Beth Potter, Matt Hauser triumph at WTCS Montreal
Beth Potter continued the 4th in a row winning streak by British women in the World Triathlon Championship Series with a 2 seconds margin over runner-up Leonie Periault of France at Montreal. Matthew Hauser of Australia captured his first WTCS victory with a race-best swim and a similarly dominant 14:23 5k run to outpace Manoel Messias of Brazil by 11 seconds.
Potter outsprinted Frenchwoman Periault in the final meters to grab the victory in a signal performance by the Frenchwoman who had a discouraging start to the season. Summer Rappaport of the U.S. took the bronze medal, 9 seconds behind Potter and 7 seconds behind Periault.
Hauser broke fast off the pontoon with a race-best 8:02 swim split and closed hard with a race-best 14:23 5k run split that gave him a 6 seconds margin over Manoel Messias of Brazil, and 11 seconds over third place finisher Jelle Geens of Belgium. Tim Hellwig of Germany took 4th place, 1 second behind Geens. Still off his prime Olympic gold winning form, Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway took 5th place, 18 seconds off Hauser’s mark and 2 seconds behind Hellwig.
Women’s race recap
The sun was shining bright throughout the weekday in Montreal, but by the start at the Old Port pontoon rain was falling and promising a slickery lack of traction on the bike. Throwing the expected start off form, Taylor Knibb of the U.S. was late to the triathletes’ briefing because she opted to race the USA Cycling Time Trial Nationals on Thursday morning where she finished 4th – two seconds off the podium. Because she was late to the meeting, Knibb had to serve a 10 seconds penalty at T1, which minimized her chance of a solo breakaway.
Setting up a Great Britain versus U.S.A. battle, the British squad including Georgia Taylor-Brown, Sophie Coldwell and Kate Waugh lined up on the right side of the pontoon, while U.S. stars Taylor Spivey, Taylor Knibb and Summer Rappaport opted for the left. Smack in the center was Katie Zaferes of the U.S., who obtained a last-minute start at the wait list.
Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes led the field out of the water, with Knibb right on her heels, hoping to build up a lead that would erase the 10 seconds she would lose in the penalty box. However close she was to break away from a chase group that included Rappaport, Coldwell, Zaferes, Waugh, Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal of Mexico and Taylor-Brown were trying to lose the pack.
After a fast transition, Knibb broke out front, just a few wheel lengths ahead of Rappaport and the duo opened a 15-seconds gap. Rappaport and Knibb arrived at T2 together, whereupon Rappaport burst out the transition with a short lead over Knibb. Hot on their heels were Zsanett Bragmayer of Hungary and fast runners that included Periault, Zaferes, Potter, Jeanne Lehair of Luxembourg, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Cathia Schar of Switzerland..
Lehair and her fleet feet took the lead and went on the chase of Rappaport, taking Periault and Potter with her to chase Knibb and then join Rappaport on the lead of the race. Behind them, Zaferes, Taylor-Brown and Knibb worked hard to hold off Spivey and Bragmayer, but not hard enough to catch the leaders. With Rappaport and Periault at full gas, Potter found more energy to take her second win of the season and her career.
“I didn’t have a great swim today but I just made sure I stayed cool and calm and worked hard on the first two laps of the bike and got back on,” Potter told World Triathlon media. “I was not actually sure where she (Taylor Knibb) was and I was thinking if she’s in front of me, I am in trouble. She was in front of me and I still managed to get there so that was a big confidence boost,” said the Brit after her victory.
Second in the sprint finish was Leonie Periault, encouraging after a disappointing start of the season. “I am just very happy for my race,” she told World Triathlon media. “The last month has been really difficult for me. To take the second today, it’s amazing. Now my focus is the Paris Olympic Test Event.”
Rappaport was quite happy with her race. “I am thrilled,” she told World Triathlon media. “It’s been a really difficult couple of years, I thought about quitting probably more days than not. I think sport is about having struggles and standing back up and keeping on fighting. I am not going to quit on myself because of hard times. I was pretty proud of myself today. I switched training groups, I am training now with Ian O’Brien now and Taylor (Knibb) is one of my training partners. I have been working really hard in training so it was really good to put it together. I was surprised when it was just the two of us and I thought, I know what I’ve got to do. I am very happy I didn’t quit.”
Fourth today was Jeanne Lehair, the current European Champion, in a steady improvement curve after her 5th place at Cagliari. Katie Zaferes is also on the road to regain her high form after her maternity.
