Upham, Dumas, and Dominant Youth Impress at 2025 XTERRA Nouvelle Aquitaine

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – XTERRA Nouvelle Aquitaine returned to the highlands of central France for its sixth edition on June 13–14, 2025, set against the pine forests and ancient trails surrounding Lac de Vassivière. It was the second year at this nature-rich vacation destination, where the off-road triathlon course moved seamlessly through the landscape.

The weekend included Sprint and Super Sprint races serving as Youth Tour qualifiers, a kids’ duathlon, and offered 28 World Championship slots, 30 Youth Championship entries, and a €7,500 prize purse for Elites. Backed by strong community support—from volunteers and local leaders to families and fans—the event continued a tradition of outdoor sport in a region that embraces both challenge and connection.

Elite Winners

Jules Dumas (FRA) took the men’s Elite title in 2:35:26, holding off Nicolas Durin (FRA), who crossed just behind in 2:38:16. In the women’s Elite race, Kerri-Ann Upham (GBR) secured the win in 2:58:45, finishing just 30 seconds ahead of Elizabeth Orchard (NZL) in a closely contested battle for the top spot.

“This was my first XTERRA of the season,” said Dumas. Despite leading from the start, he admitted, “It’s not easy to manage your pace when you are leading from the start, not really knowing your gap behind too.” Still, it marked his second win at XTERRA Nouvelle Aquitaine, a race he calls “special” as it was his first-ever XTERRA win in 2023. “This location is amazing… a dream place for our sport, from the lake to those trails, hard but not extreme, the perfect balance to have the full experience.”

Upham called it “a dream come true” to break the tape. “I’ve dreamt of crossing the finish line and seeing the tape across and being the first one to grab it.” A non-wetsuit swim played to her rival’s strength. “I knew it was going to play into the hands of Lizzie Orchard. My strategy was to pace myself on the swim, not dig too deep too soon, and then really go as hard as I could on the bike.” She pushed on the climbs, took risks on the descents, and gradually reeled Orchard in on the run. “I think it was just the very last section of the run course on the hill. I pushed on and managed to get the gap and come across the line for the win.” Reflecting on the event, she added, “Everybody here, the organisers, the competitors, everybody wants to help each other out. It’s a really nice environment, a nice vibe.”

AG Leaders

Gabriel Bacquenois (FRA), racing in the 18–19 division, was the fastest overall age group male and placed third overall with a time of 2:41:54. Margot Roustan (FRA), competing in the 25–29 category, was the top age group woman and sixth overall, finishing in 3:15:00.

“I came here first to qualify for the World Championship,” said Bacquenois. “I try to focus on my skills and don’t panic and I felt good and swam better than usual.” He pushed the pace on the bike, where he felt most confident. “I pushed hard, I know this is my strength… I have been riding since I was very young, I did some Enduro races, so I love MTB. I started XTERRA because my sister was doing that.” The run tested him. “I suffered a lot the first lap but the second lap was much better and felt great. I’m so happy, I still have a hard time realizing what I just did!”

“During my studies, I started triathlon, so when I heard about XTERRA it came as the best combo for me.” Roustan chose Nouvelle Aquitaine for her debut, not far from her home in Toulouse. “My family came to cheer and this first experience was great.” The bike course required patience early on. “I had to deal with some traffic on the first lap, on technical singletrack, but the second lap was great, and finally it maybe helped me to manage my effort better.” The trail run brought its own challenge. “My legs were so dead, but slowly I got used to it. I’m sure I will do more XTERRA in future, and maybe for some nice holidays in the Dolomites for the World Championship.”

