Pierre Le Corre was nothing short of brilliant on his way to victory at WTCS Sunderland. With an electric run split, the fastest of the day, that culminated in a sizzling sprint finish to beat his teammate and the world champion, Leo Bergere, Le Corre produced something close to a perfect race.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Le Corre’s performance was that it delivered his first ever gold medal in the WTCS. Moreover, he last won a WTCS medal six years ago (a bronze in Stockholm). At thirty-three years old, he found a level he had previously never quite been able to unleash on the world stage.
Beyond the achievement itself, Le Corre has also had a unique season. Far from following a conventional route, his year has taken him off the beaten track which only adds to the randomness of his win.
Read on, then, to find out how to win a WTCS race , Pierre Le Corre-style.
Step 1: Quit the WTCS
At the turn of the year, Le Corre found himself at a crossroads.
2022 had been a successful year. He had won a silver medal at the European Championships in Munich. He was a part of the Mixed Team Relay that won the world title in Montreal; in doing so they would have locked up four Olympic slots had they France not already taken them as hosts. He then was an integral part of the French breakaway at WTCS Abu Dhabi that helped launch Bergere to the world title.
All things told, Le Corre had a fantastic season.
Yet the allure of long distance triathlon had turned his head. A win at the World Long Distance Championships in September highlighted his prowess over the extended distances. Faced with an incredibly competitive French men’s team all racing to qualify for the Paris Olympics and the greater potential economic security of long distance triathlon, Le Corre had one foot out of the door.
Step 2: Destroy the field at a middle distance race
To confirm his ability over the longer affair, Le Corre won the Infinitri 113 Triathlon Peñíscola in April. Racing over distances of a 1.9km swim, 85km bike and 21km run, the Frenchman was a class apart.
Having skipped the WTCS race in Abu Dhabi, his future in the short term seemed set.
Long distance and its potential riches were calling his name.
Step 3: Complete a side quest
Within a couple of weeks of his Infinitri victory, Le Corre was back on the start line. This time he would be taking on the World Military Championships.
Many of the world’s best triathletes are affiliated with their national militaries which led to an impressive field. On the French team, Le Corre was joined by the likes of Mathilde Gautier, Aurelien Raphael, Sandra Dodet and Audrey Merle. With the event being in Brive, France, a big home display was on the cards.
Le Corre duly delivered and won the race in style, beating his teammate Nathan Lessmann on the run. To follow it up, he was a part of the French Mixed Team Relay that then won gold by 50 seconds.
With his side quest complete, Le Corre could turn his attention back to his nascent long distance career.
Step 4: Complete a second side quest
Before he could take on his next long distance race, though, another challenge called his name.
The first French Grand Prix race of the season was around the corner. As a core part of the Les Sables Vendée Triathlon team, Le Corre was called up to tackle the first race in Fréjus. Whereas some of his fellow national team members, such as Dorian Coninx and Emma Lombardi opted to race at WTCS Yokohama, Le Corre headed to the south of France for the Grand Prix.
In another assured display, he claimed the silver medal behind Mario Mola in Fréjus, highlighting that his speed was still very much on hand despite his newfound focus.
With Le Corre at the helm, Les Sables Vendée ended up 2nd overall in Fréjus to kick-start their season. Two races in the WTCS had passed him by and Le Corre was seemingly enjoying his new direction in the sport.
Step 5: Qualify for the Paris Test Event
In this section, several sub-steps have to be considered.
First, one must sign up for a first WTCS race of the season. Le Corre made the decision to do so in Cagliari. His choice was relevant because Cagliari represented the final chance to qualify for the French team at the Paris Olympic Test Event in August; a top-5 finish would confer said starting rights.
The second step was to fly under the radar before the race. Let all the attention fall upon Bergere and the battles between Hayden Wilde and Alex Yee. Le Corre was there for a good time, not a long time, after all.
