WORLD TRIATHLON Manoel Messias (BRA) and Lisa Tertsch (GER) take superb golds at World Triathlon Cup Valencia

 

The Valencia waterfront was packed with spectators for Saturday afternoon’s fifth round of World Triathlon Cup racing in 2022, 65 men and 65 women taking to the sprint-distance course on a hot and humid afternoon on the Spanish coast.

After strong recent podiums at WTCS Hamburg and July's Pontevedra World Cup, it was Germany’s Lisa Tertsch who was able to strike gold in the women's race, coming through a breathless three-way battle over the majority of the 5km to take the tape. It had been Mexico’s Anahi Alvarez Corral and Leonie Periault of France on her shoulder for much of the run, Alvarez eventually scoring a superb first World Cup podium with silver, Periault confirming her form is right back where she wants it in third.

“The run was interesting! I was like ‘I can do it, and just do my best’ - and with that I was able to run pretty freely,” said a delighted Tertsch. “I was happy we were three and not four to be honest, and I felt like I could give it a go, but even at the last turn it was really close so I just gave it my all to get there.”

In the men's race, the Brazilian Manoel Messias was a man on a mission, flying clear of the hoards towards the tail end of the 20km bike with just Tjebbe Kaindl for company before laying down a huge challenge to the rest of the field on the run that not even the mighty Mario Mola could answer.

It had been a fine return for Spain’s three-time World Champion, who looked on several occasions to have the Brazilian within his range, before Messias summoned a consummate final kilometre to take the tape. Mola’s 5km split of 14m22s was the fastest of the day but only narrowly quicker than that of a resurgent Matthew McElroy (USA) who safely found his way back to the podium for the first time since being beset by injury.

“I’m very happy with today,” said the men's Valencia gold medallist. “The race was very fast but I was feeling good on the bike and the run, I was ready to attack on the bike, so I’m just very happy.”

 

Women's Report

Race number one Kirsten Kasper took up her position on the very far left of the harbour start line with teammate Summer Rappaport, Nina Eim for Germany on the far right looking to use the short pier as a guide to the first buoy.

The American duo were predictability fast out, Switzerland’s Anja Weber likewise through the middle of the field. Mathilde Gautier (FRA), Maryna Kyryk (UKR) and Maria Santamaria Surroca (ESP) were also flying as the leaders emerged from the water and into transition, but out onto the bikes first it was Rappaport, Santamaria and Gautier riding solo.

The trio didn’t stay out alone for long, the likes of Ainsley Thorpe (NZL), Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) and Sara Vilic (AUT) were soon up on them and forming a big front pack of over 20 athletes, Eim and Kyryk also pulling up on them and coming through together at the end of lap one.

Lisa Perterer (AUT) was trying to drive on the chasers, Luisa Baptista (BRA) struggling further back to keep the pace on, and they were also soon pulled into the huge train that snaked through the final lap, taking no risks but plenty of fluids ahead of the run.

Bike racked right alongside Kasper, it was Tertsch immediately on the pace and bounding out of transition while the American struggled with her shoes, Switzerland’s Nora Gmur, Charlotte McShane (AUS) and Annika Koch (GER) also in hot pursuit.

Gautier, Valerie Barthelemy (BEL) and Rappaport were keeping the tempo but up ahead Tertsch was gliding through the gears along with Periault, Alvarez and now joined by Julia Hauser (AUT) and Eim.Rappaport soon passed Hauser as the Austrian then fell back but by the time they approached the bell there was clear daylight for a front trio that was in total sync.

From that halfway mark, the trio just kept extending their advantage over a field that could find no reply and it became a three-way battle for the medals and a four-way for fourth.

Tertsch’s first attack came on the stroke of 54 minutes into the race as the dead turn onto the blue carpet approached, Alvarez responding well, but at that last 180 the German’s arms were pumping and the stride lengthened to take the tape from the Mexican, Periault in third.

Barthelemy won the chase for fourth from Gautier, Rappaport and Hauser, Spain’s Noelia Juan the highest-finishing Spaniard in eighth, Marlene Gomez Goggel (GER) and Gina Sereno (USA) rounding out the top ten.

For the full women's results, click here. https://triathlon.org/results/result/2022_world_triathlon_cup_valencia/546966?mc_cid=bcb15cc447&mc_eid=6139649918

 

MEN'S REPORT

Men’s number one Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP) took up position on the far left of the pontoon joined by Takumi Hojo (JPN) and Jawad Abdelmoula (MAR), and the opening 200m of the swim saw both sides of the field diverge before honing in on the first buoy.

Messias looked to get on the feet of the likes of Seoane and Diego Moya, only Bence Bicsak (HUN) and McElroy of the top-ranked athletes opting for the opposite end, and it was Nicola Azzano setting a good pace straight through the centre.

But it was fan favourite David Castro Fajardo (ESP) who was up the ramp out of the water first at the end of the 750m swim, he and Portugal’s Miguel Tiago Silva followed by Azzano, Moya and Spain’s Alberto Gonzalez Garcia out of transition and onto the 20km bike.

Morocco’s Badr Siwane was just 13 seconds behind Castro along with Bicsak and Noah Servais (BEL), but it was on the first of four bike laps that Siwane would come together with Moya and Germany’s Henry Graf, all three men’s races dramatically over before they had got into their challenge.

Another Spanish contender, Genis Grau also had his race ended abruptly with a puncture, then it was Kaue Willy’s (BRA) turn to come off, only quick evasive action keeping the accident from escalating as the pack of riders struggled to come to terms with the course.

The pace was rarely pushed hard out front through the mid-point of the 20km bike, Felix Duchampt, Ren Sato and Gonzalez tucking in 15 seconds back on lap three and happy to keep the big group in check but staying clear of any possible trouble.

Suddenly upfront though, it was Messias and Kaindl really putting the hammer down at the end of lap three and rapidly carving out some precious daylight behind them. Nobody else was able to respond, and the duo worked well to maximise their effort as the pack allowed them to take a crucial 14 second lead out of transition.

The Spanish quartet of Gonzalez, Seoane, Castro and Roberto Sanchez Mantecon were first to hoover up Kaindl, but Messias was straight into the groove and able to maintain the gap over the first 2.5km out and back.

Mola was next to move into striking distance along with McElroy, but even he couldn’t exert enough pressure on the leader to slow his progress.

It was in fact Seoane who rolled the dice to catch and momentarily pass Messias, only for the Brazilian to go again straight away and then drop Seoane for whom the effort to bridge had been too much.

With just 1500m to go Mola found another gear to go through his compatriot as McElroy tucked in on their shoulders, then the former World Champion went all in to pull clear in second, but simply ran out of course, Messias still so smooth to the final turn and able to soak in the moment as he hit the blue carpet and took the tape, McElroy cruising into third ahead of Seoane.

David Castro crossed in followed by Gonzalez, Gianluca Pozzatti with seventh ahead of Arnaud Mengal (BEL), Mantecon the fifth Spaniard over the line and Bicsak rounding out the top ten.

For the full results click here. https://triathlon.org/results/result/2022_world_triathlon_cup_valencia/546965?mc_cid=bcb15cc447&mc_eid=6139649918

 

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