Zaferes rockets to WTS lead with Bermuda win
After her second straight 2019 WTS win at Bermuda Saturday, Katie Zaferes of the U.S. took a big lead in season points standings. So far, she avenged her razor-thin 2018 World Championship loss to Vicky Holland in the Grand Final where Zaferes fell 31 seconds behind Holland for what amounted to a match play loss of the title.
In Bermuda, Zaferes, Jessica Learmonth of Great Britain, Lotte Miller of Norway and Vicky Holland of Great Britain joined in a four-woman breakaway on the bike that gave the quartet a 2:20 lead over all chasers at T2.
After Holland dropped back out of the top 10 and Miller faded to 8th on the run, Zaferes stormed away with a 3rd-best 34:46 10k run to finish in 1:59:52 with a 1:41 margin of victory over Learmonth (36:32 run) and 2:13 over Joanna Brown of Canada, who closed with a race-best 34:37 run to take her first WTS podium.
Lisa Perterer of Austria closed with a 34:39 run to take 4th place, 9 seconds behind Brown. Georgia Taylor-Brown of Great Britain ran 34:51 to take 5th, 8 seconds behind Perterer.
Taylor Spivey of the U.S., who just missed the four woman bike breakaway and rode the whole bike leg in an energy-sapping solo effort, recovered just enough energy on the run to take 6th place and hold on to 3rd place in the WTS season points standings.
After her two wins, Zaferes took a big lead in WTS standings with 2,000 points, leading Jessica Learmonth with 1781 points, Spivey with 1602, Taylor-Brown with 1268, Miller with 1256 and Non Stanford with 1124. Holland, who finished 8th in Abu Dhabi and 15th at Bermuda, stands 8th with 915 points.
WTS Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda
April 27, 2019
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Results
Elite Women
1. Katie Zaferes (USA) 1:59:52 S 19:13 T1 00:42 B 1:04:43 T2 00:29 R 34:46
2. Jessica Learmonth (GBR) 2:01:33 S 19:07 T1 00:45 T2 00:24 R 36:32
3. Joanna Brown (CAN) 2:02:05 S 19:57 T1 00:42 B 1:06:28 T2 00:23 R 34:37
4. Lisa Perterer (AUT) 2:02:14 S 19:52 T1 00:40 B 1:06:37 T2 00:28 R 34:39
5. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) 2:02:22 S 19:52 T1 00:44 B 1:06:32 T2 34:51
6. Taylor Spivey (USA) 2:02:40 S 19:17 T1 00:41 B 1:07:11 T2 00:26 R 35:07
7. Angelica Olmo (ITA) 2:02:53 S 19:48 T1 00:44 B 1:06:36 T2 00:24 R 35:22
8. Lotte Miller (NOR) 2:03:05 S 19:15 T1 00:43 B 1:04:40 T2 00:28 R 38:02
9. Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) 2:03:37 S 19:17 T1 00:42 B 1:07:11 T2 00:29 R 35:59
10. Julia Hauser (AUT) 2:03:40 S 19:50 T1 00:46 B 1:06:36 T2 00:29 R 36:01
12. Summer Rappaport (USA) 2:03:54 S 19:10 T1 00:45 B 1:08:49 T2 00:23 R 34:49
18. Chelsea Burns (USA) 2:05:31 S 19:55 T1 00:42 B 1:08:05 T2 00:29 R 36:22
DNF Tamara Gordon (USA)
DNF Rene Tomlin (USA)
WTS Rankings
1. Katie Zaferes (USA) 2,000
2. Jessica Learmonth (GBR) 1781
3. Taylor Spivey (USA) 1602
4. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) 1268
5. Lotte Miller (NOR) 1256
6. Non Stanford (GBR) 1124
7. Lisa Perterer (AUT) 957
8. Vicky Holland (GBR) 915
9. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) 872
10. Joanna Brown (CAN) 856
12. Taylor Knibb (USA) 791
16. Chelsea Burns (USA) 577
20. Summer Rappaport (USA) 495
