Angers triathlon : inside the pack

For most of the onlookers of the Angers triathlon which took place along the river Maine on July 22nd, it was a nice day. The sky was, that day, empty of clouds. There was no wind. The temperature was in keeping with the seasonal average. People were relax on that Sunday and ready to enjoy a day near the coolness brought by the Maine and the shade of the giant plane-trees of the La Rochefoucauld square. Inside the competition, it was not so cool.

Just after the departure, swimmers were surprised by the good temperature of the water. Not cold at all. But the pace was instantaneously quick. Because of the invisible line choosen by the competitors to reach the yellow beacon near the Haute Chaïne bridge, the swimmers gave themselves involuntary knocks with their arms and legs. The way back was easier because the pack left spaces and the swimmers had to go with the current. 

The bike race was terribly demanding for competitors who had tourism or, worst, cross country bikes. With bikes suited to the competition, their challengers looked like dards over the streets. Some referees even complained about the presence of the rearview mirror set up to the handlebars of the bikes. The final running was hard for those which were alone. Thanks to the loops, the latecomers were able to measure the distance with the front runners. For 24 €, the pleasure of the end was great, even if the supplies had already disappeared!