After a two month hiatus, the French Grand Prix returns this weekend. The teams will descend upon the town of Quiberon on the Atlantic coast to contest the Sprint distance.
To kick off proceedings, the sea swim could present some choppy conditions. The athletes will then tackle 22.8km on the bike before a 5km run rounds out the event.
In both the men’s and women’s competitions, Les Sables Vendée Triathlon will try to find a way past Poissy Triathlon. In the women’s rankings, Poissy lead the way and will look to extend their hold on the overall series.
Natalie Van Coevorden will likely be a key athlete for Poissy. Similarly, the World Junior and European Junior champion Ilona Hadhoum will likely factor heavily towards the front of the race.
Kristelle Congi has been a reliable scorer for Poissy this year and can be expected to contribute another top-8 finish. Equally, Marie Wattiez could deliver a high finish while Lea Coninx will be making her return from injury.
Les Sables Vendée Triathlon sit 10 points behind Poissy in 2nd place. As a newly-promoted team in 2023, they are already having an outstanding season. After their overall win in Metz they find themselves as the closest challengers to the leaders.
Diana Isakova and Valentina Riasova return after their exploits in the previous round. Riasova won the race in Metz while Isakova also landed on the podium. Should either repeat their performances, Les Sables Vendée will be able to look for another high finish.
Lizeth Rueda Santos and Jessica Ewart-McTigue add further strength to the team. Tiphaine Brun has also been a reliable athlete and could be a factor after winning a bronze medal at the European Junior Cup in Dublin.
Issy Triathlon are only 2 points behind Les Sables Vendée and could make a move in Quiberon. With Audrey Merle, Celia Merle and Anne Holm in their team, they have plenty of firepower. One question mark, though, will be over the status of Maria Casals Mojica. She is listed as starting but is also due to race for Potsdam in Hannover.
Laura Moreau completes the Issy line-up.
Tri Val de Gray will likely be the first team to emerge from the water through Lea Marchal. Marchal has been in tremendous swimming form this year and can be expected to lead the way. Mikayla Messer should also be towards the front of the swim.
Appoline Foltz, Mario Salelles and Chiara Lobba will push for high finishes. However, with the likes of Mathilde Gautier racing the Valencia World Cup instead of Quiberon, Val de Gray could struggle for depth.
After a slightly disappointing day at their home race, Metz will look to bounce back in Quiberon.
Margot Garabedian and Zsannet Bragmayer are capable of finishing inside the top-10 while Pauline Landron was the team’s best finisher in Metz. Leonie Douche and Nora Nouri could also chip in with high finishes.
Liévin will hope that Jaz and Kira Hedgeland lead from the front while Vals du Dauphiné Olympic will be counting on Manon Laporte and Myral Greco.
Meanwhile, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon still lead the men’s standings. Although Metz was not their best day, they will be confident of recapturing their form from the opening rounds.
Mario Mola is back. Having won the season opener in Fréjus, the former world champion can be expected to play a key role. In addition, Louis Vitiello and Nathan Grayel return. Both have been fundamental to Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée’s success this season and their absence told in Metz.
Francesc Godoy and Leo Ouabdesselam complete the team. Ouabdesselam has proven his strength in the water this year and could be an important factor tactically.
The world champion, Leo Bergere, is listed among the team’s reserves so could be a late inclusion.
Poissy will look to close the 4 point gap to the top in Quiberon. Their classic core of Tom Richard, Jawad Abdelmoula, Aurelien Raphael and Anthony Pujades will be starting. In the absence of Dorian Coninx, Antoine Duval will be the fifth man for the team.
Right behind Poissy are Les Sables Vendée.
One welcome boost for Les Sables Vendée is that Pierre Le Corre will be racing. Le Corre has been in exceptional form in the WTCS, earning his maiden win in Sunderland. Having been denied by Mola in Fréjus, Le Corre could get his revenge with a win this weekend.
Jeremy Quindos will be a key member of the team. This season he has been a reliable source of high finishes and Les Sables Vendée will be counting on another.
Simon Viain, Theo Texereau and Grigoriy Antipov form the rest of the Les Sables Vendée squad.
When it come to the individual win, Liévin will likely be a factor. Hayden Wilde triumphed for them in Bordeaux then stepped out of the series. In his place, Matthew Hauser won in Metz. Now Hauser, too, is absent. Liévin, though, have reloaded with WTCS gold medallist Jelle Geens.
Geens won a medal over the Sprint distance at WTCS Montreal in June so will likely be in the mix for the win this weekend.
Furthermore, Liévin will be represented by Yanis Seguin who is one of the two French male athletes due to start at the World U23 Championships. Seguin had a great race at the European Games earlier in the summer and a good race in Quiberon would be a perfect boost before Pontevedra.
Baptiste Passemard is the second man due to race for France at the World U23 Championships and will be starting for Tri Val de Gray. Like Seguin, he will be looking for a strong showing.
Finally, Valence Triathlon will field both Batista brothers in Quiberon. Ricardo Batista won the European Super Sprint Championships earlier in the month. On the same day, his younger brother Joao Nuno added the European Junior title to his World Junior crown.
Ricardo Batista also had an impressive race at WTCS Sunderland and so arrives in top form. Both brothers are capable of racing aggressively in all three disciplines and so could light up the weekend.
