grange lost his balance and nearly went out. He struggled back onto the course but finished last, nearly five seconds behind Herbst, the Olympic silver medalist in 2006.

Moelgg then skied safely without taking any risks to clinch the title by 19 points. Grange had won three of the previous slalom races, while Moelgg had one win.

The Italian finished the season with 531 points and Grange had 512. Herbst moved into third at 450. Mario Matt of Austria, who went into the race as the third skier with a chance at the title, crashed out in the first heat and dropped to fourth.—AP