Gérardmer Triathlon: the lake was on fire!

Champions and performances, of course. But above all, smiles, sparkling eyes, and intense emotions. The second day of the Gérardmer Triathlon, under a bright sun, offered a great spectacle across all races this Sunday. From the youngest participants in the Mini TriKids Bol d’Air to the oldest in the Découverte Harmonie Mutuelle and the Aptonia Olympic Distance, won by Metz club members Maxime Hueber Moosbrugger and Zsanett Bragmayer.

Source: Press Release

Triathletes had been waiting two years for this weekend. Two years they had been looking forward to starting one of the Gérardmer Triathlon events. None were disappointed. To celebrate this 33rd edition with the return of sport, festivity, and conviviality, the sun even made an appearance from the first start to the last finish. A joy for the 4500 enthusiasts who came to the Vosges and for the 20,000 spectators present along the courses.

On Sunday, in the Aptonia Olympic Distance Triathlon, Metz Triathlon, who came in force with most of its Division 1 members the day after the Quiberon Grand Prix, constantly animated the race. French sprint champion last week in Pontivy, Maxime Hueber Moosbrugger added another line to his palmarès. After more than two hours of racing (2h6’10”), he finished ahead of his teammate Thomas Sayer, who was already second in 2019. “I tried to pace my race because the one who wins here is often the most consistent,” he analyzed. “I’m in good form right now. The altitude training camps with Metz allow us to perform well consecutively. I knew this triathlon by name and really wanted to participate. So winning is fantastic.” “Maxime is above the rest at the moment,” noted Thomas Sayer. “I hung on because this is my home. My friends and family were here. Gérardmer is so beautiful that even after a ten-hour drive back from Quiberon, you can’t not come.”

Only Brazilian Reinaldo Colucci, 35, well-known in Gérardmer (his two victories in the Gérardmer XL Triathlon in 2005 and 2006 when he was only 20, had revealed him to the general public) managed to get involved in the fight between the Metz athletes. A victim of a puncture and forced to an early abandonment on Saturday in the XL Je vois la vie en Vosges, the Brazilian was keen to finish his weekend on a high note. “I was in good form and had the ambition to win the long distance,” he commented. “I don’t know if I would have won without the puncture because the French were very strong, but I wanted to finish my weekend on a good note. I will come back next year to try and win here again.”

Hungarian Zsanett Bragmayer, 12th in the Tokyo Olympics, and also a member of Metz, dominated the women’s race (2h28’19’’) and succeeds her Metz teammate Jeanne Lehair, who won the SuperG presented by Herbalife and Petit Meunier on Saturday (see below). “Crazy! Crazy! it was insane,” she exclaimed. “It felt like being on the Tour de France! This was my first time here but probably not my last. I enjoyed every moment of this race. The bike is tough but superb. I am really happy with my race. After Tokyo, I needed races where I just came to have fun. Gérardmer was perfect for that.” She finished one minute ahead of her Metz teammate Pauline Landron. Alexia Bailly completed the podium.

In the Découverte Harmonie Mutuelle, an event marked by a record presence of 45% women among the thousand participants, Tri Val de Gray (Haute-Saône) member Nicolas Maillot and Belgian Zoé Leurs inscribed their names on the winners’ list. At the back of the race, former emblematic SLUC Nancy and French national team basketball player Cyril Julian ran alongside two members of a program conducted within his “En formes” structure, a center specialized in the care and sports rehabilitation of obese people. “Mission accomplished,” he rejoiced. “It’s great to be able to support people on such important personal challenges. And to see that it brings tears to their eyes at the end, that children come to join their mother, it’s good work. I’m happy.” Her tears dried, Stéphanie confided her happiness. “After all I’ve been through, it’s amazing to have gotten here. I started at double my weight with back problems and other issues. Today, it’s the culmination of a journey that has lasted more than two years. It’s a great experience where you push yourself to the limit. I recommend it to everyone.”

SuperG presented by Herbalife and Petit Meunier: Jeanne Lehair and Sylvain Fridelance, the first in history

What a debut! A fiery atmosphere, spectacle, great sport, twists and turns – on Saturday, the first edition of the SuperG presented by Herbalife and Petit Meunier, a major new addition to the Gérardmer Triathlon program, delighted all participants and spectators along the course. In a super sprint format, the triathletes at the start, Elites or Espoirs, completed a 0.3 km swim, 4 km bike (on a 1 km loop), and 1.4 km run (0.7 km loop) three times. With an elimination after each discipline in each lap for competitors more than 1’30” behind, there was no respite.

First to start, the women offered a race full of twists. Australian Emma Jackson (8th in the London Olympics and winner of numerous international races), who took the lead from the first swim, long kept her opponents more than 30 seconds behind. But a mechanical incident during the final transition allowed Jeanne Lehair to regain the lead and inscribe her name on the first line of the SuperG presented by Herbalife and Petit Meunier winners’ list. “I was a bit lucky,” admitted the Metz Triathlon member, mixed relay world and European champion in 2015. “I feel a bit sorry for Emma because without her incident she would have won. But that’s sport and I took advantage of it even if it’s sad for her. I would have preferred a real duel with her throughout the race but I mismanaged my first swim and the gap was already made.”

In the men’s race, Swiss Sylvain Fridelance, accustomed to WTCS world events, waited until the last rotation to sprint to victory. He finished ahead of Luxembourg’s Bob Haller and Germany’s Jonas Osterholt, also world-class triathletes. Having come to inaugurate this race format at the Vosges event, the athletes were unanimous. “This race absolutely must be maintained,” said Sylvain Fridelance. “It’s super spectacular, dynamic with very few moments of respite.” “It’s a very demanding event,” continued Jeanne Lehair. “Especially when you dive back in for the second lap after having already cycled and run. You have to be both very fast and enduring. Even if all types of triathlon must be kept, this format has a bright future because something is always happening.”

The appointment is therefore set for 2022. “The assessment is positive,” rejoiced Paul Charbonnier, organizer. “Following the cancellation of the previous edition, 95% of the runners had postponed their registration to this year. This is a great mark of confidence of which we are proud. The runners were loyal, as were the volunteers and partners. It is the combination of all these factors that makes an event successful. The SuperG Herbalife and Petit Meunier was also a success with a great show and a large audience. It should allow us to gain even more notoriety. Even the good weather was on our side!”

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