The second round of the French Grand Prix saw plenty of movement in the women’s standings. Emma Lombardi’s win was a real boost for Vals du Dauphiné yet Poissy still lead the way after an impressive weekend.
In this article, we analyse how each team fared in Bordeaux and who the big risers and fallers were. You can read the breakdown of the men’s standings here.
1st) Poissy Triathlon – 38 points (no change)
After the withdrawals of Sandra Dodet, the winner of the opening round in Fréjus, and Lea Coninx, the bronze medallist at the same race, it would have been understandable had Poissy entered Bordeaux with apprehension.
Several of their rivals had bolstered their ranks while they looked slightly weaker than had been the case at the previous race.
Cue a massive performance from Ilona Hadhoum.
The Junior went above and beyond to take 3rd place and emerge as the team’s best finisher. Kristelle Congi also added a 5th place while Marie Wattiez secured 12th. All told, that was enough for Poissy to take 2nd overall and double their lead in the series from 2 to 4 points.
Bordeaux therefore confirmed the challenge the rest of the field face when it comes to supplanting Poissy. Even when they could have been vulnerable, they nonetheless had new faces step up.
2nd) Issy Triathlon – 34 points (no change)
Issy actually performed better than in the season opener yet finished a place lower (3rd instead of 2nd).
Audrey Merle delivered 4th place while Celia Merle continued her strong season with a 10th place, almost matching her 9th place in Fréjus. To complete the picture, Anne Holm delivered 14th place which was a great result on her way back from injury.
With a healthy buffer over 3rd and 4th, an overall podium looks very likely for the team. The bigger challenge, though, will be to push for the overall title.
Poissy seem a little bit too strong for Issy at this point, but if Holm and the Merles can continue to improve as the season progresses there is a chance that they close the gap.
3rd) Les Sables Vendée Triathlon – 26 points (up 3 places)
A wonderful start to the season got even better for Les Sables Vendée. After taking 6th place in the first race, they finished 4th in Bordeaux.
Jeanne Lehair proved what a valuable asset she is to the team as she earned 2nd place. She was ably supported by Ekaterina Shabalina (in 16th) and Tiphanie Brun (in 26th).
With everything going swimmingly for Les Sables Vendée, how high can they go? Finishing on the overall podium in their first season after promotion would be an insane achievement. Given the momentum they have, though, it might just become reality.
With Lehair onboard, anything is possible.
4th) Tri Val de Gray – 26 points (up 1 place)
Even without their talisman, Mathilde Gautier, Val de Gray can take a lot of encouragement from their weekend. Appoline Foltz, the 2022 French Junior champion, led the way in 11th place. If Val de Gray can get more of those results from the youngster, they will be in an enviable position.
Mikayla Messer proved to be a brilliant addition to the team as she earned 15th place. Moreover Barbara Riveros finished 33rd.
When Gautier and Jessica Fullagar return, Val de Gray will have a constellation of talent from which to choose. The 12 point gap to Poissy might be too great to overcome, but they can certainly catch Issy if things go their way.
5th) Vals du Dauphiné Olympic – 25 points (up 8 places)
Without a doubt, Vals du Dauphiné had the best weekend of any team, male or female. With Lombardi at the helm, they left Bordeaux with both the individual win as well as the team win.
Following Manon Laporte’s 6th place and Iona Miller’s 9th place, Vals du Dauphiné were the only women’s team to put three women inside the top-10. As much as Hadhoum had a big race for Poissy, Vals du Dauphiné can also take great confidence for the future that their recently-crowned French Junior champion Laporte put in such a good display.
Having gained 8 places in the standings, they are now 1 point away from 3rd. Lombardi, Laporte and Miller are clearly a winning combination. If they stay together at a couple more races, Vals du Dauphiné could move up even higher.
6th) Brive Limousin Triathlon – 23 points (down 2 places)
It was 9th place overall for Brive which was a slight disappointment after their 4th place in Fréjus.
Raquel Arostegui Gonzalez was the highest finisher in 28th place; by contrast, last time out she was the team’s third best finisher in 27th place. That shift basically encapsulates Brive’s day.
The absence of Tilly Anema proved costly and, while Leann Naima Dietzel and Morgan Branchoux were solid in 37th and 38th, they will need more going forward.
7th) Triathlon Club Liévin – 22 points (down 4 places)
Liévin had a similar day to forget. After finishing 3rd in Fréjus they could only manage 12th in Bordeaux as the absences of Gina Sereno and Petra Kurikova proved a major dent.
Alessia Orla was the star of the day with her 13th place. However, support was a little hard to come by. Emma Ducreux managed 40th place, which was a slight drop from her performance in May. Louise Delbarre then completed the team’s scorers in 59th.
If Liévin are to push back up the rankings, then, they will need Sereno and Kurikova back ASAP.
