TRIATHLON – Quiberon GP: Close Battles Expected in Brittany

After Fréjus, Dunkerque, and Metz, the Grand Prix de Triathlon will stop in Quiberon (Morbihan) this weekend, September 3. The event is organized by Quiberon Triathlon. The race site will be set up on the seafront. Metz Triathlon and Poissy Triathlon, leaders in the men’s and women’s categories respectively, will try to assert their supremacy in this 4th and penultimate stage. The Quiberon Triathlon, celebrating its 33rd edition, has hosted the Grand Prix since 2016. Big names are on the list of winners: Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt (2016), Cassandre Beaugrand and Dorian Coninx (2017), Léonie Périault (2018), and Javier Gomez (2020). Not to mention Pierre Le Corre, a two-time winner (2018 and 2019) who will attempt a third victory this Saturday.

Source: Press Release

The format of the Quiberon Triathlon GP 2022

750m swim (1 loop), 22.8km bike (4 loops), 5km run (2 loops)

How to follow the Quiberon Triathlon GP 2022

The F.F.TRI. provides live coverage of the Grand Prix races on its Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The Start List of the Quiberon Triathlon GP 2022

The list of participants can be found HERE

MEN’S GRAND PRIX: Poissy determined to reclaim the yellow jersey

The men will kick off the hostilities at 3:15 PM.

After snatching the yellow jersey from Poissy in the previous stage held on its home turf, Metz Triathlon intends to consolidate it in Brittany. This will not be an easy task as the Lorraine team will have to do without some key players: Valentin Morlec (9th in Fréjus), Noah Servais (4th in Fréjus), and Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger (winner of the World Games in duathlon). The team lined up in Quiberon remains strong, however, with two prominent headliners: 2021 Duathlon World Champion Nathan Guerbeur (2nd in Fréjus and 6th in Dunkerque) and Junior Triathlon World Champion Thomas Hansmaennel. Everything will depend on the 3rd man to finish, who should be Casimir Moine (13th in Dunkerque).

Second with a two-point deficit, Poissy Triathlon is determined to regain the lead in the competition. Despite the absence of Moroccan Jawad Abdelmoula (1st in Fréjus and 8th in Dunkerque), the Yvelines team promises to be formidable in this 4th stage. It will be led by Tokyo Olympics mixed relay bronze medalist Dorian Coninx, who is currently shining: two medals at the European Championship in Munich (gold in mixed relay, bronze in individual), victory at the Bergen World Cup last Sunday.

The rest of the team also looks impressive: Tom Richard (remarkable 4th in the Bergen World Cup and 3rd in the Fréjus Grand Prix), British Barclay Izzard (13th in the Hamburg WTCS), Aurélien Raphaël (11th in Fréjus and Dunkerque), and Antoine Duval (12th in the Melilla European Cup).

But one team could settle the score between these two clubs. This is the Triathlon Club Liévin, which after a difficult start to the competition (9th in Fréjus) has strung together two consecutive stage victories. Now 3rd overall, just three points behind the leader, the northern club intends to continue the streak. Despite the absence of New Zealander Hayden Wilde (Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist and current WTCS circuit leader), the feat remains within their grasp thanks to the presence of three international-caliber athletes: Belgian Jelle Geens (2 WTCS stages to his name, 5th in the European Championship), Australian Brandon Copeland (11th in the Montreal WTCS and 3rd in the Dunkerque GP), and Austrian Alois Knabl (11th in the European Championship).

Fourth in the general classification, 7 points behind Triathlon Club Liévin, Sables Vendée Triathlon would like to get closer to the podium. To do this, it is imperative for them to perform well in Quiberon. The presence of Pierre Le Corre in their starting five, another French athlete who is currently collecting accolades (Long Distance Triathlon World Champion, Short Distance Triathlon European Vice-Champion), allows them to approach this stage full of confidence. Pierre will be joined by Hungarian Gabor Faldum (16th in Hamburg), Gaspard Tharreau (4th in the Junior World Championships), and Simon Viain (7th in the Dunkerque GP).

Only 7th overall, Saint-Jean-de-Monts Vendée Triathlon also has a good chance of joining the fight for the stage victory. The announced starting five is rather flashy, notably with the in-form Léo Bergère (gold medalist in individual and mixed relay at the European Championship in Munich), Portuguese Joao Pereira (6th in the European Championship), British Tom Bishop (1 podium on the WTCS circuit), and Louis Vitiello (25th in the Bergen World Cup).

WOMEN’S GRAND PRIX: Tri Val de Gray wants to arbitrate the Poissy-Metz match

On the women’s side, Poissy Triathlon, which has two stage victories out of three, is not safe from a comeback by Metz Triathlon, which is only six points behind. Despite the absence of some key players like Léonie Périault, the team announced on the start list seems capable of once again climbing to the top step of the podium: Léa Coninx (6th in Dunkerque), French champion Kristelle Congi (6th in Fréjus and 8th in Dunkerque), Sandra Dodet (winner in Fréjus and 3rd in the Pontevedra World Cup), Candice Denizot (7th in the U23 European Championship).

Although deprived of Jeanne Lehair, the Metz Triathlon team remains competitive for victory, notably with 4 athletes who have distinguished themselves in previous stages: Hungarian Zsanett Bragmayer (2nd in Dunkerque and 11th in the Hamburg WTCS), Pauline Landron (5th in Fréjus), Margot Garabedian (8th in Fréjus and 13th in Dunkerque), and Appoline Foltz (17th in Dunkerque).

Third overall, ten points behind the leader, Tri Val de Gray is looking in its rearview mirror. Despite the absence of Mathilde Gautier (3rd in Dunkerque), the Haute-Saône team will field a competitive lineup, notably with Danish Alberte Kjaer Pedersen (8th in the Munich European Championship), Japanese Yuko Takahashi (4th in the Bergen World Cup), and Jessica Fullagar (4th in Dunkerque).

Fourth in the general classification, the Issy Triathlon team (led by the Merle sisters (Audrey and Clélia) and Danish Anne Holm) will also be a podium contender.

A D2 stage is scheduled in the morning (9 AM for women, 11 AM for men). Leading the competition, Sables Vendée (women) and La Rochelle Triathlon (men) will put their provisional yellow jerseys back into play.

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