Frenchman Louis Richard and Swiss star Alanis Siffert claimed victory today in the notoriously tough Embrunman, held under hot and challenging conditions. After a fierce battle and thousands of meters of climbing both athletes etched their names into the races storied history.
Mens Race
The day began with Brice Gayard of France emerging first from the 3.8 km swim in 47:15, holding a small lead over a chase pack of nine athletes, including William Mennesson and Dutchman Pim van Diemen.
On the bike, Mennesson took the initiative, with Austrias Thomas Steger in pursuit. Behind them, Richard sat in a chase group alongside Spains Jordi Montraveta and Dutchman Giel Meesen, who eventually dropped off in the final 40 km of the bike leg. In the closing stages, Steger surged past Mennesson and entered the marathon first, facing 42 km of running and 480 meters of elevation gain.
But once on the run, Richards class shone through. Methodically reeling in both Steger and Mennesson, he went on to open a gap of more than seven minutes. Just weeks after finishing second at the Alpe dHuez Long Distance Triathlon, Richard sealed a well-deserved win in 9:17:39. Steger took second, 7:01 back, while Montraveta rounded out the podium at +10:45.
Womens Race
In the womens field, Switzerlands Alanis Siffert delivered another trademark solo masterclass. She exited the 3.8 km swim in 50:37, already four minutes ahead of compatriot Nina Derron and Italys Elisabetta Curridori. Jeanne Collonge and Emilie Pereira trailed by more than six minutes.
Siffert maintained her lead throughout the bike leg, powering along in her distinctive big-gear style. Derron was the only one able to keep the gap manageable, holding steady at around five minutes back. Collonge lost over ten minutes and was joined late in the ride by Germanys Merle Brunn�e.
The run saw no change at the front Siffert controlled the race and never let her advantage slip. The two Swiss women stayed within four minutes of each other, but Siffert crossed the line with an emphatic overall 18th-place finish, winning in 10:28:19. Derron followed at +4:21, while Brunn�e completed the podium, twenty minutes down.
