Year: 2023

Breaking Down Round 4 of the Men’s Bundesliga 2023

Benjamin Eastman

The men’s race in Tübingen saw Buschhütten extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga after Simon Westermann recovered from a fall on the bike to take a brilliant win. Whereas Team Saar seemed like they would close the gap after a comprehensive win in Düsseldorf, they found themselves on the back foot in the penultimate round of the season. Further down the rankings, three teams are tied on points in the race for the top-4. As the campaign enters its final round, a number of teams could make last-minute…

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What You Need To Know About The WTCS Sunderland Course

Benjamin Eastman

Sunderland will make its bow in the WTCS this weekend. With a new location comes a new course. The Sprint distance event will involve a sea swim of 750m followed by a slightly longer than normal 21.3km on the bike. A 5km run consisting of two laps will then wrap up the race. You can view the map of the course below. The first thing to note about the swim is that it is almost guaranteed to involve the wetsuits given that the local sea temperature usually peaks between 14…

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Where Are The Previous European Youth Champions Now?

Benjamin Eastman

Until 2016, the European Youth Championships were held as a relay and were contested alongside the European U23 Championships. Since then, however, European Youth athletes have competed for individual gold over the Super Sprint distance. Following the wins of Fanni Szalai and Tristan Douche in Banyoles last week on the back of impressive performances, what can be gleamed for the experiences of previous winners? More specifically, who are the previous individual winners of the Youth Championships and how have their careers unfolded since? When it comes to the 2022 event,…

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Do British Triathletes Perform Better In The UK Than Elsewhere?

Benjamin Eastman

Like Germany, Britain has been a fixture on the WTCS circuit. London hosted a WTCS stop between 2009 and 2015 (with the exception of 2012 when preparations for the Olympic Games prevented it). Thereafter, the event moved to Leeds between 2016 and 2022 (again, with the exception of 2020 when the Series was cancelled). Plenty of data therefore exists with which the performances of the British team can be assessed. As the season shifts from Hamburg to Sunderland, we can ask the same question of British athletes that we did…

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Britain Drops Out Of WTCS Hosting Duties For 2024

Benjamin Eastman

Yesterday, British Triathlon announced that they would not be hosting a stop in the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Series. Originally, the plan had been to return the event to Leeds after taking the race to Sunderland this year. However, British Triathlon have confirmed that this will no longer be possible. The primary obstacle to the continued presence of a British WTCS race is financial. As per British Triathlon’s statement, “the costs of hosting WTCS races has been escalating for several years. Following a detailed feasibility process and in consultation with…

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Beaugrand To Back Up Hamburg Win In Sunderland

Benjamin Eastman

A French sweep of the women’s podium could well be on the cards at WTCS Sunderland. After a flawless display at WTCS Hamburg, Cassandre Beaugrand will be racing again. Wearing number 1, she will be favoured to make it two wins from two races. Up against her will be Leonie Periault and Emma Lombardi, both of whom have won a silver medal at a WTCS race this season. They three French athletes are not just the only athletes starting with WTCS medals in 2023; they also comprise three-quarters of the…

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Westermann Rallies in Tübingen as Tertsch Wins Again

Benjamin Eastman

A decisive blow was made in the race for the Bundesliga crown in the fourth round in Tübingen. In the women’s race, Buschhütten were looking to complete a perfect season and build towards the largest winning margin on record. Their male counterparts, though, were locked in a battle with Team Saar for the title. Over the Sprint distance event, both races proved to be significant moments in the season. Women’s race  Laura Lindemann was a late withdrawal from Tübingen, robbing Potsdam of one of their best chances of a win while…

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Hóbor and Vrablova Win European Junior Cup in Tabor

Benjamin Eastman

One of the most demanding courses on the Junior circuit awaited the athletes lining up to start the European Junior Cup in Tabor. Falling between the World Junior Championships and the European Junior Championships, the race offered an ideal hit-out for athletes looking to keep up their sharpness. Many got more than they bargained for, though, over the Sprint distance event. Men’s race Breakaways were the order of the day which meant one man had to be at the fore. After riding in breaks at the European Junior Cup in…

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Could Vilaca Trump Wilde At WTCS Sunderland?

