Ski Mountaineering World Cup: Axelle Gachet-Mollaret, Thibault Anselmet, Rémi Bonnet win in Andorra

After a month off due to the Morgins stage having been cancelled, last weekend the slopes of Anselmet in Andorra hosted the second Individual race of the season and the first Vertical race of 2023 Ski Mountaineering World Cup.

The Individual took place on Saturday morning in utterly extreme conditions marked by strong gusts of wind, heavy snowfall and intense cold. As a result, the organising committee was forced to delay the start by an hour and shorten the course to just one circuit with about 810D+. Despite almost zero visibility, France's Axelle Gachet-Mollaret dominated the women's competition once again, winning her 10th Individual race a row with a 30-second margin ahead of teammate Célia Perillat-Pessey. Ana Alonso Rodrigue from Spain battled hard against Italy's Alba De Silvestro to secure third place and also her first World Cup podium. In the men's competition 25-year-old Frenchman Thibault Anselmet triumphed, speeding past Switzerland's Rémi Bonnet at the last transition, while this year's revelation Maximilien Drion Du Chapois from Belgium placed third.

The Vertical race took place on Sunday morning and, once again, the organisers were forced to modify the race course due to strong winds, halting it halfway through after just 360 vertical metres. As on Saturday, the first to cross the finish line was reigning World and European Champion Gachet-Mollaret, ahead of Sarah Dreier who clawed her way into second place after her boot unclipped from the binding at the beginning of the race. Célia Perillat-Pessey, the current World Cup leader, completed the podium in third place and continues to have her best season yet. In the men's event Bonnet dug in deep to secure victory after his near miss on Saturday. He beat beat Drion du Chapois from Belgium by more than 30 seconds, while Anselmet placed third.

The fourth stage of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup wil take place at Morgins in Switzerland during the second week of February with all three disciplines - Sprint, Vertical and Individual.

INDIVIDUAL
1. Axelle Gachet-Mollaret FRA 57:54.0 - 
2. Célia Perillat-Pessey FRA 58:24.3 at 30.3
3. Ana Alonso Rodriguez ESP 58:47.8 at 53.8
4. Alba De Silvestro ITA 58:58.1 at 1:04.1
5. Giulia Murada ITA 1:00:52.0 at 2:58.0
6. Candice Bonnel FRA 1:00:53.8 at 2:59.8
7. Mara Martini ITA 1:00:55.2 at 3:01.2
8. Laura Deplanche FRA 1:01:00.7 at 3:06.7
9. Caroline Ulrich SUI 1:01:06.8 at 3:12.8
10. Alessandra Schmid SUI 1:01:33.1 at 3:39.1

1. Thibault Anselmet FRA 46:30.5 -
2. Rémi Bonnet SUI 46:45.6 at 15.1
3. Maximilien Drion Du Chapois BEL 47:13.5 at 43.0
4. Robert Antonioli ITA 47:20.7 at 50.2
5. Matteo Eydallin ITA 48:17.8 at 1:47.3
6. Xavier Gachet FRA 48:22.8 at 1:52.3
7. Dalset Lødøen Trym NOR 48:32.8 at 2:02.3
8. Nadir Maguet ITA 48:33.9 at 2:03.4
9. Paul Verbnjak AUT 48:43.1 at 2:12.6
10. Aurélien Gay SUI 49:25.3 at 2:54.8

Link: www.ismf-ski.org, Scarpa, Karpos

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
- Individual women
- Individual men
- Vertical Women
- Vertical Men