Bourseaux headlines Besancon World Para-Triathlon Event

Para-triathletes will line up in France on Saturday (7 June) for the Besancon International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Para-Triathlon Event, with many looking to improve upon their 2015 performances.

Headlining the course is France’s most decorated para-triathlete Yannick Bourseaux, who has been off to a strong start this year. Bourseaux will look to build momentum off his gold-medal PT4 win in the 2015 French Para-Triathlon Championships on Sunday (31 May). Earlier in May, he took silver in the World Para-Triathlon Event (WPE) in Madrid, Spain, .

But fellow Frenchman Maxime Maurel is also seeking the top prize after finishing three minutes behind Bourseaux last Sunday (31 May) and missing the podium in Madrid by about a minute. The Netherlands’ Maarten Peters is also aiming for the podium after last Saturday’s (30 May) fourth-place finish at the WPE in London, Great Britain.

Eyes will also be on France’s Geoffrey Wersy, who finished sixth in Madrid. As the 2014 national champion, Wersy enters the PT2 category as the home favourite. The No. 6 ranked para-triathlete will keep checks on Germany’s 2014 national champion Stefan Loesler, who finished five minutes ahead of Wersy in Madrid.

The men’s PT5 division will also feature a showing between two athletes on home soil: Arnaud Grandjean and Arnaud Savio B1, both who took one-two finishes in the French Para-Triathlon Championships, respectively.

Home favourite Elise Marc is among those to watch on the women’s side. Marc looks to continue her impressive run in the season, after taking wins in Madrid and the French Para-Triathlon Championships in the PT2 category.

The women’s PT4 division will be led by Great Britain’s Lauren Steadman, who is coming off a first-place finish at the WPE in London. Compatriot Faye McClelland will make her WPE debut this year and will challenge Steadman. But France’s Gwladys Lemoussu will have the home crowd support and is building off gold-medal finishes in Madrid and the French Para-Triathlon Championships.

Athletes are looking to gain points leading into September’s World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago, Illinois, USA .

For more information on the 2015 Besancon ITU World Para-Triathlon Event, visit the ITU’s website.