Benjamin Eastman

In many regards, 2023 has been a breakthrough year for Vasco Vilaca. For years, his talent has been clear, not least since he earned a stunning silver medal at the 2020 single day world championships. Over the winter, though, he seemed to find a new level and has been rewarded with three WTCS medals this season. His form has placed him at the top of the WTCS standings and earmarks him as the primary challenger to Hayden Wilde at WTCS Sunderland this weekend. Wilde, for that matter, sits right behind…

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Interview: Márk Dévay and Constantly Chasing Improvements

Benjamin Eastman

Enough is a complicated word. In many ways, though, it encapsulates the challenge of being an elite triathlete. How much racing is enough? How much training is enough? When is a result enough? In many respects, Márk Dévay typifies the conundrum of enough. Regarded by many as one of the best swimmers in the WTCS (perhaps the best), Dévay is in the midst of a deep block of racing in July. Having already raced throughout May and June, he took on the Tiszaujvaros World Cup and WTCS Hamburg on consecutive…

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Potter Takes Overall WTCS Lead While Vilaca Holds On

Benjamin Eastman

The fifth round of the 2023 WTCS saw several athletes make their moves towards the top of the Series standings. With only WTCS Sunderland and the Paris Olympic Test Event to go before the Final in Pontevedra, opportunities are running out to make a play for the world title. In the women’s rankings, Beth Potter moved to the top of the leaderboard after making a gain of 4 places. With 2986 points to her name, Potter holds a lead of 150 points over Taylor Spivey. Whereas Potter has two wins,…

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Do German Athletes Perform Better At WTCS Hamburg?

Benjamin Eastman

Among the litany of impressive results at WTCS Hamburg, one string of finishes stood out. Germany put three athletes into the top-5 of the women’s race as Laura Lindemann won the bronze medal, Annika Koch finished 4th and Marlene Gomez-Göggel took 5th place. It was a remarkable display in front of a roaring home crowd. In total seven German women made it into the final in Hamburg, putting all of them into the top-30. Likewise, five of the German men’s team made the final and claimed spots in the top-30.…

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Poetry in Motion at WTCS Hamburg 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi Chapter 2: Yokohama Chapter 3: Cagliari Chapter 4: Montreal Chapter 5: Hamburg No one recalls all the rockets that crashed when they see the one that succeeds. Hopes dashed can be renewed. When mankind took the first  steps on the moon, few words were shared that cursed  the failures of before. The quest to fly  is fraught with cold defeats yet still we try  to soar once more. When the rocket explodes  dreams of the stars carry us through crossroads  of doubt and defy the inquisition  that would otherwise kill…

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Douche and Szalai Win 2023 European Youth Champs

Benjamin Eastman

Speed was the name of the game at the European Youth Championships. Over the Super Sprint finals, the racing took scarcely over 20 minutes in total, leaving virtually no opportunities to put a foot wrong, and the loss of even a few seconds proved fatal to the hopes of several athletes. To land on the podium, a near-perfect race was required. The heats had slimmed the men’s and women’s fields to thirty athletes apiece the night prior. While some took the chance to win their heat and prove their strength,…

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Georgia Taylor-Brown Ruled Out With Calf Injury

Benjamin Eastman

No sooner had the news broken that Flora Duffy was scheduled to make her much-anticipated return to international racing, her closest rival of the past few years has been ruled out of racing for the foreseeable future. In an Instagram post, Georgia Taylor-Brown revealed that she has suffered a calf tear. After experiencing tightness in the calf for two weeks, a scan exposed the underlying issue. To combat the injury, Taylor-Brown has undergone PRP treatment (platelet-rich plasma injections). Aside from that, her course of action will involve time away from…

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