After descending from Alpe d’Huez, one thing definitely climbed, the temperature! When we arrived in Embrun, the thermometer shot up to 35°C. That set the tone for what was already going to be a tough race. For those unfamiliar: Embrunman starts with a swim in the dark in Lake Embrun, challenging enough on its own, followed by a brutal bike leg. Leave your disc wheel at home and seriously consider using a road bike, because this course has altitude gain, 5,000 meters according to the organizers (in reality, closer to 4,000, but still no joke). It includes the famous Col d’Izoard, and to make it harder, the return to Embrun is almost always into a headwind due to the hot air from the valley and cooler air from the mountains. Then there’s the marathon, with another 400 meters of elevation gain over three laps. In short, you know it’s going to be a long day. That’s exactly why this race was on my bucket list.

The organization is a bit different from most triathlons. Spectators are not allowed near the transition zone before the start, so once you enter, don’t expect to see friends or family again until you are on the bike, and they are supporting on course. The bike course is also open to traffic, which takes some getting used to, especially on the descents.

My race day started a bit chaotically because I couldn’t do my usual pre-race routine with my boyfriend. Luckily, a few fellow Dutch athletes helped me out, thank you for that! The swim was tough, but I came out well positioned and started the long day on the bike. The course was beautiful, with plenty of support along the way (not as packed as Alpe, but still great). I climbed steadily, very happy I’d swapped for a larger cassette, some sections hit 18%, and I definitely needed that range!

There are also quite a few fast, flat stretches, so in my TT bike was definitely a good choice. The climb up the Col d’Izoard, absolutely stunning and highly recommended, went really well, and I was still within sight of the top 5, though the front women were flying. The descent, however, was chaotic, heavy traffic, spectators, and tourists. Honestly, it was dangerous. I was in 9th place at that point and decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Racing is great, but only when it’s safe. I took it steady, lost some time, but reached the bottom in one piece.

I rode into T2 still in 9th, with manageable gaps to 7th and 6th. The run course suited me well, lots of trail sections and climbing. Having trained and raced in the Limburg hills, I always do well on hilly runs.

During the run, I quickly caught 8th and 7th place, especially on the climbs and descents. In the final lap, I started closing in fast on 6th, but after more than 10 hours of racing, there just wasn’t another gear left. I finished 35 seconds behind 6th, with the 2nd-fastest run split, just two seconds off the best.

I’m proud of my Embrunman performance, but I don’t think I’ll race it again soon. For me, a closed bike course is a must, and thankfully there are plenty of other races that offer that. Still, it was the perfect way to end a wonderful few weeks in France. To wrap up our trip, we drove through Italy and Switzerland to Austria for a few days of hiking before heading home.