It is widely considered one of the most grueling races on the calendar, but for Emile Blondel-Hermant, the Alpe d’Huez Duathlon has become home turf. The French specialist delivered a masterclass performance today, claiming his sixth career victory in the event and kicking off a week-long festival of endurance sports on the iconic mountain.
A Dominant Start to Finish
Blondel-Hermant entered the race as the heavy favorite on paper, and he immediately lived up to expectations. From the opening footrace, the Frenchman surged ahead, creating a gap that the rest of the field simply couldn’t close.
By the time the athletes transitioned to the bikes to take on the legendary 21 hairpin turns of Alpe d’Huez, Blondel-Hermant was already in control. He went on to post the day’s fastest bike split of 50:39, comfortably holding off a strong charge from Dutch athlete Wout Driever, who put in the second-fastest climb of the day (51:17).
During the final run at the mountain summit, Blondel-Hermant’s victory was never in jeopardy. He crossed the finish line with a winning time of 1:30:42, sealing his sixth title on the legendary peak.
Men’s Race
- 🥇 Emile Blondel-Hermant (FRA) – 1:30:42
- 🥈 Wout Driever (NED) – 1:32:37
- 🥉 Rémy Guerineau (FRA) – 1:33:43
Women’s Race
- 🥇 Jonie Vanhoutte (BEL) – 1:59:33
- 🥈 Margaux Bontant (FRA) – 2:00:27
- 🥉 Marine Claudel (FRA) – 2:00:38
