As the Tour de France riders scale Alpe d’Huez and two ascents of the famous climb – the eighth edition of iconic EDF Alpe d’Huez Triathlon gets under way on 21-25 July, with an expanded experience for athletes and spectators alike.
The organisers of the EDF Alpe d’Huez Triathlon note that the event is becoming a real festival of triathlon, attracting more and more event partners – with more than 20 partners present at the Exhibition Village.
A number of new features are planned for this year’s event:
In 2013, a live platform will be set up for the participating athletes and all their followers. Called ‘Social Runner’, this service will transmit all athlete performances and overall race times on social media via Twitter and Facebook.
Online broadcast specialist 77direct.com will be in charge of the live webcast transmission – enabling fans, friends and followers to have the opportunity to follow all the race action via the Internet and in real time.
The 8th edition of the EDF Alpe d’Huez Triathlon is fostering a family atmosphere and welcomes DivertyKids as a new official partner at the Exhibition Village. Throughout race week, activities and entertainments will be provided, with table games, face painting, hook and line games and many more surprises.
In order to keep the race in a festive and friendly atmosphere, two group refreshment sessions are organized: on Monday, to open the event and on Wednesday, for the Children’s Triathlon. This aims to provide two special moments for the athletes, their families, alongside the organization team and staff – with ‘local food that will please all taste buds.’
A ‘comfort zone’ will be set up behind the finish line in order to welcome all athletes after their race. In addition, the French brand Ospazia, another new official partner of the event, will offer treatments via its trendy inflatable spas.
On-site, triathletes will be given care and attention thanks to the presence of physiotherapists and osteopaths.
All energy drinks will be provided by Gatorade, the world leader in ready to drink sports drinks, and all energy gels will be provided by, US based, international energy gel pioneer GU Energy Labs.
The organisers point out that the EDF Alpe d’Huez Triathlon has been developed around a real service ethos, not only toward the athlete, but also towards all participants and staff that come to enjoy this friendly and athletic week.
The Alpe d’Huez Triathlon was founded by Cyrille Neveu – a former elite triathlete and member of the French National Triathlon Team from 1996 to 2008. Neveu now works as a consultant with major French TV station Canal+, on all triathlon coverage by the channel. He launched the first edition of the EDF Alpe d’Huez Triathlon in 2006 – and for the last five years he has been developing the event with international sports marketing group and major event organising firm IMG.
The EDF Alpe d’Huez Triathlon is a five-day festival of triathlon, with races and activities planned every day from 21-25 July and for a range of event formats: Sprint Duathlon, Children’s Triathlon, Short Distance Triathlon and Long Distance Triathlon.
- 85% of participants are male and 15% are female
- More than 3,500 participants are expected in 2014
- 47% are French triathletes with the balancing 53% foreign participants
- After France as the most represented country, this is followed by the British (22%), Dutch (8%), Belgians and Spanish
- A TV broadcast of the triathlon is featured in up to 90 countries
- Press articles feature in up to 30 countries
- The event was ranked amongst the 10 most beautiful triathlons in the world last year by two specialised reviews in Germany’s Triathlete magazine and in the USA via triathlon.competitor.com
The event provides strong economic benefits for the region encouraged by the sports tourism location of the event itself:
- The range of events on offer help to incite participants to stay up to one week in the region
- Nearly 11,000 accommodation nights: 50% in furnished apartments, 22% in hotels, 15% in camping sites and 8% at home or with a close relative
- 55% of athletes stay at Alpe d’Huez against 22% in nearby Bourg d’Oisans. These two towns generate the biggest economic benefits
- €280 average budget per participant and stay, linked to the expenses for accommodation, restaurant visits and purchase of local products
- More than €1.6 million of economic benefit was estimated to have been directly generated by the triathlon for the local community in 2012
EDF has been an official sponsor since the creation of the iconic triathlon. Each year the EDF team devotes time and resources to ensure the Grand’Maison hydroelectric site’s temporary shutdown – the most powerful hydroelectric power generation site in France – during the swim race.
Alpe d’Huez Resort has meanwhile renewed its partnership for the next three editions of the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon event. A spokesperson noted that the Alpe d’Huez region ‘is proud to be fully associated with this triathlon, which has become in eight editions one of the greatest references on the international triathlon stage.’
The Alpe d’Huez Triathlon event, organized amidst a stunning mountain backdrop, seduces more and more athletes every year, with triathletes coming from more than 30 different countries. L’Alpe d’Huez is a ski resort at 1,250 to 3,330 metres above sea level. It is a mountain pasture area in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.
Event schedule:
- Duathlon / Sunday 21 July 2013 / 5K, 15K, 2,5 K
- Children’s Triathlon / Tuesday 23 July / distances by age category
- Long Distance Triathlon / Wednesday 25 July / 2.2K, 115K, 22K
- Short Distance Triathlon / Friday 25 July / 1.2K, 30K, 7K
