Debut T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup start list unveiled
The 10 minute indoor triathlon start list unveiled with the biggest elite names in triathlon
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It’s short and fast and full of some of the fastest short course elites on the triathlon scene. The T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup Lievin start list has been revealed.
Headliners Paris Olympic gold medallist Cassandre Beaugrand and silver medallist Hayden Wilde have been confirmed to compete at the event that sees athletes swim in a pool, then ride and run on an indoor oval track. The “10 minute tri” as it has been dubbed due to its short distance covering a 200 metre swim, 2.8 kilometre bike and 1 kilometre run, takes place March 22 in France.
Beaugrand brings record-setting speed
Beaugrand just last month set a national French record in her country with a blazing 5km road race time of 14:53. She was also the overall winner of the WTC Series. Wilde was the runner up in December at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in his homeland, New Zealand, after winning the WTCS Grand Final race and overall Supertri winner. He is currently ranked number one with World Triathlon.
Wilde is coming off a recent win at the WTCS opener in Abu Dhabi last month. This will be Beaugrand’s first triathlon this year, after changing coaches and moving to Spain following the Paris Olympics.
Wilde will have to fight for the win
As fast and competitive as Wilde and Beaugrand are, they aren’t shoe-ins. Paris Olympic bronze medallist Leo Bergere from France will bring some heat to the men’s category, as will fellow countryman Dorian Coninx. The Brits are bringing a strong contingent with Sam Dickinson, Harry Leleu, Jack Willis, Hamish Reilly and Ben Dijkstra.
Certain to keep Beaugrand up on her toes will be Frenchwoman Emma Lombardi and Germans Nina Eim and Laura Lindemann. Lombardi was a challenge for Beaugrand at the Olympics and the Germans recently finished on the podium at WTCS Abu Dhabi.
The British women set to challenge the others include Lara Atkinson, Isabella Hayes and Annabel Morton.
Beaugrand’s biggest competition could be Lindemann, who won the race last year when it was the Lieven Indoor World Cup. The upcoming race is a relaunch, as the T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup, in partnership with the Professional Triathlete Organization, World Triathlon and the Lieven Triathlon Club.
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Indoor racing gaining ground
The event will roll out in heats, with 12 athletes in each competing for the semi-finals and eventual final showdown. A total of 120 elite men and women have been confirmed to race.
Hosted by the Lievin Triathlon Club, which brought the Indoor World Cup to triathlon racing, it has partnered with the Professional Triathlete Organization (PTO) and World Triathlon to put on the inaugural T1 event.
In April, a similar fast-paced indoor race is set for London. The supertri E promises to draw top athletes to the London Aquatics Centre on the 5th for another round of indoor racing. As the indoor scene heats up and expands, supertri E is returning bigger and better this year. It has added the inclusion of age group athletes from select clubs in the London area, in the hopes of growing the alternative, spectator and beginner-friendly racing style.