The Ariège Pyrénées Triathlon club (“APYTRI” for short), did things big for the start of the season. Direction Aix-en-Provence for a dozen athletes: Sylvie Marty, Camille Crespel, Léa Magrin, Stéphanie Zielinski, Fleur Nadal, Alain Bouteau and Michel Pujade. On the menu for the day, a test of the mythical “Ironman” circuit, the world reference in the world of triathlon. On the program, swim 1.9 km, cycle 90 km and run 21 km.
3 qualified for the world championships
For 6 months, “coach” Alain Bouteau has been incubating his group with passion. Week after week, he accompanied his small group to lead it to “peak form” on D-Day. It takes tenacity to assimilate ten hours of training per week. Preparing for this event means swimming on Saturday morning at 8:15 a.m., going for a run “at the headlamp” in February on Thursday after work, riding on Sunday morning at 5 or 6 degrees… Clinging to their dream, the “APYTRI” have “done the job!” as the coach says. And the results are there… They were more than 1950 triathletes from more than 30 nationalities at the start. Among these, two Ariégeoises and an Ariégeois won their qualification for the world final. Stéphanie Zielinski, Fleur Nadal and Enzo Stival (licensed in Aix but from Ariège at heart) will go to Finland at the end of August to confront the world elite of triathlon. But beyond these individual performances, exceptional in Ariège, it is above all the dynamics of the group that makes the difference. Joy, pleasure in sharing emotions together.
For the club, serious business continues. Next meeting, the Luchon triathlon on June 10 with a mountain course that the Ariégeois love, before a team event near Montauban in July….
#season #launched #Ariège #Pyrénées #Triathlon
