Europe Providing Elite Racing Opportunities for British Athletes – Looking at Stage 1 of French Triathlon Series, in Metz

[Credit FF Triathlon]

Europe has drawn British athletes to top racing opportunities for many years now with a growing attraction to race for teams across France, Germany and Spain offering D1 & D2 competition.

Last weekend commenced Stage 1 of the French Triathlon Series, formerly French Grand Prix, in Metz. British Junior and Senior athletes took success across both male and female, D1 & D2 categories, highlighting how France especially is seemingly offering higher quality racing opportunities with top Olympians and WTCS athletes regularly fronting stages. Athletes were fighting for individual positions, being all important in keeping their team in the division, or gaining promotion and avoiding relegation for the top and bottom 3 teams.

D1 Women’s

Stage 1 at Metz in the D1 women’s race saw 75 athletes competing across 16 teams, with French athletes Ambre Grasset and Manon Laporte taking 1st and 2nd respectively. They led across the race, over the sprint distance, with leading splits across all disciplines, but despite French athletes claiming the top 4 spots, Britain’s Katie Rodda took 5th in a closely contested battle for the final podium spot. Racing for Vals Du Dauphine Olympic, Rodda maintained her position towards the front of the race early on, as U23 Eve Whitaker took 7th, just 2s further behind, racing with Les Sables Vendee Triathlon. Lizzy Edge was the third Brit home in 14th, claiming her top 15 spot in Metz.

See the full run down of British athletes in the D1 Women’s race below:

5. KATIE RODDA – VALS DU DAUPHINE OLYMPIC
7. Eve WHITAKER – LES SABLES VENDEE TRIATHLON
14. Lizzy EDGE – VALENCE TRIATHLON
22. Ellie WHITE – TRIATHLON CLUB DE LIEVIN
25. Libby COLEMAN – VALENCE TRIATHLON
31. Jessica TURNBULL – STADE POITEVIN TRIATHLON
34. Elie HOBBS – STADE POITEVIN TRIATHLON
54. Betsy GRIFFITHS – TRIATHLON CLUB CHATEAUROUX METROPOLE 36

D1 Men’s

With less Brits in the men’s race, Alex Robin was the leading British athlete taking 21st, with La Rochelle Triathlon, in an unsurprisingly dominated French field, with French athletes taking 25 of the top 30 places.

Nils Serre Gehri of Poissy Triathlon, took the win in the D1 men’s race with the fastest final 5k split in 14.39, to see him pull off a big enough gap over fellow Frenchmen Aurelien Jem and Louis Vitiello, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Current Junior Worlds medallist, Alex Robin pushed himself further up the front of the race early on, out of the swim, exiting 15th, before taking 21st after the bike and run as well as 10th U23. Deri McCluskey crossed 34th, racing for Triathlon Club De Lievin, with Jonah Marks 3rd Brit home, in 57th.

See the British D1 Men in full below:

21. Alex ROBIN – LA ROCHELLE TRIATHLON
34. Deri MCCLUSKEY – TRIATHLON CLUB DE LIEVIN
57. Jonah MARKS – VIENNE CONDRIEU OLYMPIQUE
DNF: Harry LELEU – TRIATHLON CLUB DE LIEVIN
DNF: Rory TREHARNE – VITROLLES TRIATHLON

D2 Men’s

The D2 men’s race provided no lack of fast racing with Mack Downey racing for Triathlon Club Chateauroux Metropole 36, taking 8th with also the 5th fastest run split, helping him seal a top 10 finish at Stage 1 in Metz. Sam Hart took 14th, with Thomas Hattee 19th, to round out 3 Brits in the Top 20.

4 more British athletes took spots in the top 30, with William Pearson Inman 21st, having exited the swim 2nd, Jasper Adamson 26th, Skip Snelson 28th, and one of the youngest in the field, Will Bailey, took 29th as a Junior.

See the British D2 men in full below:

8. Mack DOWNEY – TRIATHLON CLUB CHATEAUROUX METROPOLE 36
14. SAM HART – CA BRIVE CORREZE TRIATHLON
19. THOMAS HATTEE – LES TRITONS MELDOIS
21. William PEARSON INMAN – TRI VAL DE GRAY
26. Jasper ADAMSON – LYS CALAIS TRIATHLON
28. SKIP SNELSON – VILLENEUVE D ASCQ TRIATHLON
29. William BAILEY – STADE POITEVIN TRIATHLON
31. Oliver HITCHCOCK – US PALAISEAU TRIATHLON
38. TOM MYTHEN – TRIATHLON CLUB CHATEAUROUX METROPOLE 36
40. Joshua CUMBERLAND – LYS CALAIS TRIATHLON
41. Tristan ROBIN – VILLENEUVE D ASCQ TRIATHLON
44. BENJAMIN HILL – TRIATHLON CLUB CHATEAUROUX METROPOLE 36
45. Jack BOWLEY – SARDINES TRIATHLON
50. Israel NOBLE – LES GIRONDINS DE BORDEAUX TRIATHLON
57. MORGAN WATTS – CA BRIVE CORREZE TRIATHLON
68. Jake FISHER – STADE POITEVIN TRIATHLON

D2 Women’s

The D2 women’s race was won by British athlete Charlotte Alexander, racing for Lys Calais Triathlon, after pulling away with a sizeable lead in the final run, also taking the fastest 5k run split by a long way, in 17.02, securing her win in the D2 Women’s race by over 30s back to 2nd. Isabelle Price was 2nd British athlete across the line taking 16th, followed in by Mia Goddart, 1s back, crossing 17th. With 3 Brits in the top 20, Lauren Mitchell placed 22nd after exiting the swim 3rd earlier on in the race, and Zeffie Bettsworth, racing for MSA Triathlon, took 33rd.

See the British D2 Women in full below:

1. Charlotte ALEXANDER – LYS CALAIS TRIATHLON
16. Isabelle PRICE – ST JEAN DE MONTS VENDEE TRIATHLON ATHLETISME
17. Mia GODDART – CA BRIVE CORREZE TRIATHLON
22. Lauren MITCHELL – MSA TRIATHLON
33. Zeffie BETTSWORTH – MSA TRIATHLON

See the full results of Stage 1 of the French Triathlon Series in Metz here

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