Search
shop

Böcherer, Genêt take 70.3 Pays d’Aix, France

Cold temperatures and rain welcomed athletes to the 2018 edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Pay d'Aix, which saw a debut Pro podium for Fenella Langridge
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Pro Podium debut for Fenella Langridge in France

Wet and cold conditions made Sunday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Pays d’Aix, France, a survival battle for many athletes. It also saw a new British female name on an IRONMAN 70.3 Pro podium too – at her first attempt.

That new name – Fenella Langridge – lead to opening 1.9km swim (24:25), with just Camille Donat (FRA) for company. The more experienced Brit, Lucy Gossage, was 3:45 down in her weakest discipline, in eighth position starting the bike.

Despite the terrible weather conditions, Langridge held the lead through the first third of the bike leg, at which point Lisa Huetthaler (AUT) and Manon Genêt (FRA) were now just seconds behind, with Gossage up to fourth, 2:05 back.

Huetthaler and Genêt remained together for the remainder of the ride, to reach T2 almost three and a half minutes ahead of Langridge and 4:51 clear of Gossage.

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE - MAY 13: Athlete Fenella Langridge of Great Britain crosses the finish line on third position of the Women's race during Ironman 70.3 - Pays d'Aix on May 13, 2018 in Aix-en-Provence, France. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Fenella Langridge – Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN

Genêt pulled steadily away from Huetthaler from the start of the half marathon, and would record the best run split of the day (1:21:12) to take the win, from the 1:24:00 of the Austrian. Langridge ran well too, her 1:22:00 maintained her third position, with Gossage finishing fourth

The story of the men’s race was the biking power of Germany’s Andi Böcherer. His 2:09:44 split made light work of the rain and cold and was more than five minutes quicker than anyone else. He arrived at T2 with a lead of more than six minutes over Kevin Maurel (FRA) and Marcus Herbst (GER), with Mark Buckingham (GBR) and Etienne Diemunsch (FRA) a further minute back.

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE - MAY 13: Athlete Andreas Boecherer of Germany competes during bike leg of Ironman 70.3 - Pays d'Aix on May 13, 2018 in Aix-en-Provence, France. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Andi Böcherer – Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN

Böcherer was not threatened on the run, and would win by more than five minutes. Denis Chevrot (FRA) powered to the best run (1:11:34) to move through to second, 16 seconds clear of fellow French athlete Maurel, with Mark Buckingham in fourth.

IRONMAN 70.3 Pays d’Aix, France – Sunday 13th May 2018
1.9km / 90km / 21.1km

PRO MEN

1st – AndI Böcherer (GER) – 3:53:09
2nd – Denis Chevrot (FRA) – 3:58:27
3rd – Kevin Maurel (FRA) – 3:58:43
4th – Mark Buckingham (GBR) – 3:59:23
5th – Marcus Herbst (GER) – 3:59:45

9th – Ashley Hurdman (GBR) – 4:07:11

PRO WOMEN

1st – Manon Genêt (FRA) – 4:24:22
2nd – Lisa Huetthaler (AUT) – 4:27:08
3rd – Fenella Langridge (GBR) – 4:28:24
4th – Lucy Gossage (GBR) – 4:31:44
5th – Sonia Bracegirdle (NZL) – 4:40:59

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
tri-fit vortex tri suit review
TRI-FIT VORTEX tri suit review – race day approved performance
Maja Stage Nielsen Kat Matthews Jocelyn McCauley IRONMAN Texas 2023 podium photo credit IRONMAN
PremiumRacing to keep up: Is social media making us train harder?
Cadomotus chronos aero triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL
PremiumTraining to heart rate vs power on the bike
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
latest News
Tim Don Supertri Toronto 2025
Tim Don: Watch out for Jonny Brownlee bounce back and Fanni Szalai at Supertri Chicago
Morgan Pearson run T100 San Francisco 2025
Morgan Pearson born to run – ‘maybe I’m the T100 X Factor with a lot to prove’
Georgia Taylor Brown smiles Supertri Toronto 2025
‘It might take a miracle but I’ll give it my best shot’ – can GTB repeat Supertri Chicago win?
Sam Renouf CEO of the PTO
T100 Valencia replacement announced as PTO chief acknowledges “challenges” with 2025 calendar
ironman hamburg 2025 podium laura philipp kat matthews solveig lovseth
Matthews and Løvseth clash again in star-studded IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

All plans include a 7-day free trial

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

All plans include a 7-day free trial

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...