8th) Triathlon Toulouse Métropole – 21 points (up 1 place)
Anouk Sterkers continued her fine form, claiming 7th place after a recent European Cup silver medal. Her contribution helped Toulouse to 6th overall which was a marked improvement on Fréjus.
Carlotta Bonacina finished 24th and Paola Sacchi finished 47th. Sacchi enjoyed a strong swim and bike but unfortunately lost time during the run. With Celine Kaiser due to be available at future events, Toulouse should have a good double threat with her and Sterkers. If they are to hold on to a place in the top-8, though, they will need more from their third scorer.
9th) Metz Triathlon – 17 points (down 1 place)
Metz got off to a fast start via Zsanett Bragmayer and the Hungarian athlete delivered a sterling 8th place. However, the rest of the team could not quite match her level.
After a great race in Fréjus, it was not Margot Garabedian’s day and she slipped to 43rd. Garabedian is normally a top-10 athlete so for her day to go so wrong inevitable hurt Metz. Nora Nouri also chipped in with a 56th place.
Finishes of 8th and 11th in the first two rounds of the season look like they have ended any hopes of getting up onto the end of season podium.
10th) Stade Poitevin Triathlon – 16 points (no change)
We then come to the most reliable team in the series so far.
Stade Poitevin finished 10th in Fréjus and then 10th in Bordeaux to put them 10th overall. Hollie Elliott was the top finisher from 25th, with Hagar Cohen Kalif next in 36th and Sonja De Koning in 45th. As was the case last time out, they were only a couple of points behind the team ahead and definitely could have taken 9th place.
At this point, though, the team can be satisfied with their consistency. While several others enjoying more topsy-turvy seasons, Stade Poitevin can look forward to Metz with confidence where they will be a good bet to finish 10th.
11th) T.C.G. 79 Parthenay – 14 points (down 4 places)
It all went wrong for Parthenay. Not only were they 15th overall, they were the only team to have their top finisher place outside of the top-30.
Nicoletta Santonocito was their best finisher in 41st which did not bode well. Last time out, she finished 33rd. Mathilde Locatelli was their next athlete home in 54th which was a big drop from her 29th place in Fréjus. Julie Iemmolo then rounded out the team from 58th. All three of Parthenay’s scorers have the ability to finish much higher.
It was just a sub-optimal weekend for them and they will look to put it in the past and move on.
12th) Les Tritons Meldois – 14 points (up 2 places)
Les Tritons Meldois have moved outside the relegation zone thanks to their 8th place in Bordeaux. Anna Witteveen had a great race to take 18th place while Marit Van Den Berg improve on her last race to finish 30th. Lotte Vanderkerckhove was the final scorer from 44th.
With more results like that, the team will be confident of securing their D1 status for next year.
13th) Groupe Triathlon Vesoul Haute-Saône – 13 points (up 2 places)
In a similar manner to Les Tritons Meldois, Vesoul Haute-Saône had a major improvement from Fréjus. Whereas they finished 15th in the season opener, they took 7th in Bordeaux.
They were not carried by any one athlete. Rather, the entire team performed to a high standard.
Charlotte Faivre led the way with a 22nd place and was closely followed by Hannelore Willen in 27th. In turn, she was chased by Lena Vaillier Francois in 31st.
Willen finished 28th in Fréjus so is proving to be an important cog in the team. After their slow start to the season, things are looking up.
14th) Lys Calais Triathlon – 11 points (down 3 places)
With Brooke Gillies finishing 17th, Lys Calais got off to a good start in Bordeaux. Gillies made a promising step up from her 25th in Fréjus to give the team something to celebrate. However, the rest of the team did not quite match her showing.
Zia Pille Yard managed 49th and Aubane Poutrain finished 66th.
As a result the team have slipped into the danger zone and will need to be careful if they are to avoid relegation.
15th) Valence Triathlon – 11 points (down 3 places)
Valence were a little unlucky in Bordeaux. A couple of points separated them from their position of 13th overall and a place in the top-10. This year’s series, though, is incredibly tight and every position will matter.
Libby Coleman impressed with a 20th place, as did Maira Carreau in 23rd.
However, Eulalie Gautheret ended up in 61st place which undermined the team’s overall finish.
Valence are therefore in the relegation zone but they have the capacity to move up. Over the next couple of races, they cannot afford to put a foot wrong.
16th) Saint-Avertin Sports Triathlon 37 – 2 points (no change)
In contrast to Fréjus, Saint-Avertin actually started in Bordeaux. Despite finishing 16th overall, that meant they scored their first points of the season.
Lola Bachet had a good day on her way to 29th. Izia Duterrage and Lea Sabard could only manage 65th and 68th, respectively. As a consquence, Saint-Avertin are adrift at the bottom of the table and look like the favourites to be relegated this year.
