Lievin has barely settled down. The T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup played host to a night of incredible action as the lines between triathlon, concert and the visceral passion of a 5000-strong crowd melted into one. At the heart of all that was good was the racing. For all the glitz and glamour, did anything shine as brightly as Cassandre Beaugrand? For all the rock ‘n’ roll performances, did anyone make as loud a statement as Henry Graf? After a sensational event, here we dissect four stories we took away from Lievin.
The Three Musketeers
Everyone knew the script. The reigning Olympic silver medallist Hayden Wilde (NZL) was the overwhelming favourite heading into Lievin and when he qualified first from Semi Final 1 the stage was set for him to deliver. Henry Graf (GER), Antoine Duval (FRA) and Mitch Kolkman (NED) had other plans.
It should be noted that none of the trio had ever made a World Cup podium before. Sure, Graf arrived in form following a 4th place finish at WTCS Abu Dhabi, Kolkman was a Paris Olympian and Duval had home support. Taking on an athlete of Wilde’s calibre, however, seemed an insurmountable order.
A searing 200m swim cracked the door ajar. A punishing 2.8km bike ride kicked it open. A breathless 1km put Wilde’s hopes to the sword. In less than 10 minutes, triathlon’s underdog answer to Athos, Aramis and Porthos got one over their vaunted opponent with a turnaround worthy of the musketeers themselves.
The way forward?
Kolkman’s role in the upset was particularly interesting. His time of 2:04 in the water was some 14 seconds quicker than Wilde. Factoring in the time taken to climb from the pool, that is almost 2 seconds per length. Extrapolated over a sprint distance 750m swim, Kolkman would have put the best part of a minute into Wilde.
The Olympic and world champion Alex Yee has had slightly better swims than Wilde but has statistically been very similar. As such the two best male triathletes in the world can be treated almost interchangeably when it comes to strategy, and Kolkman may have shown the way to go for the rest of the field. The method of beating Wilde, winner of the WTCS season opener in Abu Dhabi, is simple. He has to be broken in the water.
Yes, he noted in his interview after his semi-final in Lievin – where a similar swim left him with work to do – that he is a weaker pool swimmer. In open water, wetsuits and drafting would help him. But Kolkman and his fellow musketeers have exposed a weakness.
Wilde can be dealt a killer blow in the first 200m in the swim if the pace is high enough. It is not a question of ability; Kolkman’s speed in Lievin showed he has it in him to set the tempo in the WTCS. Rather, it is a question of committing. Kolkman has shown the way for 2025. Will anyone follow?
Queen of France
In an age of instant reactions, it feels appropriate to say it’s so over. Cassandre Beaugrand is going to win everything this year. It is hard to see where she put a single foot wrong or showed a single iota of weakness in Lievin, particularly in the Final. How do you have time to bow to the crowd in an event that has typically been defined by sprint finishes?
For what it is worth, Beaugrand was one of three women to out-split Wilde and others from the men’s field in the water. Indeed, her speed would not have looked out of place in the men’s Final. Moreover, she even attacked on the bike, indicating that she is brimming with confidence and is potentially even stronger than last year. Her run was also never going to be an issue after breaking the French 5km record earlier this year.
Beaugrand has not raced in the WTCS yet this year and much can still change. Nevertheless, if this is the form she is to bring to bear, then the great intrigue in the Series is looking like it will be the race for silver rather than gold.
Rocket runs
One of the best features of the indoor format is how short it is. Take the run: here’s 1km, now go and empty yourself. In Lievin, the athletes did just that, ripping some superb splits.
James Edgar (IRL) was the top performer in the third discipline yesterday courtesy of his 2:39 split in Semi Final 2, matching Casper Stornes’ World Cup record from 2024. That was enough to hand Edgar the win in that round, although he could not replicate his speed in the Final as he ended up in 9th place. Still, it highlighted a very promising performance from an athlete that rose through the World Rankings to make his WTCS bow last summer before making his second appearance in Abu Dhabi last month. Look for a few more fast dashes from Ireland’s top triathlete in the coming months.
Sandra Dodet (FRA) was another to produce a brilliant run. Her time of 3:03 in Final B nearly completed a remarkable come-from-behind victory, only to be pipped by Franka Rust (GER) at the line.
Across the day, only Beaurgand (3:02 in the Final) beat Dodet’s time. Both were a shade behind Gwen Jorgensen’s effort of 3:01 from last year, although had Beaugrand run through to the line chances are she would have taken it. When it comes to Dodet, though, her fast split indicates that the World Cup medallist will be another to keep in mind this season.
After the excitement of Lievin, stay up to date with the action to come throughout the season on TriathlonLive and across all World Triathlon social channels.