After previewing the men’s teams for this year’s French Grand Prix (you can view part 1 and part 2), today we are turning to the women’s series. With some rosters still to be finalised, there could be some movement on the below teams however any changes should be fairly minimal.
As with the men, Poissy Triathlon come into 2023 as the defending women’s champions. If anyone is to knock them from their perch, it will require a near-flawless season.
Poissy Triathlon
2022 position: 1st
Star names: Sandra Dodet (FRA), Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS), Lea Coninx (FRA)
Poissy have one of the deepest line-ups in the division and their success last year was no surprise.
Sandra Dodet is the focal point of the team and, alongside winning numerous World Cup medals last year, was one of the biggest sources of points for Poissy. With Lea Coninx, Kristelle Congi and Candice Denizot, Poissy also possess a strong cast of French athletes.
One of the big advantages Poissy has is that right now they can call upon most of the best available French women that are not regulars in the WTCS. Whereas athletes like Leonie Periault have contributed to the team, they can be waylaid by WTCS commitments. Nevertheless, Poissy are always in a position to put three of the best French women on a start line.
In addition they can utilise WTCS medallist Natalie Van Coevorden. Perhaps most excitingly, Ilona Hadhoum will be racing for the team.
Poissy hit the ground running in 2022 as Dodet won the first race of the season in Fréjus. With Congi and Hadhoum finishing 6th and 7th, respectively, they cruised to a first round win.
With Coninx and Congi also in the top-8 at the second race in Dunkerque, they continued their fine start to the season. Indeed at any given race Poissy have the depth to put at least two women inside the top-8.
With their depth and ability to rank highly throughout the season, they will be favourites to continue their longstanding run of success in 2023.
Tri Val de Gray
2022 position: 2nd
Star names: Beth Potter (GBR), Mathilde Gautier (FRA), Alberte Kjaer Pedersen (DEN)
Mathilde Gautier was a real star for Val de Gray last year as she earned two bronze medals and a 4th place for the team. Most significantly, two of those finishes came at the opening two rounds which helped stem the tide of Poissy points.
Later in the year, reinforcements arrived as Alberte Kjaer Pedersen won the last two races and Yuko Takahashi nabbed a 6th place in Quiberon.
The calling card of Val de Gray has been its international depth. Valerie Barthelemy, Jessica Fullagar and Barbara Riveros all played supporting roles last year while Beth Potter has also been with the team before.
Potter and Pedersen would be probably the best international combination of any team. The key question, though, is whether Val de Gray will be able to get them onto enough start lists.
Of all the teams, Val de Gray are the best equipped team to take on Poissy however they suffer from WTCS weekends more than their rivals.
In all likelihood, then, Gautier will have to carry the team across the season if they are to stand a chance.
Metz Triathlon
2022 position: 3rd
Star names: Pauline Landron (FRA), Margot Garabedian (CAM), Zsanett Bragmayer (HUN)
Losing Jeanne Lehair will be a blow to Metz. Not only did she finished 2nd at last season’s opener in Fréjus, she has recently shown strong form to kick-start her 2023, including a medal at the European Cup in Quarteira.
With Lehair, it would have been possible to imagine Metz competing for the title. Without her, it seems likelier that their challenge will be to maintain their podium position.
Fortunately Metz has the talent to do just that. Pauline Landron is a talented young propsect while Margot Garabedian is an experienced athlete in the Grand Prix. Garabedian contributed two top-10 finishes last year and will be looking to add more this year.
Moreover Zsanett Bragmayer won a silver medal in Dunkerque.
The pieces are in place for Metz to hold on to their top-3 status. However this season will also come with a sense of what could have been.
Issy Triathlon
2022 position: 4th
Star names: Audrey Merle (FRA), Kate Waugh (GBR), Anne Holm (DEN)
Issy took a while to get going last year but a 3rd place in Metz helped to spark their season. At the next round, in Quiberon, they put three women (Audrey Merle, Bianca Seregni and Anne Holm) in the top-10.
Merle and Holm were the most consistent performers for the team across the season. Seregni and fellow Italian Costanza Arpinelli also chipped in with valuable showings.
In a similar fashion to Gautier and Val de Gray, Merle will probably be the key athlete for Issy. After she won a World Cup at the tail end of last season, she can expect a big year ahead. She already has a European Cup medal in the bag this season.