The next bit is the tricky part. Finish 5th in a superb performance to secure a slot at the Test Event. Le Corre managed to do just that, although he was the third French man across the line, reiterating the challenge of making the Olympic team of which he was aware back at the start of the year.
Step 6: Race at the 70.3 Les Sables
A 4th place finish for Le Corre at the next French Grand Prix stop in Bordeaux followed. However, just because Le Corre had raced well over the Sprint and Olympic distance, his long distance ambitions were not put on ice.
Instead, he took on the Ironman 70.3 Les Sables and came away with the bronze medal. He noted after the race that he did not stick to his nutrition strategy and therefore had to walk for parts of the run. In the bigger picture, Le Corre is still fairly new to long distance triathlon and such lessons will be important stepping stones as he looks to rise through the ranks.
After all the fun and games of May and June, it seemed he was back on track to fulfil his long distance ambitions.
Step 7: Insert training montage here
The backing music to the training can be whatever you choose. In Le Corre’s case, rumours have stated that the music of his choice was Taylor Swift’s new album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).
With the feel-good Swift vibes in his ears, Le Corre was ready to start his training. He headed to Font Romeu with Bergere and a few others to tackle a gruelling training camp. At the same time, much of the WTCS scene had descended upon Hamburg to continue racing. Le Corre and Bergere, though, were busy grinding away at altitude.
Step 8: Race WTCS Sunderland
Having spent much of July training with Bergere, it was only polite that Le Corre accompanied him to WTCS Sunderland.
For both, it would represent a final hit-out prior to the Paris Test Event and thereafter Le Corre could go back to what he really wanted to be doing.
Le Corre had a solid swim, emerging just inside the top-20 and 11 seconds back on the leader. That was enough to put him in the main pack as Bergere darted up the road in the breakaway.
In contrast to Bergere, Le Corre’s day on the bike was rather uneventful. The main pack would ultimately close the gap to the breakaway, only for Bergere to attack again with Tayler Reid and Ricardo Batista. Le Corre simply cruised along, using his experience to stay out of trouble.
When the run began, Bergere flew through T2 and bolted up the road. Hayden Wilde was quick to close the gap and then pass him. Le Corre hovered at the head of the chase pack; although bronze remained a possibility, gold and silver looked to have disappeared.
Step 9: Rip up the script
The world champion and the fastest runner on paper in the field have run away from you within the first kilometre of the 5km run. Orthodox thinking at this moment would dictate that you manage your pacing to consolidate 3rd place.
Le Corre did not do that.
Over the first half of the run, he hauled himself back onto the feet of Bergere and Wilde and suddenly transformed the event into a three man race.
In the same manner of their epic training montage, Le Corre and Bergere then proceeded to run stride for stride and pressure Wilde, the winner of WTCS Hamburg. Wilde tried to fight back, however by the end of the run the constant French pressure told.
Le Corre and Bergere broke clear, leaving the New Zealander in their wake.
Bergere, however, had the better line and seemed to be powering to a second WTCS win. From nowhere, Le Corre summoned an almighty sprint and somehow found a way around his teammate. He crossed the line first and in doing so became the oldest first-time winner in the history of the WTCS.
Bonus Step 10: What on earth happens next?
So… Pierre Le Corre.
The man that seemed to be on his way out of the faster part of the sport has now won a WTCS race. More than that, he won his first WTCS race by essentially going out of his way to avoid racing in the WTCS.
There aren’t a lot of athletes that have had such eclectic seasons. Even fewer have maintained the extraordinary level of success at every step that Le Corre has managed.
Next up will be the Test Event and the first chance to secure his place on the French Olympic team.
At the start of the year, Le Corre was in the running but he faced a real challenge. Based on his Sunderland win, suddenly he could be one of the favourites to make the French men’s team.
His journey so far in 2023 has been remarkable and it would be no surprise if he has something left up his sleeve.
Someone will have to get word to Pierre that his long distance goals may have to wait.
