TRIATHLON – Bahrain Victorious 13’s star triathlete Leo Bergere has high ambitions.
Last year, he snared the first-ever individual Olympic triathlon medal for France, taking bronze in front of his home crowd in Paris. But this performance didn’t come out of nowhere – he became world champion two years prior through consistent podiums on the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) and then winning the grand final outright.
He had also won every Ironman 70.3 he had entered since 2022 and was Supertri champion in 2023. He ended 2024 as the World Triathlon vice-champion and bronze-medallist in his Ironman 70.3 World Championship debut.
As any elite athlete will tell you, the key to their triumphs and achievements is hard work, consistency, and a good support system. For Bergere, life at home helps him harness his natural talent and hone the disciplines that take him first across the finish tape.
“I’m based in Saint-Rafael – it’s a city on the French Riviera, so I’m one kilometre from the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s beautiful,” Bergere describes. “It’s such a natural area. I can start my run from my place and in two minutes I’m in the forest, in the trails, and I’ve got trails forever.
“And on the bike, I can have some flat roads, some climbs. It’s a bit busy in the summer because it’s a very touristy area, but I have a nice pool, a good physio. So yeah, I have everything I need.”
This includes a training crew as well. “We are eight French athletes from 20 to 30 years old and different levels from European Cup to WTCS and we have good vibes in the group, so it’s pretty cool.”
Milan-based Italian coach Fabio Elli visits them for a week every month and follows up on their progress.
“I’m usually waking up between 7.30am and 8am. I’m going to have a small breakfast and go straight for an hour run with my dogs on the trails. After that, I have a big breakfast with protein, fruits, and drink a lot [of water] and a good coffee.”
He swims most days – on Tuesdays and Fridays he does between five to 5.5 kilometres in the pool each session. Then, it’s lunch, followed by a power nap lasting 15 to 30 minutes before he tackles e-mails and other administration work.
“Then, onto the bike around 4pm and it’s between one-and-a-half hours to four hours, depending on the training we have.”
He takes on an appetiser before preparing dinner with his girlfriend Angelica Olmo. Then he’s off to bed between 10.30pm and 11pm.
“I really appreciate spending time with my girlfriend and my two dogs at home,” Bergere admits. “It’s really something that fills up my energy, my battery.”
Bergere also credits Olmo for helping with their daily training by cooking his meals and supporting the squad. A former elite triathlete and squad mate who represented Italy at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she suffers from chronic symptoms of Lyme disease and has put her athletic endeavours on hold due to debilitating fatigue.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Bergere has new goals in this post-Olympic year. “This season, I would love to win a T100 race, especially the one in Saint Rafael because it’s my hometown, so I will have a lot of friends and family here,” he says, adding that he wants to be on the overall podium for the T100 series.
Bergere’s main priority, however, is still the WTCS. “I would like to be world champion in WTCS again – a second time. And I will do anything I can for this.”
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