The First Ever Triathlon Team Time Trial

The Triathlon Team Time Trial is my all-time favourite triathlon format. You get a lot in France. But fewer elsewhere.

On Episode 8 of The Streak Podcast I spoke with Scott Molina about the Team Time Trial that was in the 1994 France Iron Tour. And on Episode 7 I went over the calamitous one included in the 1993 Trophee SNCF.

The world’s first took place in Mimizan in July 1992. It was a test-event for La Coupe de France that would be held at the same venue in October.

La Coupe de France is the traditional season ending one-day French Club Championship. Between 1988 and 1991 the event had been organised as a normal triathlon but with the times of first three finishers from each club being added together to get a total team time.

But the federation wanted something that would require real team-work*. And complement the season long Grand Prix competition.

Both the July and October events were an organisational and sporting success. Even if the teams were still figuring out the best tactics.

La Coupe in 1992 was won by Racing Club de France for the women and Poissy Triathlon for the men. And Simon Lessing raced for Salon.

In 1992 La Coupe was an Olympic Distance race. But had become a Sprint by the time I first did it in 1996. Blog post about that tomorrow.

Images:

TED (FR) Aout / Septembre 1992
TED (FR) Novembre / Decembre 1992

*This was before drafting. Which came to the ITU World Cup in 1994, the ITU World Championships in 1995 and the French Grand Prix in 1997.