The French triathlon club simplifies training management and team communication with Epeak—the all-in-one community platform for tri clubs and endurance sports.
A leading triathlon club with big ambitions
With over 250 licensed athletes, elite teams competing in France’s top division, a certified two-star triathlon school, and a busy race calendar, Les Sables Vendée Triathlon (LSVT) is one of the most respected clubs in France. They also organize the Ironman des Sables d’Olonne, a major international event that draws thousands of participants each year.
But running a club of this size and caliber comes with real challenges: fragmented communication, scattered attendance tracking, and time lost to logistics. That’s why Paul Lipovac, communications manager, and Tom Devaux, head coach and youth program director, turned to Epeak.
“Before Epeak, we used WhatsApp for everything, but it quickly got out of hand—too many groups, too many lost messages, and no way to track who was coming to practice,” explains Paul.
“We needed to simplify and centralize everything in one place.”
Since switching, everything runs through Epeak: workouts, announcements, last-minute updates, attendance, and event coordination. And most importantly: everyone's on board—from youth athletes to volunteers, coaches, and parents.
Scaling with structure
Founded in 1992, LSVT is a club known for excellence. It balances high-level competition with strong grassroots development, community spirit, and a well-run volunteer network.
“Clear communication, consistency, and making sure everyone feels seen—those are big priorities for us. We regularly organize training camps, team events, and school outreach. Communication is the glue,” says Paul.
But as the club grew, so did the need for a smarter, more scalable system.
“We mainly wanted to fix the communication chaos and make it easier to coordinate workouts,” adds Tom.
Why Epeak?
The club discovered Epeak through a recommendation, and what stood out right away was how intuitive and purpose-built it felt.
“It’s clearly designed by people who understand how triathlon clubs work. The layout is clean, it works for all age groups, and everything—from channels to event creation—just makes sense,” Paul says.
“It checked every box for us: centralized communication, simple availability tracking, and flexible group setup,” says Tom.
Epeak was gradually rolled out across the club. Adoption was fast and natural—no need for long onboarding sessions.
Daily use made easy
Today, Epeak is fully integrated into LSVT's operations:
- Workouts are posted directly in the app
- Athletes mark their attendance in one tap
- Each group (youth, elites, volunteers) has its own channel
- Coaches can plan based on real attendance and adapt quickly
“We replaced WhatsApp completely. Everyone adopted Epeak right away. We can track who’s coming, share info efficiently, and coaches love being able to plan based on actual numbers,” Paul explains.
“It keeps everyone in the loop when plans change, and it gives us a quick view of attendance for each session,” Tom adds.
Tangible results
Since implementing Epeak, the club has seen major benefits:
- Less day-to-day stress
- Better anticipation for sessions
- Clearer, more targeted communication
- Fewer lost messages
- More autonomy for parents and youth athletes
“The attendance tracking is a game-changer. Coaches know who’s coming, we can split groups better, plan transportation, and avoid overbooking. Communication is more relevant, not lost in a single feed,” Paul says.
“It also helps us coordinate for races—we know who’s racing and can organize carpools,” Tom adds.
Built for every club, not just elites
Even though LSVT is a high-performance club, their experience reflects the needs of clubs of all sizes.
“If you want something clear, efficient, and made for how clubs actually work, Epeak is it. It makes life easier for everyone—coaches, athletes, volunteers, and parents,” says Paul.
Takeaway
Whether you're managing a local triathlon group or running a national-level team, tools matter. The experience of Les Sables Vendée Triathlon shows that structure, simplicity, and communication can scale together—as long as you use the right platform.
Ready to simplify your club's life? Download Epeak for free and see the difference it makes.