Full Results Here

Youth Dominance

In the Sprint Triathlon (0.5K swim, 13K MTB, 5K trail run), Louka Dumont (FRA) won the Junior (18–19) division in 1:00:53, while Siméon Duru (FRA) topped the Youth B (16–17) division in 1:14:03. Marine Jugie (FRA) won the Junior (18–19) women’s division in 1:24:17. The standout performance came from Iris Duhameaux (FRA), who dominated the women’s Youth B (16–17) race in 1:13:10, crossing the line as the first overall female—an exceptional feat and a strong indicator of her potential at the XTERRA Youth World Championship.

In the Super Sprint Triathlon (0.25K swim, 4.5K MTB, 2.5K trail run), Bastien Lambercier (CHE) claimed the Youth A (14–15) boys’ title, while his sister Chloé Lambercier (CHE) completed the family sweep by winning the girls’ race in the same category. All athletes in these divisions were competing for spots at the XTERRA Youth World Championship in Trentino, Italy this September.

“I came first to get the slots for the World Champs, as I have a revenge to take there,” said Louka Dumont. “Last year I DNF in Trentino, hitting a tree after a few kilometers on the bike. I started the swim fast to not be bothered by other swimmers. On the first climb on the bike, I took the lead so I focused on my skills, line and effort.”

Siméon Duru shared, “This is my first XTERRA. I was doing MTB as a kid, now doing more road triathlons, so I thought this might be fun. The bike was tough, especially the start of the loop, with a long climb. Same on the run, quite hard, but this is what we came for anyway, so I enjoyed it. The MTB in a race like that is so much harder and way more intense as you have to push 110% in some parts and try to relax on downhill.”

Marine Jugie, racing in her first XTERRA, said, “I normally do adventure racing and all outdoor sports. I knew XTERRA would be the perfect balance for me. The bike loop was great, with some fast parts, some climbs, rocky zones, so little bit of everything to enjoy.”

“I already raced here last year and I wanted to come back as this place is really nice,” said Iris Duhameaux. “I started in a good group on the first MTB loop, so I maybe pushed a little bit too much as they dropped me at the end, and it was hard to finish. I suffered on the run climb, but I felt great on the downhill. I discovered XTERRA with my sports teacher. I love the feeling, competitive and relaxed at the same time.”

“I finished 3rd last year in Youth A in Molveno,” said Bastien Lambercier. “My goal is to try to win this year. I swam as fast as possible and it worked as I was alone starting the bike. As I’m not the best on the run, I pushed as hard as possible on the bike leg.”

Chloé Lambercier added, “My goal was first to come here to qualify for the Youth World Championship in Molveno, but also because last year my brother and mother came here and loved the tracks. I was surprised to already be second outside of the water. The bike is my favorite part, I pushed hard and also felt strong.”

Forissier Leads by Example
In a surprise appearance, current 2025 XTERRA World Cup leader Arthur Forissier (FRA) took part in the Sprint Triathlon and was the first to cross the line in 55:35. With many youth athletes looking up to him as one of the sport’s biggest stars, his presence offered a valuable opportunity for the next generation to observe Elite-level focus and execution up close.

“I started the Sprint here as a training race for the World Triathlon Cross Championship,” said Forissier. “The race in Spain will be short and really fast, so this was perfect to work this type of intensity. With those fast youth, I had to push all out in the swim. For the bike and run it was more a time trial mode, as I was alone quite quick, but I stayed focused and did the work I had to do. It was also much better to do that in an XTERRA than a road triathlon to stay in the same sport and type of effort. It was a reasonable distance from home, and the race site is quite nice.”

Lac de Vassivière once again balanced competition with countryside charm. With support from Beaumont-du-Lac and nearby villages, XTERRA Nouvelle Aquitaine offered athletes and their families another festive weekend for the global outdoor community in the heart of Europe.

About XTERRA
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure. From pioneering the sport of cross-triathlon in 1996, XTERRA has grown to become a leading brand in off-road adventure through the XTERRA World Tour, XTERRA Trail Run World Series and the XTERRA World Cup, connecting an eco-aware community of worldwide explorers that seek to protect the places where they play. For more information, visit xterraplanet.com.