The second round of the French Grand Prix took place in Bordeaux this morning.
Poissy Triathlon looked to defend their lead in the women’s rankings while Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon looked to do the same in the men’s competition. With their rivals having added some big names, such as Emma Lombardi and Hayden Wilde, both teams faced stern challenges to hold onto their spots.
Women’s race
The unstable pontoon made some truly spectacular belly flops at the start of women’s race. As the starter called the women forward, the momentum carried the pontoon back and half the field ended up falling flat onto the water as their feet were lost from under them.
After the awkward start, though, the athletes quickly settled into their rhythm.
As she did in Fréjus, Lea Marchal led the way. This time, though, she had her Tri Val de Gray teammate, Barbara Riveros, for company. Zsanett Bragmayer (Metz Triathlon) was also right with them.
Lurking only 5 seconds back was Ilona Hadhoum (Poissy Triathlon). The young Frenchwoman had Emma Lombardi (Vals du Dauphiné) on her feet, with Jeanne Lehair (Les Sables Vendée Triathlon) in hot pursuit. Sandra Dodet and Lea Coninx, the gold and bronze medallists in Fréjus, had been late withdrawals for Poissy and so the team were counting on a big performance from Hadhoum.
Although the field had been stretched out by the pace of the leading trio, the gaps were small enough to be quickly closed. Marchal and Bragmayer tried to push but Lehair, Hadhoum and Lombardi quickly made their way to the head of the race. Riveros also made some big efforts on the first lap yet perhaps her experience told her to hold something in reserve.
By the end of the second lap, the front group had swollen to twenty-four women. After losing over 20 seconds in the water, Audrey Merle (Issy Triathlon) and Anouk Sterkers (Triathlon Toulouse Métropole) made their way into the lead pack and settled into the pace. With Lombardi and Lehair in control, they looked to be the favourites as the run drew closer.
Lombardi led the way out of T2 following a clinical transition. Hadhoum and Sterkers were the first to take up the chase, with Sterkers in full confidence after her recent silver medal in Rzeszów.
However, Lombardi soon established a small lead. Once it had taken root she carefully watered it until it grew to over 15 seconds.
Over the course of the run, Sterkers gradually began to fall off the pace yet Hadhoum held firm. While Lehair, the European champion no less, appeared on her feet, the youngster kept her head.
Not far behind, Merle was also gaining, as were Kristelle Congi and the French Junior champion, Manon Laporte. With Lehair to battle, though, Hadhoum had her hands full.
At the front of the field, Lombardi extended her lead to 20 seconds and was able to cruise the final kilometre. With a final split of 17:52, she was the only woman to run under 18 minutes for the 5km and as she broke the finish line she hardly looked out of breath.
Despite Hadhoum’s efforts, Lehair was able to pull clear and seal 2nd place. Hadhoum nevertheless held on for bronze, only 10 seconds behind. Crucially, she held off Merle by 5 seconds, giving Poissy a boost against their direct rivals Issy.
In turn, Merle held off Hadhoum’s Poissy teammate Congi who took 5th.
With three women in the top-10 (Lombardi, Lapote in 6th and Iona Miller in 9th), Vals du Dauphiné took the overall win. The series lead, though, remains with Poissy after they finished 2nd overall.
Men’s race
As Hayden Wilde made his way through transition, he looked tired.
Prior to the race, he had been deep into a training camp in Andorra and had only made it to Bordeaux earlier in the morning. The bags under his eyes when being interviewed before the race hinted at his fatigue. His languishing outside of the top-30 in T1 seemed to confirm it.
With his French rivals, including Leo Bergere (Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon), Dorian Coninx (Poissy Triathlon) and Pierre Le Corre (Les Sables Vendée Triathlon), haring up the road, the early stages of the race were reminiscent of a (French) Cobra Kai gang bullying a helpless Daniel LaRusso. Armed with a bandana and the power of vibes, as Wilde clipped on his helmet and reached for his bike the question was simple. What did this Karate Kid have in store?
After brilliant work in the water, Joris Bassle, Igor Dupuis and Leo Ouabdesselam had carved out a small lead into T1. While Wilde had lost 45 seconds to the leaders, several of the big names had ceded ground too. Coninx was only around 10 seconds back but Bergere lost over 20 seconds and Le Corre over 30.
Nathan Lessmann (Triathlon Toulouse Métropole) hung close by the front of the race, ready to back up his recent bronze medal at the European Cup in Rzeszów.
Coninx and his Poissy teammates, Tom Richard and Anthony Pujades, quickly made their way to the front of the bike and tried to maintain the gap to the main field. Not far behind, though, the Saint-Jeans-des-Monts Vendée team had coalesced and were ready to attack. With Bergere at their head and Louis Vitiello and Nathan Grayel just behind, Saint-Jeans-des-Monts Vendée took up the chase and reeled in the leaders.
The likes of Dupuis and Richard tried to keep the lead alive, however Grayel produced a monster split to complete the chase.
After a big push early in the bike, Wilde had managed to catch the Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée train and therefore made it to the front. So too did Maxime Hueber Moosbrugger of Metz.
Once the pack was together, attention turned to the run. Vitiello led the men into T2, with Hueber Moosbrugger, Pujades and Bergere on his feet. Just as Lombardi had in the women’s race, Bergere was smooth through transition and tried to jump clear.
However, Wilde (Triathlon Club de Liévin) had made it through T2 as well. With his bandana flying in wind, he set after the leaders; this Karate Kid could smell the win. Before long, the New Zealander had taken the lead and began to push clear.
Yet the win was not yet sealed. Hueber Moosbrugger moved ahead of Bergere and began to hunt down Wilde. As smooth as Wilde looked on the run, the tiredness lingered upon his face and the gap to Hueber Moosbrugger remained small. As they entered the final kilometre, the Frenchman made a big push to close the gap once and for all.
It was at that moment that Wilde sealed his victory. Adopting triathlon’s equivalent of the “crane” stance, he kicked away from Hueber Moosbrugger to win by 4 seconds.
While he missed the win, Hueber Moosbrugger could nonetheless celebrate an impressive performance, one that was invaluable for Metz Triathlon.
Bergere held on for 3rd. Close behind, Le Corre edged out Grayel to take 4th place. Grayel, however, would have the last laugh. As one of three Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée men in the top-6 (with Vitiello taking 6th), it was a second straight overall win for the current series leaders.
You can view the women’s results here and the men’s results here.
