Enthusiastic Frenchman wins elite duathlon championship at ITU

Over the past 35 years of triathlon and duathlon in Penticton, we’ve seen a lot of winners, runners-up and people just happy to complete the race before the official cutoff. Very few showed the true emotion, spirit and enthusiasm of Frenchman Benoit Nicolas, winner of Saturday’s men’s elite duathlon at the ITU World Multisport championships.

“It’s crazy,” he said in an interview afterward, jumping between English and French. “I saved it all for the finish and, if I lose, no problem.”

Think of Jean Dujardin from the film “The Artist,” and that will give you an idea of how darn likable Nicolas is.

He finished the run, bike, run event in one hour, 54 minutes, 20 seconds, winning the hearts of hundreds of spectators lined along Lakeshore Drive along with an $8,000 payout for first prize. Nicolas was in tears as he broke the ribbon, quickly falling to the ground and waving the peace sign with both hands high in the air. He was quick to hug the two runners-up — Emilio Martin Uribe from Spain and Mark Buckingham of the UK — and the three quickly posed for unprompted photographs with Martin pouring water on the victor’s head.

“For me it was an important race,” Nicolas said when asked about his rapturous reaction at the finish line. “It’s a world championship and I’m old. I’m 40-years-old and maybe it’s my last race. For me this is fantastic.”

Less than a minute behind were Martin and Buckingham who ran neck-and-neck to the finish line in 1:55.12 and 1:55.14.

Nicolas was among the leaders who was assessed a 15-second penalty. Several of the favourites didn’t properly rack their bike at the final transition area. He was placed in the penalty box but enjoyed a big enough lead to clinch victory.

It was his first trip to Canada and he came alone.

Several family members were watching the results back home online. The first person he wanted to call, he said, was his girlfriend.

He described his first visit to Canada as “fantastic,” and loved the course, even cracking a joke about fires.

Nicolas, who hails from Brest, previously won the duathlon world title in 2014 and was runner-up in 2015. Earlier this year he was a silver medalist in the European championships, losing to Emilio Martin Uribe.

He appeared to enjoy the attention of giving a finish line interview to myself and another local reporter.

“I love you,” he said to me as he shook my hand before we parted ways. I don’t think I’ve ever been told that in 30 years of journalism.

Emilio Martin Uribe