The final instalment of the the French Grand Prix top performers of 2023 is here. After casting an eye over part 1 of the women’s first division yesterday, today we will look at part 2.
Determining top performer of a team is a subjective business and some teams are more clear-cut than others. Overall, though, factors like highest finishes, number of appearances and consistency can create a strong enough case for someone to be considered their team’s star.
Les Sables Vendée Triathlon – 2nd
Les Sables Vendée were the surprise package of the season and a lot of that stemmed from their double Russian threat.
The obvious place to start – and the top performer of the team – is Valentina Riasova. The Russian athlete bounced into centre stage with a win in Metz. Then, in Quiberon, she proved it was no fluke as she won again. She ended the season with a silver medal in Saint-Jean-des-Monts and became one of two athletes (male or female) to win three medals.
The second triple medallist just so happened to be her teammate, Diana Isakova. Isakova won the finale after claiming 2nd place behind Riasova twice. Prior to that, she also led the team with an 8th place in Fréjus. In any other team, she would have been the star performer by a long way. At Les Sables Vendée, though, she was narrowly surpassed by her compatriot.
Another athlete that should be mentioned is Jeanne Lehair. After winning a silver and a bronze, Lehair, like Isakova, would have been the star of most other teams. As it was, she played a supporting role in what turned out to be
Les Sables Vendée would ultimately lose the title to Poissy by 5 points, although they lost 8 points to their rivals in Fréjus when they without Riasova and Lehair. Had both added top-10 finishes in Fréjus, Les Sables Vendée would have won the championship.
Issy Triathlon – 4th
Issy were boosted by a range of impressive performances this year, most notably from Celia Merle who finished in the top-10 three times. The top performer, though, was actually a different Merle.
Audrey Merle scored three times for the team and all of her finishes were inside the top-5. She placed 4th in Bordeaux, 5th in Quiberon and 4th in Saint-Jean-des-Monts. Whereas no one else from Issy recorded a top-5 in 2023, A. Merle was a constant source of high finishes. Without her, Issy would not have been as close to making the overall podium.
Metz Triathlon – 6th
The top performer from Metz comes down to a head-to-head between Zsanett Bragmayer and Margot Garabedian. Whereas the former scored at three races, the latter contributed at all five rounds.
However, Bragmayer was the more consistent athlete. In her three showings, the Hungarian athlete finished 8th, 6th and 6th, Whichever way you slice it, she had an impressive season.
Garabedian had similar results, finishing 6th at the season opener and 8th at the season finale. In between, she finished 43rd, 32nd and 11th.
The question, then, is whether Garabedian’s three mid-season performances out-weigh Bragymayer’s additional 6th place finish. On balance, Garabedian’s results do in fact just about nudge her ahead, although it is a close call.
She was always Metz’s second finisher or better and provided a sutained contribution to the team. As influential as Bragmayer was, then, Garabedian was the star of the team.
Valence Triathlon – 8th
Maria Tomé was the clear star of the Valence team as she was the top finisher at all three of her appearances. She won a silver medal in the season opener and then finished 9th and 4th, making her a mainstay in the top-10.
Her medal in Fréjus was particularly significant Without it, the team would have finished 14th instead of 12th. Moreover, she helped the team to 3rd place overall in Metz (where she finished 9th). She was supported by Libby Coleman and Lizzy Edge finishing 13th and 14th, respectively. Overall, though, Tomé was the key athlete in Valence’s season.
Groupe Triathlon Vesoul Haute-Saône – 10th
Vesoul Haute-Saône received useful contributions from Hannelore Willen and Charlotte Faivre in 2023, with each logging top-30 finishes. The leading performer of the team, though, was Lena Francois Vaillier.
Over the course of four performances Francois Vaillier delivered consistent results, finishing 31st, 31st, 21st and 24th. At two races – Quiberon and Saint-Jean-des-Monts – she was the team’s first woman over the line. In addition, her finish of 21st in Quiberon was the team’s highest individual ranking of the season.
With consistency and the highest finish under her belt, Francois Vaillier was the clear choice as Vesoul Haute-Saône’s top performer.
Les Tritons Meldois – 12th
In four races, Anna Witteveen was Les Tritons Meldois’ top scorer on two occasions. She finished 18th, 22nd, 33rd and 48th in a good season and helped towards the team’s 4th place overall in Metz.
Tanja Neubert’s personal 4th place in Metz played a major role in the team’s success in that round. However, that was Neubert’s only race of the Grand Prix. Had she raced more regularly, it is conceivable that she might have overhauled Witteveen.
In reality, though, no one of the Les Tritons Meldois team could match Witteveen’s frequent point-scoring contributions.
T.C.G. 79 Parthenay – 14th
Luisa Iogna-Prat and Melanie Santos both had a good race for Parthenay and broke into the top-15 at a race. Both, though, only made one appearance in the Grand Prix.
At the other end of the scale, Mathilde Locatelli logged four scores in 2023, finishing 29th, 54th, 32nd and 47th. While Iogna-Prat and Santos brought the top end performances, Locatelli brought the consistency.
All things considered, the top performer was an athlete in between the two sides of the spectrum. Madalena Amaral Almeida raced twice, finishing 13th and 15th. She therefore matched Iogna-Prat’s and Santos’ level while bringing a more sustained contribution to the team.
When comparing Amaral Almeida to Locatelli, the former’s double top-15 slightly beats the latter’s solitary visit to the top-30. As a result, Madalena Amaral Almeida can be called Parthenay’s top performer.
Saint-Avertin Sports Triathlon 37 – 16th
Saint Avertin did not start at the first race of the 2023 French Grand Prix but from there they had a constant bright spark at each round.
Lola Bachet was the team’s top scorer in all four of the subsequent rounds, logging three finishes inside the top-30. Her best result was a 20th place in Metz and her performances illuminated a season in which none of her teammates finished inside the top-50.
Even though the team ended up at the bottom of the table, Bachet kept them as competitive as possible.
