Cassandre Beaugrand, Pierre Le Corre,
Emma Lombardi and Tom Richard continue French dominance of WTCS Sunderland as
Team GB take silver, Norway bronze
There would be no denying Team France
yet another Mixed Relay title on Sunday afternoon in Sunderland, even the
prospect of serving a late 10-second penalty unable to prevent the French from
making it three golds from three over a memorable first-ever Series weekend up
in the north east of England.
Tom Richard had set the team on its
way before Emma Lombardi picked up the duties, as well as a swim penalty that
at one point threatened to derail the team’s dominance. That left Saturday’s
individual champions Pierre Le Corre and Cassandre Beaugrand to steer the team
home, the French women’s number one serving the penalty before soaring home
still over 20 seconds clear of Great Britain’s Jessica Fullager, Solveig
Lovseth hauling Norway into bronze after New Zealand had also faced a late
penalty.
Leg One
It was another knee-deep water start
for the 19 men lining up for the first leg, all facing a 300m swim, 7.7km bike
that reversed the previous day’s course, and 1.7km run before handing off to
their teammates.
Out of the water at the end of the
first swim it was Chase McQueen for USA and the fresh Nicolo Strada for Italy
with New Zealand’s Tayler Reid, Vasco Vilaca right there for Portugal.
It was Reid-McQueen-Vilaca out onto
the bike and soon joined by Max Studer (SUI) and Barclay Izzard (GBR), then the
chasers Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (NOR) and Tom Richard.
Soon, 15 countries were all together
into the second transition and it was Thorn out first chased by Richard and
Barclay, Vilaca picking his way back to the front. Studer then led at the bell,
but it was Vilaca tagging Melanie Santos first and she was soon flying into the
sea.
Leg two
Santos increased the Portugal
advantage through the water, Emma Lombardi 5 seconds back with Germany’s
Annabel Knoll, Gwen Jorgensen for the USA +20s, Vittoria Lopes putting Brazil
within 45 seconds into T1.
Beth Potter was right with Lombardi
and Santos out onto the bike as a six-deep group then tried to work a getaway.
The Brit was on the power and dropped Santos but then the packs began to merge,
Lotte Miller and Julie Derron powering it it over, Jorgensen also now back in
touch.
As 12 teams hit transition together,
Miriam Casillas Garcia missed the dismount line to give Spain a 10-second
penalty, Lombardi slipping over too but recovering well.
Potter and Derron pulled away on lap
one but Lombardi and Jorgensen were flying, the American putting together
comfortably the fastest women’s leg, Ainsley Thorpe keeping New Zealand in the
hunt before Potter handed over to Max Stapley, Derron to Adrien Briffod, Jorgensen
to Darr Smith and Lombardi to Pierre Le Corre, Stapley leading Smith out into
T1.
Leg three
Hayden Wilde, Antonio Serrat Seoane
and Casper Stornes gave chase 20seconds behind the leaders but Stapley was out
front and pulling clear over the early stages of the bike, holding off Batista
and Smith as Wilde and Stornes surged up to them and Le Corre.
That bike effort would take a toll on
Stapley’s legs though as Wilde, Le Corre and Batista all caught him early in
the run, and it was the marauding New Zealander who was able to hand off first
to Brea Roderick for the final leg, Cassandre Beaugrand now right on her feet.
Leg Four
Fullager was able to swim GB back to
third and close to Roderick behind Beaugrand, now with 33 seconds to Maria Tome
and Noelia Juan for Portugal and Spain.
Fullagar and Roderick caught
Beaugrand on the first bike lap and the three then rode together while Solveig
Lovseth biked Norway into contention 20 seconds back, but the New Zealander
incurred a transition penalty for missing her bike rack.
Meanwhile Beaugrand had made ground
on Fullager with a slick transition and was on the pump to stretch the suddenly
growing gap knowing there was a penalty to serve. That she did at the end of
lap one, and still there was nothing Fullager could do to reign in the leader
whose time of 5m45s even with the penalty gave her an incredible window,
allowing the time to whip up the crowd on the final lap and down the blue
carpet to seal yet another fabulous French gold in Sunderland.
Fullager took silver to the home
crowd’s delight, Lovseth running Norway into bronze, New Zealand with fourth
and Sergio Baxter Cabrera taking Spain home in fifth.
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