Triathlon: the Agglomeration rises to a world level

This is a landmark event. On August 30 and 31, Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus will host both the T100 Triathlon World Tour and the WTCS, the two biggest competitions of their kind at the international level. "A historic double whammy for our destination," Estérel Côte d'Azur Agglomération was right to announce.

Not only will the region welcome the world's elite in the discipline, but it will also be an opportunity to jointly organize, on a single site, the two major circuits of the world triathlon, the T100 (long distance), and the WTCS (short distance) (1). "Estérel Côte d'Azur Agglomération thus enters the very closed circle of mythical destinations of the triathlon planet, explained the president of the Agglo, Frédéric Masquelier, last Wednesday, during a major press conference. Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus will thus associate their names with other prestigious cities of the circuit such as San Francisco, Singapore, Dubai, London or Miami."

Tens of millions of viewers

An international image, a global showcase and economic benefits for the region are the strong points highlighted by Frédéric Masquelier: "It's very flattering for us to be alongside other prestigious destinations. We are already a land of sport, we are also becoming a host country for triathlon, and for major international sporting events. This event thus constitutes a real lever of visibility for the region."

And this double event, which will take place throughout the Estérel region over a weekend, showcasing a highly telegenic natural heritage, will be widely followed, almost everywhere around the globe. "A broadcast is planned in 195 countries," insists the president of the Agglo. "Last year, twenty-three million viewers followed the T100 alone, and another ten million watched the other competition. On the Internet side, for example, last year, there were a total of forty million views on YouTube. For a region like ours, that's very important!"

And, concluding his remarks, as far as the economic benefits are concerned, "one euro spent on a bib is 5 euros spent in the urban area," he said.

In the presence of big names in world triathlon, triathletes like Léonie Périault, and also the president of the French Triathlon Federation, Cédric Gosse, the Englishman Sam Renouf, head of the PTO, praised the merits of the place: "It's an honor to be here for us, on the Côte d'Azur, in such an emblematic place [...]. It's unique and historic!"

1. The T100 Triathlon World Tour, launched this year by the Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO), brings together the world's best long-distance triathletes in a spectacular format: 2km swimming, 80km cycling and 18km running. And the WTCS (World Triathlon Championship Series), is the International Federation's flagship Olympic circuit, with two races in an explosive format: Sprint Triathlon (750m swimming, 20km cycling and 5km running) and Olympic Triathlon (1.5km, 40km and 10km).

You too, participate!

Beyond the two professional races, the general public will be able to participate (or attend) two formats: the sprint triathlon (750m, 20km, 5km) or the Olympic triathlon (1.5km, 40km, 10km). You can already register at www.t100triathlon.com/fr/french-riviera/participate