WTCS Montreal Women’s Results
1. Beth Potter GBR S 9:22 T1 1:47 B 30:17 T2 00:37 R 16:08 TOT 58:10
2. Leonie Periault FRA S 9:09 T1 1:55 B 30:25 T2 00:38 R 16:08 TOT 58:12
3. Summer Rappaport USA S 8:54 T1 1:55 B 30:21 T2 00:36 R 16:35 TOT 58:19
4. Jeanne Lehair LUX S 9:23 T1 1:50 B 30:14 T2 00:38 R 16:25 TOT 58:28
5. Katie Zaferes USA S 8:56 T1 1:54 B 30:40 T2 00:36 R 16:31 TOT 58:33
6. Taylor Knibb USA S 8:52 T1 2:01 B 30:18 T2 00:39 R 16:49 TOT 58:36
7. Georgia Taylor-Brown GBR S 9:00 T1 1:51 B 30:34 T2 00:39 R 16:44 TOT 58:45
8. Zsannett Bragmayer HUN S 9:04 T1 1:51 B 30:28 T2 00:32 R 16:53 TOT 58:46
9. Taylor Spivey USA S 8:59 T1 1:52 B 30:35 T2 00:36 R 16:51 TOT 58:51
10. Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto COL S 9:25 T1 1:48 B 30:13 T2 00:39 R 16:50 TOT 58:54
18. Kirsten Kasper USA S 8:56 T1 1:55 B 30:35 T2 00:36 R 17:09 TOT 59:10
21. Erika Ackerlund USA S 9:23 T1 1:53 B 30:11 T2 00:37 R 17:21 TOT 59:24
World Triathlon Championship Series – Points Standings
Women
1. Taylor Spivey USA 2690.77
2. Summer Rappaport USA 2357.47
3. Georgia Taylor-Brown GBR 2347.99
4. Jeanne Lehair LUX 2237.37
5. Beth Potter GBR 2177.19
6. Sophie Coldwell GBR 1988.03
7. Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal MEX 1925.88
8. Emma Lombardi FRA 1895.52
9. Lisa Tertsch GER 1550.58
10. Nina Eim GER 1464.34
Men’s Race Recap
Matt Hauser made a career landmark as he scored the first WTCS win by 11 seconds over Manoel Messias of Brazil and 15 seconds over Jelle Geens of Belgium. Hauser took the early lead with an 8:02 swim split that gave him a 2 seconds lead over Kanji Never of Japan, followed closely by Jamie Riddle of South Africa, and Nicola Strada of Italy. Notables finished the 750-meter swim in a tight pack some 40 seconds back – including a Norwegian duo – Olympic Gold Medalist Kristian Blummenfelt and Ironman World Champion Gustav Iden.
The 400 meter uphill run to T1 gave several swim-challenged/strong cyclists a chance to make up for lost ground as rain made the bike course a slippery surface that demanded caution. Seizing the initiative, Marten Van Riel of Belgium took the lead followed closely by Jonathan Brownlee, Kenji Nener, Hauser pushing the lead pack.
Blummenfelt, determined to make it to the front, made the lead group which he eventually did in the fourth lap out of six, with almost everyone trying to stay out of trouble. Playing it safe did not work for Vasco Vilaca of Portugal, who crashed with a lap to go but managed to continue the race, knowing that he needed to finish to claim the Series leadership.
A huge pack of athletes made it to T2 in a pack, and it was Roberto Sanchez Mantecon of Spain the quickest, followed by Bence Bicsak of Hungary, Behind them, a group of eight athletes such as Hauser, Geens, Messias), Hellwig, Jonas Schomburg of Germany, Blummenfelt and Nener maintained a safe place in the large chase pack.
With 1km to go Hauser found an extra gear on his pocket, and only Messias was able to follow, while Geens, Blummenfelt and Hellwig fought for the bronze. Hauser headed to the blue carpet all smiles, his first gold in the World Triathlon Series, a victory that paves his way to the 5th in Series Rankings.
“I’ve just been building my momentum,” said Hauser. “After Yokohama, where I finished second, I knew I had a better lead-up in preparation. felt good out there and got the job done. It’s instinct, you’ve just got to act in the moment. I knew the sooner I went, the better. I was lucky enough to break them up but it was a big group of guys on the run and it certainly wasn’t wrapped up until the end.”
Behind Hauser, Messias took his second silver medal this season after the one he got in Abu Dhabi in March. “I am very happy,” he said. “Training is working well and I am happy.”
Geens took his first podium of this season and second of his career. “Coming back to the place where you won your first WTCS, it just feels good and the whole week here, I just love this city. I love the vibe. I love the race. I had a bit of a rough winter with a big crash and a big concussion, I think it took me longer than expected to recover. I wouldn’t say I am 100% but I am getting there."
WTCS Montreal Men
Montreal, Canada
June 24, 2023
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Men’s Results
1. Matthew Hauser AUS 8:02 T1 1:42 B 29:10 T2 00:32 R 14:23 TOT 53:47
2. Manoel Messias BRA S 8:32 T1 1:40 28:34 T2 00:36 R 14:29 TOT 53:58
3. Jelle Geens BEL S 8:28 T1 1:44 B 28:40 T2 00:34 R 14:38 TOT 54:02
4. Tim Hellwig GER S 8:06 T1 1:42 B 29:04 T2 00:35 R 14:37 TOT 54:03
5. Kristian Blummenfelt NOR S 8:36 T1 1:44 B 28:32 T2 00:36 R 14:40 TOT 54:05
6. Bence Bicsak HUN S 8:22 T1 1:45 B 28:46 T2 00:32 R 14:45 TOT 54:07
7. Charles Paquet CAN S 8:22 T1 1:42 B 28:50 T2 00:40 R 14:39 TOT 54:10
8. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon ESP S 8:38 T1 1:40 B 28:33 T2 00:31 R 14:53 TOT 54:15
9. Marten Van Riel BEL S 8:11 T1 1:39 B 29:03 T2 00:34 R 14:53 TOT 54:18
10. Kenji Nener JPN S 8:04 T1 1:44 B 29:04 T2 00:34 R 14:55 TOT 54:19
34. Chase McQueen USA S 8:06 T1 1:48 B 28:58 T2 00:35 R 16:50 TOT 56:16
44. Seth Rider USA S 8:12 T1 1:48 B 28:52 T2 00:36 R 18:18 TOT 57:44
DNF Matthew McElroy USA S 8:19 T1 1:40 B 28:57 T2 00:37 R 0:00 TOT 0:00
World Triathlon Championship Series Points Standings
Men
1. Vasco Vilaca POR 2206.99
2. Dorian Coninx FRA 2131.97
3. Leo Bergere FRA 2095.61
4. Hayden Wilde NZL 1947.46
5. Matthew Hauser AUS 18`14.28
6. Alex Yee GBR 1750.00
7. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 1627.28
8. Kenji Nener JPN 1550.36
9. Jonas Schomburg GER 1503.56
10. Kristian Blummenfelt NOR 1464.22
