France’s Pierre Dupuy earned himself his third win of the month at Challenge Forte Village Sardinia, crossing the line in 3:37:56 while Nikki Bartlett (GBR) took out the women’s race in 4:09:50 after a close battle with Daniela Kleiser (GER).
One of the most scenic courses on the Challenge Family circuit, the route comprised a 1.9 km swim with a rolling start, a 90 km cycling leg through Santa Margherita di Pula, Domus de Maria, Teulada and Sant’Anna Arresi, and a 21 km run along the coast to Cala d’Ostia beach, finishing in Forte Village’s new piazza.
The overall victory went to French athlete Pierre Dupuy, who led the race from start to finish, completing the course in 3:37:56. He covered the swim in 22:31, with a 1-minute gap on the chase group of 16 athletes. On the first 45 km of the bike, Ruben Zepunkte (GER) tried to close the gap on Dupuy, but the Frenchman was strong today. Dupuy completed the cycling leg in 2:03:31, 4 minutes in the lead, and managed to hold a 2-minute advantage on the run, crossing the finish line first in 3:37:56, ahead of Belgian athlete Joran Driesen, who finished in 3:39:47, and German competitor Tom Hug, who completed the race in 3:40:14 after a strong run.
“I am very happy with my race,” said Dupuy. “I went all in on the bike, did a controlled first lap on the run, then gave everything until the finish line.”
In the women’s competition, Ellie White (GBR) exited the water first in 25:43, alongside Italian athletes Ilaria Zane, Denise Cavallini and Lilli Gelmini. On the bike, Justine Guerard (FRA) took an early lead and built a one-minute gap on Zane and another minute on Nikki Bartlett (GBR). By the end of the 90 km bike, Bartlett reduced the gap on Zane to 40 seconds and quickly turned things around on the run, taking the lead on the first of two laps. British athlete Nikki Bartlett won, finishing in 4:09:50, followed by Germany’s Daniela Kleiser in 4:11:33 and France’s Justine Guerard in 4:16:32.
“It was unreal”, said Bartlett. “It’s the most beautiful place ever. I took in all the views. I love these kinds of courses.”
Alongside the professionals, numerous Age Group athletes took on the same distances, competing in their respective age categories and united by their passion for triathlon and a strong sporting spirit.
Challenge Forte Village Sardinia will return on 23–24 October 2027, bringing another weekend of sport, spectacular Sardinian scenery and solidarity to Forte Village.
For more information, visit https://challenge-fortevillage.com/. For race results, visit https://tds.sport/it/race/18922
Finish Line Interviews
Pierre Dupuy – https://youtu.be/3-vSjif7CUI
Nikki Bartlett – https://youtu.be/a9e_75YPzt8