After a series of successful events across Europe, including stops in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechia, Latvia, Sweden, and Greece, the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour is set to make its highly anticipated arrival in France this week. Montpellier will host a double-gender Futures event, promising four days of thrilling beach volleyball action from Thursday to Sunday.
The picturesque city of Montpellier, known as the training ground for France`s national teams, will provide the perfect backdrop for the tournament. All matches will take place at the popular Montpellier Beach Volley Club, nestled within the scenic Parc de La Rauze.
Spotlight on the Women`s Competition
This week`s event in Montpellier will feature numerous players who have already tasted success on the Beach Pro Tour Futures circuit this season. A prominent figure is 22-year-old French sensation Anouk Dupin, who has had an exceptional year, securing podium finishes in all four tournaments she`s entered with three different partners. Her impressive tally includes gold medals in Valencia (with Saofe Duval) and Jurmala (with Marine Kinna), a silver in Madrid (with Alex Merle), and a bronze in Battipaglia (also with Kinna). For the Montpellier event, Dupin will team up with 28-year-old Elsa Descamps, who recently earned a bronze medal last weekend in Geneva alongside Romane Sobezalz. Fellow French player Saofe Duval has also showcased her talent, finishing third in Ios with Marilu Pally.
Among other gold medal winners looking to replicate their triumphs are Czechia’s Martina Maixnerova and Kylie Neuschaeferova, who topped the podium in Messina, and Germany’s Janne Uhl and Paula Schürholz, the champions of the Madrid event.
The strong women`s field also includes Estonians Eva Liisa Kuivonen and Liisa-Lotta Jürgenson, who took silver in Jurmala, and Spanish stars Sofía Izuzquiza, Sofía González, and Ana Vergara. The Sofías collectively won bronze in Kraków, while Izuzquiza also secured a third-place finish in Sveti Vlas playing with Vergara.
The women’s tournament will feature a total of 28 teams representing 17 different countries: France (4), Spain (3), Czechia (2), Latvia (2), Norway (2), Peru (2), Switzerland (2), the United States (2), Argentina, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.
Olympic Veterans Lead the Men`s Field
The men`s competition in Montpellier also boasts a strong lineup of players who have achieved significant success at the Futures level this season. Headlining the list are Austrians Robin Seidl and Alexander Huber. This duo, who previously represented their country at the Rio 2016 Olympics, have reunited nine years later and already secured two bronze medals this season in Battipaglia and Ios.
Other notable medalists include Germans Robin Sowa and Jonas Reinhardt, who earned a silver medal in Cervia in their debut season together on the Beach Pro Tour. Spanish pair Antonio Saucedo and Álvaro Iglesias claimed bronze in Malmö, while Bulgarians Dimitar Kalchev and Dimitar Mehandzhiyski made history by securing their country`s first-ever Beach Pro Tour medal – a bronze at their home event in Sveti Vlas.
Similarly to the women`s event, the men’s tournament will consist of 28 duos, with 18 nations represented. Host nation France leads with five teams, followed by Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Spain, and Sweden with two teams each. Single teams will compete from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland.
Tournament Schedule at a Glance
The Montpellier Futures event will kick off on Thursday with the qualifying rounds for both men`s and women`s teams. The main draw action, including pool play, is set to begin on Friday, continuing with the elimination rounds on Saturday. The grand finale, featuring the semifinals and medal matches, will take place on Sunday, where the champions of Montpellier will be crowned.
These European Beach Pro Tour Futures events are a collaborative effort between the CEV and Volleyball World. They play a vital role in providing European teams with essential opportunities to compete internationally, gain valuable experience, and earn crucial international ranking points.
