I'll take two! Leonie Periault defends her title in style! Photos: Kevin Mackinnon
As if the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) Hamburg isn’t always a big enough event on its own, this year the drama started days ahead with a couple of stolen bikes. Not just any bikes, mind you – Beth Potter, one of the race favourites and her training partner Sian Rainsley, came perilously close to not being able to race.
According to Rainsley, she got up at 6 am on their travel day out of St Moritz, opened the garage to grab her bike, and was shocked to find it completely empty.
She walked back upstairs to pass on the distressing news, after which came the police report and the harsh reality that they had a race in a couple of days. She and Potter were told to head to the venue anyway and start working out contingencies — borrowed kit, someone else’s spare bike, whatever could be scraped together. Athletes and staff kept offering help, which took some of the edge off.
The break came from Rainsley’s partner and Nora, a Swiss triathlete friend, who tracked the bikes through an AirTag, passed the location to police, and traced them to a car. Nora drove out and hauled the bikes back herself — “an absolute superstar,” Rainsley said.
The bikes arrived the next morning, barely inside the window before the race. In just 24 hours the pair had moved from an empty garage to receiving their bikes – a stressful 24 hours, though.
Once that drama had been settled, we still had some action to keep an eye on before we could get focused on the racing here in Hamburg.
The two reigning Olympic gold medalists, Cassandre Beaugrand and Alex Yee, weren’t in Hamburg today because, as we had reported earlier this month, the pair were running at the prestigious Monaco Diamond League track and field meet.
Beaugrand would set a new French national record in the 3,000 m, running 8:32:86. While that was well off the winning pace of Agnes Ngetich, who was just a few seconds shy of the world record with her 8:08:95, it is still plenty fast and, well, faster than any other woman from France has gone of the distance, let alone any other French triathlete.
Yee wouldn’t have nearly as much fun – he would run well short of his own 13:13:89 personal best, stopping the clock in 13:27:79 for 12th.
Hat Trick for Hauser
Once we did finally get to race day Hamburg provided all the regular excitement that we’ve come to expect from one of the longest-running WTCS events on the circuit. The crowds here in Hamburg are second to none, and thanks to the beautiful weather this year was no different.
Devay leads out of the water, with Hauser close behind.
Hungary’s Mark Devay was first out of the water, but Hauser was right on his heels as the pair pounded up the ramp to the transition area. It took a few laps, but eventually a decent sized lead group of about 20 got together that included all the usual suspects – Hauser, Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca (who we profiled heading into the race) and Germany’s Henry Graf remained aggressive throughout, enabling the group to stay well clear of the chasers – they would hit T2 45 seconds ahead.
That chase group included Hayden Wilde, who was making a big step down in distance from all the T100 racing he’s been doing. The Kiwi has been battling some health issues over the last month, so it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that he wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders today, which wouldn’t have been good news for any of the men riding with him in the chase pack.
The lead group through 2.5 km.
A 45-second cushion over 5 km is more than enough for the likes of Hauser, Vilaca and Graf, but it was Canadian Charles Paquet who gave things a go halfway through the second of two laps on the run. Hauser was more than ready to deal with that challenge, though, and shortly afterwards made his move, pulling clear and driving to the finish for his third-straight win here in Hamburg. Vilaca hung tough for his third-straight runner-up finish, with Graf thrilling the German crowd taking the final spot on the podium.
One last look, but nothing to worry about here ... Hauser and Vilaca go 1-2 for the third year in a row.
