Chris Perham targeting title defence at indoor event in Liévin

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The first Europe Triathlon Cup of 2022 takes place this weekend and there will be British representation in both the elite women and men’s races in France which will see athletes swim, bike and run all indoors, without a turbo trainer or treadmill in sight.

Chris Perham, Jamie Price, Harry Leleu and Iona Miller will all begin their seasons on Saturday (12 March) in the unique format being held at Arena Stade Couvert de Liévin in the French town of Liévin.

The opening continental cup event of the new season will take place all indoors, with a 25-metre swimming pool being built inside a 200m athletes track, where athletes will complete the cycling and running legs.

It’s a track athletes will get very used to by the end of the day, not only because of the 15 laps they will have to complete for the 3km bike and then the five laps for the 1km run, but athletes will have to race at least twice in a bid to reach the final.

Starting with a qualifier for both the elite women and men in the afternoon, athletes will then either advance straight through to the semi-finals, or face a repechage, where there will be another chance for athletes to reach the semi-finals later in the afternoon.

Depending on their finishing places in the semi-finals, athletes will then line-up either in the final or B final on Saturday evening, with the top-four from each semi-final contesting the final and fifth to eigth the B final.

It’s an event Chris Perham has fond memories of having won the elite men’s race the last time the event was held in 2019 and Perham will be joined on the start line by fellow Brits Jamie Price and Harry Leleu on Saturday.

Price will compete at a continental cup event for the first time in Lievin, while Leleu had three top-10 finishes in Europe Cup events last season, including a second-place finish in Dnipro in June.

Iona Miller is the only British female in the elite women’s race who heads to Liévin looking to build on the two top-10 finishes she recorded at Europe Triathlon Cup events in 2021.

2022 Europe Triathlon Cup Lievin start lists

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