Overall, Issy is a strong team and should contend for the podium this year. With a bit of luck, they could even be a dark horse to take on Poissy.
Triathlon Club Liévin
2022 position: 5th
Star names: Jaz Hedgeland (AUS), Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP), Alicja Ulatowska (POL)
Liévin gained a lot from its international athletes in 2022 as Sara Guerrero Manso contributed two top-10 finishes to the team. In addition both Hedgelands, Kira and Jaz, were important parts of the team with Kira also finishing in the top-10 at two races.
The final race of last season showed what the team are capable of when they can start with as much of their star power as possible. With Guerrero and Kira Hedgeland stepping up, the team finished 2nd.
Prior to that, they had finished 10th, 5th, 5th and 8th.
Liévin is quite reliant on its international athletes so will likely suffer when WTCS weekends clash with races (such as in the opener in Fréjus). The team will therefore need some big performances from its domestic athletes if it is to compete for the overall podium.
Stade Poitevin Triathlon
2022 position: 6th
Star names: Emma Jeffcoat (AUS), Emy Legault (CAN), Issy Morris (GBR)
Stade Poitevin were a little inconsistent in 2022 with three finishes inside the top-6 showing a lot of promise but finishes of 10th and 12th undermining them.
Sarah Jane Walker was a reliable source of points as was Jasmine Greaves. Without that pair, the team would have been in trouble.
Emma Jeffcoat had a strong 12th place for Stade Poitevin in Dunkerque which helped the team towards their season best finish of 4th. Previously they have also had Emy Legault in their ranks before and someone with her class would really elevate the team. In an ideal world, Jeffcoat would also be available for more races.
If Walker and Greaves can perform to the same levels as last season, or better, Stade Poitevin is only really one more high scorer away from mounting a charge towards the podium.
Brive Limousin Triathlon
2022 position: 7th
Star names: Jule Behrens (GER), Helena Moragas Molina (ESP), Celine Senia (FRA)
Brive are a very young team. Celine Senia was consistent throughout the season and contributed towards points on a regular basis. After last year, she could be the athlete to pay most attention to this year.
With Jule Behrens and Helena Moragas Molina tied to the team they could get a real double punch from young international talent. Both have aged out of the Junior ranks after winning numerous races between them. Over the Sprint distance, Behrens and Moragas could be stars in the making.
Tilly Anema was another top performer for Brive this year and the team will no doubt hope to have her race as much as possible. Her compatriot Bethany Cook is British talent that raced last year and could bring a lot this season.
With youth forming the crux of the Brive team, inconsistency can be expected. Last season they finished 8th, 6th and 4th in their opening three races. However they ended their season with back to back 11th places.
There could be a similar wobble this season given how young the team is.
Nevertheless, with the experience of last season under their collective belt, expect to see Brive fight for a spot in the top-6.
Vals du Dauphiné Olympic
2022 position: 8th
Star names: Emma Lombardi (FRA), Julie Derron (SUI), Iratxe Aranel Arribas (ESP)
The star of the team is undoubtedly Emma Lombardi. She won in Dunkerque and took bronze behind Pedersen and Dodet in Quiberon. She finished the series with a silver at Saint-Jean-des-Monts.
Vals du Dauphiné, then, is one of the few teams with an athlete that can challenge for wins at virtually every race.
Behind Lombardi, they also have the hugely promising Manon Laporte coming through. If Poissy could gain a lot from Ilona Hadhoum, Vals du Dauphiné could get a similar impact from Laporte.
Furthermore Julie Derron is a great athlete to have on the roster and last year won a bronze in Fréjus. However without enough support around her the team slipped to 12th overall that day. Similarly, even when Lombardi won in Dunkerque, the team finished last as no one else made it inside the top-70.
The situation improved over the last three races as Iratxe Aranel Arribas arrived to add some important finishes.
If Vals du Dauphiné can field some combination of Lombardi, Derron, Laporte and Aranel on a consistent basis, they can vie for the top-6. Given the nature of the team format, they cannot be carried to success with outstanding individual performances.
In the crowded triathlon calendar, getting athletes on the right start lines may prove a challenge. If Vals du Dauphiné manage it, though, expect a big season from the team.
