Wilde, Beaugrand Capture WTCS Leeds
Hayden Wilde of New Zealand ascended the first World Triathlon podium of his career and Georgia Taylor-Brown kept the women’s top ranking of the 2022 season with victories at the World Triathlon Series Championship in the sprint event at Leeds today.
Men
A sizzling fast 14:11 5k run propelled Wilde to sprint past rival Leo Bergere with 2.5 k to go to win by a 10 seconds margin at AJ Bell WTSC Leeds. Lasse Luhrs of Germany prevailed in a photo finish (equal 53:38 recorded time) over Vasco Vilaca of Portugal for the Luhrs’ first ever World Triathlon bronze.
While Wilde was thrilled with his victory, his involvement in a first lap crash on the bike leg left him with regrets. When the pack was starting to get organized, a crash ended with Alex Yee (GBR), Jonny Brownlee (GBR) and Dylan McCollough (NZL) on the ground and out of the race. “I have mixed emotions right now”, Wilde told World Triathlon media after crossing the finish line. “I’d like to firstly apologize to Jonny Brownlee, Alex Yee and my teammate Dylan McCullough. Up the hill, Dylan [McCullough] had his shoulder out a touch, a bit of wind blew, I hit him and a few people came down. That’s how racing goes. It’s bitter-sweet. I am really sorry for Jonny and the British boys, it’s their home town and I really wanted to race them properly.”
Leading the men out of 750-meter wetsuit swim was Hungarian Mark Devay who led young Miguel Hidalgo of Brazil by a few seconds and a strong pack of Frenchmen including Vincent Luis, Bergere, Pierre Le Corre, and Tom Richard. A swift transition gave Bergere and Vincent a 10 seconds margin over Alex Yee and Jonny Brownlee of Great Britain, and Marten Van Riel of Belgium.
By the time they had passed halfway through the 20km bike course, they had nearly a minute the big chase pack. But a crash left Yee, Brownlee, and McCullough on the ground and out of the race. By the end of the bike leg, Bergere and Vincent had a 30 seconds lead over a chase pack including Richard Murray of South Africa, Antonio Serrat Seoane of Spain, Jelle Geens of Belgium and Vasco Vilaca of Portugal.
While most anticipated a Bergere-Luis duel to the finish, the two-time World Triathlon world champion miscounted the laps on the bike and flew through transition just barely able to stop before hitting a fence and had to turn around and go back to transition to rack his bike well back of Bergere and the leaders.
While Bergere had a sizeable gap on his chasers, Hayden Wilde charged hard and reeled in the Frenchman halfway through the 5k run. Wilde set the fastest split of the day on the run – 14.11 – that was enough to win the race and also to put him in the second place of the Maurice Lacroix World Triathlon Championship Series ranking.
After the crash, Wilde gathered his wits and charged. “I tried to go out in front and chase Vincent (Luis) and Leo (Bergere) but they were just too strong out there today on the bike. I actually thought I blew my legs up, I really struggled on the first hill but then started to get some momentum and then just found the legs on the second lap of the run and just went for it.”
“It feels like a win because I really put everything inside this breakaway with Vincent (Luis),” said Bergere. “I am really happy to share this intense moment with my teammate and friend. He had a bit of bad luck in T2, but it was good sportsmanship and it didn’t work for the win but congratulations to Hayden (Wilde), he was just strong and that’s it for today.”
