How do you keep going when you have won everything there is to win? That is the question currently facing Arthur Serrieres (FRA). He comes into this year’s cross triathlon race at the World Multisport Championships in Pontevedra as the reigning Xterra world champion and one of the best cross triathletes around. In addition, he already has two gold medals from these championships (2021 and 2022) waiting for him at home. Considering he suffered a DNF at the 2023 edition and then sat out the 2024 race in Townsville, it has been quite some time since he actually lost a world title bout.
“It's a little bit different when you've already got one or two titles,” admitted Serrieres. “You don't have exactly the same motivation as for the first one, but it’s still a big championship, still a big race, still a lot of prize money, and more people who are watching. So it's really important to consider it as a really, really big race for me.”
“I will be happy to just have another title, and I'm starting to get a little bit older, so I will be happy just to share this kind of race with the younger generation too and just treat them as opponents. Always something like this will still motivate me, and I'm pretty sure it will be a wonderful race.”
While Serrieres will be on paper the man to beat in Pontevedra, his preparation has not been the smoothest. “It's been a sketchy season because I didn't have any races until now,” he explained. “I had a bad stress fracture on my tibia so I was out for more than three months. And of course, I will come with a little bit different shape because I didn't run a lot, and I didn't do exactly what I want to do in training, but I'm still happy to just have a bib and be on the start line of a big race. It's wonderful.”
His injury may prove particularly significant as the third discipline has been the foundation of his success in the sport. Over the years Serrieres has logged countless come-from-behind victories. Perhaps the most memorable instance came with his 2022 triumph at the Xterra world championships. That day Serrieres started the run down in 3rd place. Fast forward to the finish line and he was over 2 minutes clear of the runner-up as he claimed a maiden Xterra world title. As a result, with his track record, even his recent injury will do little to dispel his vaunted reputation.
Moreover, Serrieres’ record in the third discipline could prove a crucial psychological advantage. In fact, this is something he is open about exploiting over the years.
“I think when you have all the best running times for a long time and you are winning all your races just on the run, people go to T2 with me and are already mentally in a bad way, because they are very scared of my run and things like that. At some races, I just did one kilometre fast and that's all. And the others ran faster than me, but just doing that 1K faster and just because they are afraid - because I won a lot on the run - they don't follow me. So I don't know if it will be exactly the same in this race because people know that I was injured, but we will see.”
“I'm confident because I did a lot of work this winter, even if I was not running really for more than three months. I'm confident to have exactly the same kind of plan. I will try to maybe push a little bit on a swim and on a bike to be really sure to be at the front, and then we will see.”
Of course, Serrieres cannot plan to have everything his own way. Pontevedra has attracted a pack of rivals hungry to dislodge him from his pedestal. Foremost among them will be Michele Bonacina (ITA) who won double gold in the cross triathlon and cross duathlon disciplines at last year’s World Multisport Championships in Townsville. Serrieres also named Felix Forrissier (FRA) as someone that will likely play a big role in the race. “We have had some big battles together, and I think at least over the last two seasons we were the two best cross triathletes in the world.”
“It's wonderful to have the world championship in Europe because we know all the best cross triathletes are still in Europe, so everyone could make the trip.”
He also identified a few more rivals from different non-cross backgrounds that could shake up the race. “I know there are some really good swimmers, like Kevin Tarik (Viñuela Gonzalez) from Spain, who will do something different in the race and start really fast. It's a different dynamic and it will be a good mix.”
Serrieres speaks with the ease of a man with nothing to lose. By this point in his career, he has already proven himself time and time again. In many ways the pressure is off. He has world titles to spare and his injury-hit preparation gives him an out of sorts for tomorrow’s competition. But that would not suit his style. After all, when you’re wired to win, stopping while there are golds to gobble up is simply not the done thing.
