Michel Vernet, the Inventor Triathlete

Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Ibiza on May 7: Michel Vernet, serial inventor at the Lépine competition and Jura entrepreneur, will participate in the race… to test his inventions.

When we think of an inventor, we spontaneously imagine a sort of Gyro Gearloose or Doc, straight out of the movie Back to the Future. A somewhat whimsical character who would spend all his time in his garage, with (of course!) an improbable haircut… But not at all an accomplished athlete, who has already participated in numerous international competitions, and who will be part of the French team at the upcoming Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Ibiza on May 7! (3 km swim, 120 km bike, and 30 km run to finish).

However, Michel Vernet, 56, enjoys defying all clichés. Better yet: this 2008 Concours Lépine medalist, founder of the T’Enrev group, will take advantage of this mythical race to test the effectiveness of two of his inventions that he uses during his training:

A true enthusiast of inventions and long-distance triathlon

Who hasn’t already had the idea for a useful object to solve an everyday problem? Most of the time, we just tell ourselves “someone should create something for…” and move on. It’s at this stage that Michel Vernet’s inventor’s temperament takes over! He never gives up… For example, tired of no longer knowing which variety of tomatoes he had planted in his vegetable garden, since the small labels never last long in the rain, he created colorful foldable tomato stakes.

Another problem, another solution. Since he no longer wanted to waste hundreds of liters of water to remove silt or mud by using the pool pump to vacuum fine dust that could not be filtered, he invented the pool silt vacuum cleaner. In total, this modern-day inventor has already brought to life about fifteen 100% practical projects.

An athlete with a taste for challenges

Michel Vernet has already participated in 3 Ironman Triathlon World Championships. In the most recent one, which took place in the United States in 2022, he finished 16th in his category. Now, he sets himself a new challenge: to finish in the top 10 worldwide on May 7 in Ibiza. An ambition that echoes the particularity of this race, as Michel will be competing under the colors of the French team. Who knows if this new triathlon won’t inspire him to create other inventions?

To be at his best on May 7, the triathlete trains with his inventions

It was to democratize swimming in all pools, including small private models, that Michel developed the stationary swimming pole. Rigid, it is specially designed to support the swimmer and keep them above the water. It is particularly great for perfecting one’s crawl.

To go further and complement this innovation by offering a different practice, Michel then invented the stationary swimming elastic band. It was designed for strength swimming, as part of a more complex practice (the elastic band does not support the swimmer). These two methods therefore allow for varying exercises, by alternating the level of comfort.

The Vizzzz aerodynamic position mirror

Because having a good position on the bike is crucial for success in a competition, this small mirror placed on the extensions allows you to see the road without looking directly at it. The cyclist can thus maintain a perfect aerodynamic position, head down, eyes on the ground, and go faster over long distances with less effort. They will therefore relax their neck muscles, ride more comfortably, and immediately feel the sensation of penetrating the air: the wind passes over their head, and no longer as constant pressure on their forehead.

After a few months of training, cyclists are used to riding with their forehead glued to the extensions. They can do without the mirror and pedal without the temptation to lift their head. A must for all those who practice time trials and triathlon in competition.

Website: https://www.tenrev.com

Source: Press Release

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