French Invade England, Sweep Gold and Silver at WTCS Sunderland
Pierre Le Corre won his first WTCS series gold with a nerve-wracking sprint finish over 2022 WTCS World Champion Leo Bergere. While a late race fade dropped him to third place, 15 seconds off the win, New Zealander Hayden Wilde took the series points lead by a slim margin from Vasco Vilaca of Portugal, who took 4th on the day.
In a less dramatic conclusion to the women’s contest, Cassandre Beaugrand won her second WTCS gold in two weeks with an 18-seconds margin over countrywoman Emma Lombardi at Sunderland, United Kingdom. Annika Koch of Germany relished her third-place finish as it represented her first podium finish in the WTCS series.
Men's Recap
In a vintage day for French triathlon, in a new venue in the north of England, Le Corre prevailed in a fierce three-man duel on the final lap of the 5k run. With a few meters to go, Wilde was the first to fall back, leaving Le Corre and Berger to give the last full measure of their energy for tricolor glory. In an equal timed 54:06, Le Corre broke the tape first with a superior lean.
“I didn’t have a good start to the day, the swim was not my best,” Le Corre told World Triathlon media. “Then I had to bridge the gap to the first group. On the bike I felt great, I thought that this was going to be a good day for me. I train with Leo all the summer, and we have a special ‘Hayden Wilde’ training session – we trained for this situation, so we knew when we should attack him. We played his game and it worked. I have been waiting five years for this (first ever WTCS victory), so I am really happy!”
On a sunny but chilly day on a wind-swept course, 59 men took off from a knee-deep water start necessitated by a tide that washed sharp pebbles on the beach. Wilde and Vilaca took the right side of the start and Bergere and Jonas Schomburg the left. By the finish of the 750 meters course, Chase McQueen of the U.S. and Diego Moya of Chile led to the beach in 8:48 and 8:49. Brock Hoel of Canada, Mark Devay of Hungary and Jonas Schomburg of Germany were next, 4 seconds arrears and Leo Bergere one more second back. With the swimmers packed solid like sardines, race favorites Le Corre, Henri Schoeman of South Africa and Hayden Wilde were 21st to 32nd – 11 seconds behind.
Once on the bikes, Jonas Schomburg and series debutante Max Stapley burst into the lead, while Wilde led a chase group that included Le Corre and Vasco Vilaca, Manoel Messias and Mario Mola a minute off the front.
Approaching T2, Bergere, Batista and Tayler Reid surged into 10 seconds gap when they racked their bikes. While Batista missed his bike rack and lost seconds, while Wilde gained 5 seconds on Bergere with a smooth transition. After posting a gap in the first kilometer of the run, Le Corre and Bergere worked together to set up their training strategy to take down the New Zealander. Setting the stage for the finale, Le Corre, Bergere and Wilde led Vilaca by 11 seconds, Schoeman and Vetle Bergvik Thorn of Norway by 25 seconds.
After a failed breakaway, Bergere hit the front. Then he and Le Corre dropped Wilde down the hill to the blue carpet, Bergere momentarily led by a length, but Le Corre surged past at the tape.
Men's Results
1. Pierre Le Corre FRA S 8:59 T1 00:46 B 29:14 T2 00:32 R 14:37 TOT 54:06
2. Leo Bergere FRA S 8:53 T1 00:40 B 29:15 T2 00:34 R 14:46 TOPTB 54:06
3. Hayden Wilde NZL S 9:02 T1 00:39 B 29:18 T2 00:30 R 14:55 TOT 54:21
4. Vasco Vilaca POR S 9:02 T1 00:43 B 29:15 T2 00:36 R 14:51 TOT 54:25
5. Richard Murray NED S 9:06 T1 00:450 B 219:16 T2 00:37 R 14:50 TOT 54:27
6. Henri Schoeman RSA S 9:02 T1 00:46 B 29:13 T2 00:34 R 14:56 TOT 54:28
7. Tom Richard FRA S 8:54 T1 0:44 B 29:24 T2 00:33 R 14:58 TOT 54:30
8. Barclay Izzard GBR S 9:01 T1 00:38 B 29:22 T2 00:33 R 15:01 TOT 54:32
9. Antonio Serrat Seoane ESP S 8:57 T1 00:46 B 29:19 T2 00:39 R 54:39 TOT 54:39
10. Ricardo Batista ESP S 8:56 T1 00:42 B 29:11 T2 00:41 R 15:12 TOT 54:40
Women's Recap
Two weeks after her victory at WTCS Hamburg, Cassandre Beaugrand extended her winning streak with a decisive win at the first WTCS Sunderland, and serving notice to her rivals she will meet at the Olympic Test Event next month.
Third out of the water with a 9:20 split, Beaugrand and Therese Feursinger of Switzerland got away together for the first bike lap but had under 10 seconds to the chasers including Lombardi and Koch. Soon caught by a group of seven out front. Lotte Miller and Lena Meissner led the chase group 19 seconds back at the halfway point of the 21km bike, but at the bell they’d come together and it was Olivia Mathias leading the packed grandstand. Lotte Miller pulled out with a back spasm and suddenly it was Lombardi with daylight out of transition, Rachel Klamer in close pursuit with Cathia Schar, Julie Derron and Leonie Periault giving chase and Beaugrand five seconds back.
Midway through the run, Beaugrand held a short lead on Emma Lombardi and Annika Koch shortly behind in third. Beaugrand then drew away and opened up a 15 seconds lead as she took the final hill alone. Lombardi looked pleased with a third Series silver, as did Koch with her first podium and followed across the line by Leonie Periault, Marlene Gomez-Goggel of Germany fifth ahead of Rachel Klamer.
In her continued comeback, 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen finished 24th of the 59 women entrants. Signs of optimism: 22nd swim split at 25 seconds off the lead and second-best 16:16 run split, 6 seconds off race winner Beaugrand’s mark.
Women’s Results
1. Cassandre Beaugrand FRA S 9:20 T1 00:41 B 33:09 T2 00:35 R 16:10 TOT 59:53
2. Emma Lombardi FRA S 9:28 T1 00:41 B 32:58 T2 00:34 R 16:33 TOT 1:00:11
3. Annika Koch GER S 9:31 T1 00:41 B 32:55 T2 00:38 R 16:34 TOT 1:00:17
4. Leonie Periault FRA S 9:45 T1 00:47 B 32:39 T2 00:38 R 16:35 TOT 1:00:22
5. Marlene Gomez-Goggel GER S 9:39 T1 00:49 B 32:42 T2 00:39 R 16:38 TOT 1:00:25
6. Rachel Klamer NED S 9:39 T1 00:45 B 42:44 T2 00:35 R 16:49 TOT 1:00:30
7. Julie Derron SUI S 9:43 T1 00:47 B 32:37 T2 00:36 R 16:52 TOT 1:00:34
8. Nicole Van Der Kaay NZL S 9:33 T1 00:44 B 32:54 T2 00:38 R 16:52 TOT 1:00:38
9. Cathia Schär SUI S 9:56 T1 00:46 B 32:26 T2 00:35 R 17:02 TOT 1:00:43
10. Melanie Santos POR S 9:35 T1 00:49 B 32:47 T2 00:37 R 17:00 TOPT 1:00:46
13. Erika Ackerlund USA S 9:48 T1 00:45 B 32:35 T2 00:41 R 17:11 TOT 1:00:58
24. Gwen Jorgensen USA S 9:41 T1 00:52 B 34:56b T2 00:38 R 16:16 TOT 1:02:21
31 Gina Sereno USA S 9:48 T1 00:49 B 34:52 T2 00:35 R 00:36 TOT 1:03:06
