Three teams now circle the men’s leaders, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon, with two rounds to go in the French Grand Prix. After Matthew Hauser claimed a virtuoso win in Metz, Triathlon Club Liévin have taken two individual golds from the past two races. As a result, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée’s lead looks a little more vulnerable than it did a couple of weeks ago.
Nevertheless, they held firm despite the absences of a few key men.
There was movement throughout the standings after Metz and, given the hit-and-miss season of some teams, there will be plenty of scope for outfits to take a run at a top-6 finish (or maybe even better).
1st) Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon – 56 points (no change)
The absences of Louis Vitiello and Nathan Grayel were keenly felt as the series leaders slipped to 5th overall in Metz. Moreover Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée could not call upon one of their stars, like Mario Mola or Leo Bergere, to carry them through.
However, they received two classy performances from Daniel Dixon and Max Stapley. The two Brits finished 6th and 10th, respectively and Dixon was the top U23 finisher of the field.
They struggled for a third man as Fabian Samson finished 41st. Still, given their absences, the team can be satisfied with how the weekend went.
Their 8 point advantage has been halved, but they still lead the running to take the overall title at the end of the season. Having won the first two rounds, they will need a reaction after Metz. Luckily, the next race is not until September; crucially, that comes after the Paris Olympic Test Event. While a lot of teams will be able to call upon their big hitters after the Test Event, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée will benefit more than most with the likes of Bergere and Mola to return.
2nd) Poissy Triathlon – 52 points (up 1 place)
Poissy were much-improved across the board from last time out. Whereas Tom Richard was their top finisher in Bordeaux in 8th place, in Metz he was the team’s third man home in 7th.
Dorian Coninx claimed a first medal for the team this season as he finished 3rd. Jawad Abdelmoula was close behind in 4th.
Having kicked off their season with a 7th place in Fréjus, Poissy have risen up to 2nd and are now poised to snatch the lead should Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée stumble. With a wealth of experience to call upon, Poissy will know how to close out the season. Even if the leaders do not look behind, they will soon feel the breath of Poissy on their collective neck.
3rd) Les Sables Vendée Triathlon – 49 points (down 1 place)
With a 4th place in Metz, Les Sables Vendée Triathlon remain very much alive in the hunt for the title. Most significantly, the stole a point over Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée thanks to Samson’s 41st place.
Les Sables Vendée’s top finish came from Kenji Nener in 5th. Once again, Jeremy Quindos showed his value with an 11th place. Completing the team was Oscar Dart in 25th.
They are well-placed to still take a run at Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée but will need everything to go their way. A double punch of Pierre Le Corre and Nener at the same races would go a long way to pushing Les Sables Vendée up the table. At this point, though, it may be the case that other teams need to mess up for the outfit to take the championship.
4th) Triathlon Club Liévin – 47 points (no change)
It turns out that having a revolving cast of WTCS stars pays off. After Hayden Wilde delivered the win for the team in Bordeaux, it was Matthew Hauser’s turn in Metz. As impressive as Hauser’s performance was, though, from a team perspective he could have finished anywhere in the top-10 and it would not have affected Liévin’s 2nd place overall, all things being equal.
His win, then, was the icing on the cake.
The two athletes to note for Liévin were Brandon Copeland and Harry Leleu. Both bided their time during the swim and bike to settle into the main pack before dropping fast run splits to land in 8th and 14th, respectively.
In the French Grand Prix racing for the team win is nice, but putting three athletes in high finishes is what counts.
5th) Metz Triathlon – 41 points (no change)
It has been a consistent season for Metz. They followed up 5th places at the first two races of the year with a 6th at the weekend. Although they might have hoped for a little more at their home race, they can nonetheless be satisfied with how everything panned out.
A week after he qualified for the British European Championships team, Christopher Perham was the top finisher for Metz in 18th place. Right behind Perham was Nathan Guerbeur in 19th. That was an improvement on Guerbeur’s previous two showings and represented a very promising sign for the team. If Guerbeur can push towards top-10 finishes at the final two rounds, Metz could conceivably hunt down Liévin.
The third scorer on the team was Theotime Lawson in 28th place.
On another day, Maxime Hueber Moosbrugger might have had better luck on the bike and could have added more points to the team. Had that happened, though, chances are Metz would have ended up in their same old position: 5th.
6th) Valence Triathlon – 33 points (up 7 places)
Alex Yee’s 2nd place was a very handy finish and went a long way to sealing 3rd in Metz for Valence. As with Liévin, the rest of the team were invaluable in helping Valence rocket into the top-10 in the standings. Jack Willis finished 9th while Joao Nuno Batista took 22nd.
Yee’s podium, though, had an additional value. It helped put Valence on a Grand Prix podium for the first time in over 50 races.
Given the current lay of the land, they will likely be more concerned with the teams grouped behind them than Metz up ahead. It is possible to close the 8 point gap to Metz but maintaining 6th would also represent a successful season.
7th) Triathl’Aix – 32 points (up 1 place)
Triathl’Aix have quietly gone about their business this year to great effect. Quentin Barreau added another top-20 finish with his 16th place while Benjamin Zorgnotti was a cut outside in 21st.
Felix Forissier then rounded out their scorers in 44th place.
Valence are certainly there for the taking and if Triathl-Aix can overhaul them they will be able to match their 2022 overall result of 6th.
8th) Sainte-Geneviève Triathlon – 30 points (down 2 places)
Once again, Igor Dupuis displayed his talents in the swim as he emerged with the leaders. Although he eventually fell away from the front during the bike, he still managed to take 17th place when all was said and done. To a large extent, Dupuis has carried Sainte-Geneviève and without him the team would be some way back from 8th overall.
