German
duo will wear the number ones in Czech Republic on Sunday as USA's Gwen
Jorgensen looks to follow up Valencia gold and Morgan Pearson builds back to
his best
The 2023
World Cup circuit reaches the halfway mark on Sunday in the Czech hills, the
seventh of this year’s fourteen races of World Triathlon’s fast and furious
second tier of racing and one of the most revered – and feared – courses out
there: Karlovy Vary.
A tight
1500m swim in Rolava Lake transitions into a two-part bike, first a fast
point-to-point opener followed by seven x 6.5km technical city loops, then a
demanding 10km run to the tape.
The swim
is tight and technical, the bike has awkward climbs, fast descents, tunnels and
cobbles to navigate, and the grinding inclines of the run make it a massive
challenge to produce anything close to a 30-minute finale off that 40km ride.
All in all, tough and honest racing just how we like it – you can watch full
coverage of the women’s race over on TriathlonLive.tv from 10am local time,
with the men from 3pm CEST.
Women’s
preview
German
triathlon has been on a roll in 2023. The current Mixed Relay World Champions
and Paris Test Event winners have been piling up the podiums in recent months
and Marlene Gomez-Goggel wears the one after two career-best fifth-place WTCS
finishes in Hamburg and Sunderland and bronze most recently in Valencia.
It is a
course that the 30-year-old knows well, running her way to fifth here in 2021
and twelve months ago she took 8th. On both occasions Goggel hit the bike
segment some 70 seconds off the lead swimmer, and she will have a clear idea of
where the gains are needed if she is to score a second gold at this level.
Dominating
the swim here in recent editions has been Italy’s Bianca Seregni, and bronze
and silver in the last two outings in Karlovy Vary proved that she has the
staying power over bike and run. Add in a first World Cup gold in Weihai just
weeks ago, and this could just be the occasion to occupy that missing podium
place.
No holes
in the Swiss challenge
An
in-form Swiss duo will have plenty to say about that possibility, however, as
both Julie Derron and Cathia Schar continue their assault on the podiums.
Derron won here in 2021 with an outstanding bike-run and also has a Weihai gold
to her name, her 21-year-old European Championship bronze-winning teammate has
been knocking on the door of a medal at this level and scored top 10 Series
finishes in Sunderland and Hamburg.
Netherlands’
evergreen Rachel Klamer needs little introduction, the Tokyo 2020 4th-place
finisher has looked back close to her tenacious best in recent months and could
well be in a position to score a first major World Triathlon medal since that
brilliant WTCS Abu Dhabi win back in 2018.
Flying
Jorgensen in form
Speaking
of evergreen, the USA’s great Gwen Jorgensen will be eager to test herself once
more after the former World and Olympic Champion delivered World Cup gold in
Valencia less than a week ago, clocking a 10km time of 33:37, 20 seconds
quicker than her nearest rival (Gomez-Goggel) and having emerged from the 1500m
swim in the front pack. Karlovy Vary presents a very different challenge, it
will be one that the rejuvenated Jorgensen will relish.
Solveig
Lovseth and Lotte Miller are the two Norwegians likely to devour the bike
course, GB’s fit-again Sophie Alden will want to hang on to her the front pack
that she helped drive two years ago after a great swim alongside Seregni, and
Colombia’s Maria Velasquez is a name to watch after an excellent Valencia race
and bronze in Vina del Mar.
Women’s
World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary
Sunday 10
September, 10am CEST
TriathlonLIVE.tv
Full
start list click here https://triathlon.org/events/start_list/2023_world_triathlon_cup_karlovy_vary/582697
Men's
preview
Wearing
the number one and eyeing that elusive first World Triathlon medal is Germany’s
fearless warrior Jonas Schomburg. Few have found themselves out front on so
many occasions out of T2 only to be reeled in, but from swim to bike to run, it
is from there that the 29-year-old loves to race.
Expect
plenty of pace from the get-go, then, as the Paris Test Mixed Relay winner will
almost certainly choose chaos once again and hope that he can break his rivals
before he breaks himself on a course where he finished 8th last year and an
agonising 4th in 2017.
The
German talent pool has continued to grow around Schomburg, and it was Lasse
Nygaard Priester making a name for himself here in 2021 with an outstanding
debut World Cup win, his 10km split a full 30 seconds faster than his nearest
rival. The result helped secure a first WTCS start in Hamburg that same year
where he took fourth, and he looks back to that form once again after
successive World Cup medals in Weihai (bronze) and Valencia (silver) in recent
weeks.
Pearson
powers on
Outside
of the European threat, Morgan Pearson makes a rare World Cup start, fresh from
securing his Paris 2024 starting place for the USA at last month’s Test Event.
Owner of one of the fastest kicks out there, a mechanical-related DNF in 2020
is his only previous taste of Karlovy Vary life and if he can steer clear of
bad luck this weekend, another podium is surely on the cards.
Two years
ago it was Japan’s Takumi Hojo and Hungarian Mark Devay leading out of the
water and driving a four-deep breakaway all the way through the bike, but the
demands of the ride took a big toll – even a 30-scecond lead can be swallowed
up over just one lap, and both will want to hang on for longer if they are in a
similar position this time around.
Another
experienced Hungarian head, Gabor Faldum has been rolling back the years in
recent outings to deliver strong finishes in Paris and Sunderland as well as a
fourth in Tiszy. The only man on the start list born in the 1980s (’88 to be
precise), he must not be discounted from following compatriot and 2022 champion
here Csongor Lehmann onto the podium.
Former
champion Dickinson is back
Samuel
Dickinson makes his World Cup return on a course he won gold back in 2019, the
Brit has been plagued by injury so will use the weekend as a marker for his
progress alongside teammate Barclay Izzard, a man making the very best of his
recent big opportunities in Paris and Sunderland.
With Jan
Volar leading the home medal charge, Kyle Smith (NZL) back on the Olympic
points hunt on a course that could suit him well, Casper Stornes (NOR), Simon
Westermann (SUI) and Genis Grau (ESP) always a threat and Panagiotis Bitados of
Greece rising up the ranks in 2023, this year’s podium places are looking
impossible to predict.
Men’s
World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary
Sunday 10
September, 3pm CEST
TriathlonLIVE.tv
Full
start list click here https://triathlon.org/events/start_list/2023_world_triathlon_cup_karlovy_vary/582696
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