Tuesday, 19 August: Defending Ski GP1 World Champion Mickael Poret has ruled himself out for the remainder of the season with a slipped disc that will require immediate surgery.

It is a bitter blow for the 27-year-old from Lyon, who after an average start to his season and lying in eighth in the points table faced a tough task to defend his Ski title facing his brother Jeremy and American Chris MacClugage, but was also out to defend his Slalom title and after two rounds was leading the Championship from Alberto Monti and Tiago Sousa after winning in Qatar and finishing third in Milan.

The two senior Poret brothers have dominated Ski for the last four years, Mickael winning the title in 2010, relinquishing it to Jeremy in 2011 and 2012, and then in the most extraordinary circumstances won the title at the final Grand Prix of last year in Abu Dhabi following the disqualification of his two main rivals Tiago Sousa and Alberto Monti.

With brother Mickael now out of contention it is Jeremy who must battle to keep the title in the family. He leads the title race by 19 points from Tiago Sousa with arch-rival Chris MacClugage a further seven points adrift in third.