Bonnet Wins Fifth Straight Vertical Race, Gachet-Mollaret Claims Fourth at Andorra World Cup

Switzerland's Rémi Bonnet secured his fifth consecutive Vertical Race victory at Arinsal on Sunday, while France's Axelle Gachet-Mollaret claimed her fourth title in the discipline, launching the 15th Comapedrosa Andorra ISMF Ski Mountaineering World Cup at Pal Arinsal ski resort.

Bonnet, from Charmey, completed the demanding 700-metre ascent from the base of Les Marrades piste to the foot of Pic de la Capa in 27:21, holding off Austria's Paul Verbnjak by nine seconds. Italy's Matteo Sostizzo took third at 33 seconds back after a late surge past France's Samuel Equy (+41 seconds), with Spain's Antonio Alcalde fifth (+47 seconds). Racing despite pre-event fever that disrupted training, Bonnet noted he felt improved that morning and focused on leading from the front.

Gachet-Mollaret, returning after maternity leave in 2024 and married to former ski mountaineer Xavier Gachet, clocked 31:44 to beat compatriot Emily Harrop by 55 seconds. Austria's Sarah Dreier finished third (+1:13), followed by France's Margot Ravinel (+1:42) and Italy's Giulia Murada (+1:51). She praised the "spectacular circuit" under sunny conditions.

Andorra's Max Palmitjavila was the top local in 37th at 31:50, calling the home crowd "incredible" and eyeing the sprint—his stronger suit—while Marc Casanovas placed 40th in 32:50. The national team, including Oriol Olm and Lea Ancion, received support from State Secretary Alain Cabanes.

The event drew 90 athletes—34 women starting at 10am, 56 men at 10:40am—from 20 countries amid prime conditions, with up to 140cm of snow from recent storms. This marked Arinsal's return as host after last year's move to Pal.

The Sprint Race follows Monday at the base of Pic de la Capa, featuring 108 competitors—42 women, 66 men—from 20 nations, including Spain's Oriol Cardona. Covering about 700 metres near the old ski lift for crowd viewing, it serves as a key Olympic tune-up ahead of Milan-Cortina. Coverage streams live on Eurosport, RTVE, 3CAT, Olympic Channel, RTVA and more, with special resort access passes available.