WTCS Leeds
Leeds, Great Britain
June 11, 2022
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k
Men's Results
1. Hayden Wilde (NZL) S 8:58 T1 1:04 B 28:45 T2 00:23 R 14:11 TOT 53:18
2. Leo Bergere (FRA) S 8:44 T1 1:06 B 28:28 T2 00:19 R 14:52 TOT 53:28
3. Lasse Luhrs (GER) S 8:51 T1 1:03 B 28:53 T2 00:21 R 14:33 TOT 53:38
4. Vasco Vilaca (POR) S 8:53 T1 1:04 b 28:48 T2 00:22 R 14:33 TOT 53:38
5. Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER) S 8:57 T1 1:04 B 28:46 T2 00:20 R 14:37 TOT 53:42
6. Michele Sarzilla (ITA) S 8:43 T1 1:08 B 28:54 T2 00:18 R 14:52 TOT 53:53
7. Richard Murray (RSA) S 9:02 T1 1:04 B 28:40 T2 00:23 R 14:50 TOT 53:57
8. Jelle Geens (BEL) S 8:52 T1 1:03 B 28:51 T2 00:21 R 14:53 TOT 53:59
Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP) S 8:57 T1 1:09 B 28:39 T2 00:21 R 14:56 TOT 54:00
9. Vincent Luis (FRA) S 8:43 T1 28:29 B 28:29 T2 00:04 R 15:43 TOT 54:01
16. Matthew McElroy (USA) S 9:09 T1 01:07 B 29:07 T2 00:20 R 14:37 TOT 54:18
42. Seth Rider (USA) S 8:59 T1 01:01 B 29:13 T2 00:21 R 16:29 TOT 56:10
DNF Alex Yee (GBR) S 8:54 T1 1:04
DNF Dorian Coninx (FRA) S 8:48 T1 1:04
DNF Kevin McDowell (USA) S 9:05 T1 1:06
DNF Chase McQueen (USA) S 9:01 T1 1:07
DNF Dylan McCullough (FRA) S 8:54 T1 1:05
DNF Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) S 8:54 T1 1:04
DNF Marc Dubrick (USA) S 9:06 T1 1:08
Women
In the women’s swim, Sophie Coldwell of Great Britain, Taylor Spivey of the U.S. and Flora Duffy of Bermuda took the early lead on the bike. But by the end of th4e second lap, Coldwell and Spivey dropped Duffy, who joined a chase pack including Taylor-Brown, Beth Potter and Sian Rainsley. No matter how hard the chasers pursued, Coldwell and Spivey carved out a 30 seconds lead at T2.
Coldwell and Spivey began the run side by side but during the first of two laps, Coldwell dropped Spivey. Behind Coldwell, Cassandre Beaugrand of France, and Georgia Taylor-Brown and Beth Potter of the UK, zeroed in on Coldwell and reduced her lead to a few seconds beginning the final lap.
Beaugrand made the big move on the second lap but faced serving a 10-seconds penalty before crossing the finish line. But on her way to a women’s-fastest 16:10 5k run, Beaugrand had enough time in hand to secure the victory. Beaugrand finished in 59:03 with a 9 seconds margin over Taylor-Brown and 12 seconds on third -place Coldwell.
After the race, Taylor-Brown told World Triathlon media: “It was really, really hard today. I had a really rubbish start, so I just had to make sure that didn’t get to me. I just had to think, ‘Okay we are over that now, let’s move on and just try and work hard throughout.’ The bike didn’t really get moving but Sophie was incredible at the front, she was just pulling more and more time away. I thought ‘Oh god, that is ridiculous.’ “I’m so proud of Soph today, and it’s so nice to share the podium with another Brit. The crowd were incredible, you just hear your name all over the course and they keep pushing you all the way to the end. They definitely got us round today.”
Commenting on her second successive bronze medal in Leeds, Coldwell said: “It feels pretty epic. I don’t know why I was so nervous coming into this race. I’m so glad to be back racing and to get back on the podium, especially here. I’m over the moon, I can’t ask for anything more.”
Women's Results
1. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) S 9:09 T1 1:11 B 32:13 T2 00:22 R 16:10 TOT 59:03
2. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) S 9:18 T1 1:13 B 32:00 T2 00:23 R 16:21 TOT 59:12
3. Sophie Coldwell (GBR) S 9:14 T1 1:07 B 31:34 T2 00:21 R 17:01 TOT 59:15
4. Taylor Spivey (USA)b S 9:12 T1 1:10 B 31:33 T2 00:21 R 17:01 TOT 59:22
5. Beth Potter (GBR) S 9:19 T1 1:10 B 32:04 T2 00:21 R 16:29 TOT 59:22
6. Laura Lindemann (GER) S 9:15 T1 1:09 B 32:08 T2 00:22 R 16:47 TOT 59:39
7. Flora Duffy (BER) S 9:11 T1 01:08 B 32:14 T2 00:24 R 16:51 TOT 59:44
8. Anabel Knoll (GER) S 9:35 T1 1:11 B 31:45 T2 00:23 R 16:56 TOT 59:48
9. Julie Derron (SUI) S 9:47 T1 1:09 B 31:37 T2 00:26 R 17:03 TOT 59:59
10. Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP) S 9:45 T1 1:06 B 31:44 T2 00:22 R 17:05 TOT 59:59
12. Kirsten Kasper (USA) S 9:20 T1 1:08 B 32:04 T2 00:22 R 17:11 TOT 1:00:03
26. Erika Ackerlund (USA) S 9:33 T1 01:09 B 32:43 T2 00:23 R 17:29 TOT 1:01:15
46. Summer Rappaport (USA) S 9:20 T1 1:15 B 34:33 T2 00:24 R 18:07 TOT 1:03:37
