Alltricks unveils its HOKA trail team at new Paris store opening

Like many players in the sector, Alltricks has decided to build its own pool of promising athletes. Around 20 ambassadors make up the company’s overall roster, including the HOKA trail group. This squad of emerging talents is designed to support athletes under the guidance of a renowned mentor, Julien Absalon. The five athletes selected from more than 1,500 applications will receive a full package covering equipment, nutrition, electronics and recovery products.

Several athletes have been selected, including Baptiste Massot, a former triathlete who has turned to trail running, and Titouan Haan, a two-time youth selection for the French mountain running team and a national track medallist. Noé Descombe, seventh in the U20 vertical race at the European Off-Road Championships, completes the men’s team. On the women’s side, Alltricks and HOKA have backed specialist Chloé François alongside triathlete and trail runner Capucine Arbez-Gindre.

A strong support structure

To guide these athletes, the company has put a comprehensive support structure in place, initially for a two-year period. The multiple Olympic mountain biking champion will play a key role in passing on his experience. « We want to guide these athletes on equipment and logistics. My role will be to pass on my experience, helping them reach their full potential and move towards the highest level », explains Julien Absalon. Media training, racing strategy, equipment choices, nutrition, stress management, as well as training camps and team gatherings... These are just some of the areas that will be central to the programme.

The aim is not to impose results on them, but to give them the tools to thrive in their sport, according to the two-time Olympic and five-time world champion. « These are athletes who love competing and have made room for it in their lives. They all work or study, but they give a significant place to their goals », the athlete explains. The programme is intended as a springboard towards the highest level, with the possibility that they may eventually sign professional contracts with major brands.

The project was born from the vision of Julien Absalon and Alban Gleyze, Sports Marketing Leader in charge of the ambassadors. The idea builds on the partnership between Alltricks, HOKA and Julien Absalon, which has been extended for a third year. The first team gathering took place in the Luberon, scouting the route for the upcoming French Trail Championships. The next will come ahead of UTMB, with the athletes joining the HOKA professional team. « They’ll be able to spend three weeks or a month with the professional trail team. It will give them a sense of what life as an elite athlete is really like », the former cyclist points out.

Supporting their rise to the top

They all race similar distances, creating a shared competitive drive. « We want to build a group project rather than focus on individuals. That sense of collective identity and group energy is important to us. This is a development structure, with no pressure to deliver results. And who knows, perhaps we’ll discover the next Sylvain Cachard », says Alban Gleyze. « Julien is deeply involved in passing on his knowledge. His experience as a professional athlete and cycling team manager gives him a lot to offer. He knows how to talk about data, but also about enjoyment ».

It is a support philosophy that reflects the image Alltricks wants to project to its customers, according to the high-level athlete. There is another common thread: all these athletes are passionate about the mountains. « They’re not just runners. They’re drawn to cycling, ski touring and alpine skiing. Some come from triathlon, while others went through the French mountain team as cadets before moving on to track and eventually returning to trail running. That’s the case for Titouan Haan, a three-time French steeplechase champion who wanted to return to his first love », notes the Sports Marketing Leader.

Each athlete has their own race calendar. They are asked to compete in two races during the year: the French Trail Championships and a summer event that will bring the whole team together. « It’s a great team with an interesting synergy, and that clicked from the very first gathering », concludes Alban Gleyze.

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