Magnus Männer had a solid race in Metz and took 40th while Arnaud Des Boscs finished 58th. A top-8 overall remains at stake over the rest of the season. The question is, does Dupuis have any more to give?
If, from somewhere, he can summon something extra, he would keep Sainte-Geneviève’s hopes alive. Failing that, the team could do with some higher finishes from their third man.
9th) Mach 3 Vienne Condrieu Agglomération – 28 points (up 1 place)
Mach 3 had a balanced outing in Metz. Thomas Rivet led the way in 20th while Basile Fouchard and Sam Parry finished 27th and 37th, respectively. That trio formed the team’s scorers in Bordeaux, while Rivet and Parry also scored points in Fréjus. As a fun aside, Parry earned 37th place for a second time after doing so in Fréjus. With a 33rd place in Bordeaux, his consistency has been dialled in.
Only 5 points separate Mach 3 from Valence. Mach 3 therefore remain in contention for a top-6 overall.
At this point, though, they could finish anywhere from 6th to 13th with only the slightest changes in results. Where they end up, then, is completely up in the air.
10th) Triathlon Toulouse Métropole – 27 points (down 3 places)
After a promising start to the year in Fréjus, Toulouse’s season is sinking. They slipped 3 places overall in Bordeaux and then lost another 3 in Metz.
Sebastian Pascal was their top finisher in 36th. Damien Andrade took 42nd place and Thomas Teofili then crossed the line in 51st. All three of their scorers are capable of finishing inside the top-30 and so Toulouse will need to shake the torpor that has gripped them.
If they lose another couple of places, relegation could even hover into view. As such, expect a response when the Grand Prix returns in September.
11th) M.S.A. Triathlon – 26 points (no change)
We noted after Bordeaux that M.S.A. would eagerly await Menno Koolhaas’ return. So it proved as he rocked up in Metz to deliver a much-needed 15th place.
Maxime Bonvalet had a solid day on his way to 38th while Theo Jobbin added 53rd place. In many ways, the team had a similar day in Metz to Sainte-Geneviève; the difference is that M.S.A. managed to get the better of their rivals at each turn.
If Koolhaas keeps firing and Mitch Kolkman returns, a top-10 at the end of the season is possible.
12th) Montluçon Triathlon – 25 points (down 3 places)
Montluçon have dipped dramatically since Fréjus. From 3rd overall at the season opener to 14th overall in Metz: it has been quite the downturn.
Oliver Turner was the team’s top performer in 32nd place. Felix Duchampt was next over the line in 49th. As with a number of athletes, Duchampt was coming off racing at the European Games and he noted that his body was not where he wanted it to be (for reasons beyond just the Games).
Montluçon will hope that Duchampt can get back to his best over July and August. After all, an on-form Duchampt would transform them.
Peter Denteneer added a 52nd place to the team. With high finishes proving hard to come by, Montluçon will be hoping that Genis Grau, the individual bronze medallist in Fréjus, is available when September arrives.
13th) Tri Val de Gray – 24 points (up 1 place)
Val de Gray had a good day as they claimed 7th place overall and were only 2 points behind Metz.
Baptiste Passemard put in a superb performance to take 12th. Had he not been issued with a penalty, he might have even broken into the top-10. When considering how small the gap to Metz was, Passemard’s realistically cost the team 6th place.
Nicolas Maillot and Paul Lebois also made significant contributions to the team as they finished 26th and 29th, respectively.
All in all, it was a great team effort. After a sticky start to their campain, Val de Gray are marching towards safety.
14th) Vitrolles Triathlon – 20 points (down 2 places)
Thomas Pietreta performed well on his way to 24th place, matching his result from Fréjus. However, he did not receive a lot of support from his Vitrolles teammates. Jocelyn Mourier finished 61st and Pedro Gaspar Alfonso ended up down in 70th.
Having started the season with a 10th place finish, Vitrolles will be getting nervous. Joris Bassle cannot return quickly enough for them.
15th) Evreux A.C. Triathlon – 19 points (no change)
Evreux were only 2 points behind Sainte-Geneviève as they took 12th place. With Lilian Pierre in 30th, Martin Laurent in 33rd and Thomas Laurent in 54th, Evreux ended up with 117 points in total. At the end of the season, that single point lost to Sainte-Geneviève could have major ramifications.
Consecutive 12th places, though, suggest that Evreux can still rise to safety. If they keep doing what they’re doing, they have a great chance of maintaining their D1 status for 2024.
16th) La Rochelle Triathlon – 13 points (no change)
La Rochelle are starting to look a little adrift in the relegation zone. Recovery is possible but it would be somewhat miraculous. Finishes of 15th, 14th and 15th this year simply don’t inspire the confidence that they can make it.
On an individual level, La Rochelle had had some decent performances, the latest of which came from Valentin Rouvier as he took 39th place. With Remi Delagarde in 46th and Jasper Sabbe in 68th, though, they did not have the result they needed to take anything helpful from Metz.
Most problematically, their best result in 2023 matches Evreux’s worst. That kind of statistic paints a stark picture for La Rochelle’s survival.
17th) Montpellier Triathlon – 6 points (no change)
It was a third straight last place for Montpellier in Metz. Jules Dumas finished 57th, Teo Katgely took 71st and Cenzino Lebot was next home in 72nd place.
At this point, the sensible money would bet on their being relegated. The gap to safety is too great and they have not shown any results this year that suggest they can suddenly earn the points they need.
It has been a chastening year, but Montpellier will be back.