| Pos | Athlete | Nation | Total time | Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Hauser | AUS | 00:50:07 | 00:08:31 (2) | 00:00:33 (=38) | 00:26:27 (=29) | 00:00:20 (=3) | 00:14:18 (1) |
| 2 | Vasco Vilaca | POR | 00:50:10 +0:03 | 00:08:46 (13) | 00:00:32 (=15) | 00:26:13 (=13) | 00:00:22 (=22) | 00:14:19 (2) |
| 3 | Henry Graf | GER | 00:50:15 +0:08 | 00:08:51 (=20) | 00:00:32 (=15) | 00:26:05 (2) | 00:00:23 (=38) | 00:14:25 (4) |
| 4 | Nils Serre Gehri | FRA | 00:50:19 +0:12 | 00:08:51 (=20) | 00:00:32 (=15) | 00:26:09 (7) | 00:00:20 (=3) | 00:14:30 (=5) |
| 5 | Charles Paquet | CAN | 00:50:20 +0:13 | 00:08:49 (=16) | 00:00:33 (=38) | 00:26:06 (=3) | 00:00:24 (=46) | 00:14:30 (=5) |
| 6 | Connor Bentley | GBR | 00:50:24 +0:17 | 00:08:49 (=16) | 00:00:32 (=15) | 00:26:12 (12) | 00:00:22 (=22) | 00:14:31 (7) |
| 7 | Vetle Bergsvik Thorn | NOR | 00:50:27 +0:20 | 00:08:43 (=8) | 00:00:32 (=15) | 00:26:14 (=16) | 00:00:22 (=22) | 00:14:37 (12) |
| 8 | Alberto Gonzalez Garcia | ESP | 00:50:32 +0:25 | 00:08:50 (=18) | 00:00:32 (=15) | 00:26:07 (5) | 00:00:20 (=3) | 00:14:45 (=16) |
| 9 | Tim Hellwig | GER | 00:50:33 +0:26 | 00:08:44 (=10) | 00:00:33 (=38) | 00:26:13 (=13) | 00:00:22 (=22) | 00:14:43 (13) |
| 10 | Tom Richard | FRA | 00:50:37 +0:30 | 00:08:41 (=6) | 00:00:34 (=46) | 00:26:16 (19) | 00:00:22 (=22) | 00:14:45 |
Periault Defends in Style
While she might not be the French record holder over 3,000 m on the track, France’s Leonie Periault was more that quick enough on the run today to take a second title here in Hamburg. The Frenchwoman was well back after the swim, which was led by Italy’s Bianca Seregni with Hungary’s Fanni Szalai and Germany’s Lisa Tertsch, the reigning world champion, close behind. Those three would make a go at getting clear, but eventually would be swallowed up by the huge group of 35 that formed at the front, ensuring that the race would come down to the run.
Seregni leads the way to T1.
Fanni Szalai did everything she could to help the three-woman break stick, but would eventually be caught by the main group.
Despite all the drama with her bike, Potter would put herself in an excellent position off the bike and would be second out onto the run course behind Switzerland’s Cathia Schar, but it was Periault and Tertsch who quickly moved to the front to set the pace. Sweden’s Tilda Månsson had a terrible transition and had to work her way through the pack to try and get in contention.
Bike stress and all, Potter put herself in a great position starting the run.
Then there were two. The German looks back halfway through the run, only to realize it's a race between her and Pariault for gold.
Into the second lap Periault started to apply pressure and would pull clear of Tertsch, which left a spirited battle for the final podium spot between Månsson, American Taylor Spivey and France’s Emma Lombardi. There was not stopping Periault as she flew to the win, with Tertsch thrilling the Hamburg crowd with second and Månsson finding another gear to keep Spivey off the podium.
Mansson would take third ahead of Spivey.
Sixth was enough to move Potter into first place in the WTCS standings. Good thing they found that bike!
| Pos | Athlete | Nation | Total time | Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leonie Periault | FRA | 00:55:51 | 00:09:59 (=27) | 00:00:37 (=41) | 00:28:56 (=9) | 00:00:23 (=15) | 00:15:56 (1) |
| 2 | Lisa Tertsch | GER | 00:55:56 +0:05 | 00:09:36 (4) | 00:00:33 (=4) | 00:29:20 (28) | 00:00:21 (=3) | 00:16:06 (3) |
| 3 | Tilda Månsson | SWE | 00:56:03 +0:12 | 00:10:05 (=36) | 00:00:36 (=34) | 00:28:49 (2) | 00:00:35 (52) | 00:15:58 (2) |
| 4 | Taylor Spivey | USA | 00:56:05 +0:14 | 00:09:48 (7) | 00:00:35 (=24) | 00:29:04 (=25) | 00:00:25 (=32) | 00:16:13 (4) |
| 5 | Emma Lombardi | FRA | 00:56:08 +0:17 | 00:09:57 (=18) | 00:00:33 (=4) | 00:28:58 (=13) | 00:00:26 (=41) | 00:16:14 (5) |
| 6 | Beth Potter | GBR | 00:56:15 +0:24 | 00:09:55 (=14) | 00:00:34 (=15) | 00:28:58 (=13) | 00:00:22 (=6) | 00:16:26 (9) |
| 7 | Roksana Slupek | POL | 00:56:18 +0:27 | 00:09:57 (=18) | 00:00:36 (=34) | 00:28:59 (=15) | 00:00:25 (=32) | 00:16:21 (6) |
| 8 | Jeanne Lehair | LUX | 00:56:19 +0:28 | 00:09:54 (=11) | 00:00:33 (=4) | 00:29:02 (=22) | 00:00:22 (=6) | 00:16:28 (10) |
| 9 | Fanni Szalai | HUN | 00:56:19 +0:28 | 00:09:30 (2) | 00:00:36 (=34) | 00:29:26 (31) | 00:00:25 (=32) | 00:16:22 (7) |
| 10 | Diana Isakova | AIN | 00:56:23 +0:32 | 00:09:55 (=14) | 00:00:38 (=48) | 00:29:00 (=18) | 00:00:25 (=32) | 00:16:25 |