The 2024 season has already taken a decidedly French hue. Amid a barnstorming race that was only settled in the final moments, Cassandre Beaugrand powered to the gold medal. Not only was it a second win from two for the French women in this season’s WTCS, it marked Beaugrand’s first ever Olympic distance win in the Series. Looking ahead to the home Paris Olympics, Beaugrand and the French team could hardly face a more promising position.
Maya Kingma was the top swimmer and emerged from the sea in a time of 18:53. Vittoria Lopes and Taylor Spivey were close behind while the defending world champion, Beth Potter, was among the leaders in her first Series appearance of the year.
A strong T1 from Emma Lombardi, in similar fashion to WTCS Yokohama a fortnight prior, put her into a good position onto the bike behind the leader Kingma. She was soon swept up by a charging pair of Flora Duffy and Kirsten Kasper. Over the first of the ten bike laps, a lead group of nineteen women came together on the bike. Around 8 seconds behind, a chase group of eight athletes fought to bridge to the leaders.
Georgia Taylor-Brown and Katie Zaferes were in the smaller chase group and faced a situation in which their direct rivals for Olympic qualification – Sophie Coldwell and Kate Waugh for the former and Spivey and Kasper for the latter – threatened to bolt up the road. Meanwhile, Leonie Periault, France’s triumphant winner in Yokohama, was consigned to the third pack on the road.
Gradually, the two lead packs clumped together; Yuko Takahashi then fell back, leaving twenty-six women at the front. Although Summer Rappaport missed out, Kasper, Zaferes and Spivey were present with the already-qualified Knibb. The similarly qualified Potter led the competing Taylor-Brown, Coldwell, Waugh and Sian Rainsley.
When it came to Olympic qualification, Roksana Slupek of Poland continued a great run of form to make the lead pack and all but guarantee her European New Flag place. So long as she finished with the leaders, there was nothing any of her rivals could do.
Beaugrand and Lombardi made up the French presence in the lead pack while all three of Germany’s Olympic qualifiers (Nina Eim, Lisa Tertsch and Laura Lindemann) were in the mix. Jeanne Lehair was another to set herself up well in the lead group.
The pace was high throughout the 40km but one woman in particular assumed centre stage. Every time Knibb moved off the front, the pack darted after her wheel like a school of fish. At the end of the seventh lap Knibb went again but was promptly closed down by Duffy. With the leading twenty-six sticking together, the race was settled on the run.
Yet another fast transition from Lombardi handed her the early lead. Potter followed before Beaugrand and Taylor-Brown moved up behind Lombardi. The defending world champion lurked ominously behind the leaders while Lehair and Coldwell latched onto her heels to complete a lead group of six women.
As Lehair took the lead, another athlete stirred from the main group. Tertsch came flying through from behind, her running style all fists and rage and TNT compressed into human form, passing Knibb, Waugh and Eim in quick succession before taking her place with the leaders.
On the penultimate lap, Potter made a move, one that distanced her two compatriots. Beaugrand, Lombardi and Tertsch remained with the British athlete but Coldwell and Taylor-Brown leaked time. At the ensuing water stop, the lead quartet slowed a little and it was here a new smaller battle emerged. Tertsch nabbed a bottle that Lombardi had reached for, causing the French woman to let out an unamused cry. Moments later, a slightly aggrieved Lombardi took the lead and raised the pace.
Further behind, Duffy steadily climbed through the field. She worked her way past Djenyfer Arnold, Slupek, Bianca Seregni and the American Olympic race between Zaferes and Spivey. As she moved into 11th, a place in the top-10 was within reaching distance.
At the ring of the bell for the final lap, Potter, Lombardi, Beaugrand and Tertsch guarded against potential moves while Lehair yo-yoed behind. Coldwell and Taylor-Brown had an invaluable 14 second lead over Waugh who ran with Eim and Knibb. It was Potter that then made the first move.
Tertsch marked it and handed out a counter-attack of her own. This time Potter returned the favour. Then it was Lombardi’s turn to hit the front. Tertsch tried to go up Lombardi’s inside, but, perhaps smarting from the earlier water incident, the French athlete blocked her and forced her to take the long way around.
As the pace rose it seemed Beaugrand was the first to crack of the leaders. Sensing the vulnerability of her closest rival from 2023, Potter pounced. Again Tertsch covered the move but then Beaugrand roused herself and was back at the front. In a late surge, suddenly Beaugrand and Tertsch broke Lombardi and Potter.
Back in March, Tertsch had already beaten Beaugrand at the European Cup in Quarteira. Determined not to allow a repeat occurrence, Beaugrand took the lead and struck for home early. As much as Tertsch tried to summon more fire and brimstone to match Beaugrand, she simply was out-manouvred at the last.
Beaugrand flew home to claim her first Olympic distance win in the WTCS and scrawled her name at the top of the list for those hunting the Olympic gold medal in Paris. The final sprint over 10km was Beaugrand’s key weakness vis-à-vis Potter in 2023; with it seemingly patched, she looks an even more formidable opponent.
Taking the silver medal was Tertsch in her best ever WTCS result while Potter continued her medal-winning streak in 3rd place. Lombardi followed in 4th to take the overall lead in the Series following her bronze medal in Yokohama. Lehair, Taylor-Brown and Coldwell then crossed in quick succession.
Duffy’s late surge carried her to 8th place while Eim and Waugh rounded out the top-10. In light of today’s outcome, Waugh may have seen her Olympic window close this time but that will be a decision for the British selectors. On a similar note, Knibb and Zaferes followed in 11th and 12th which may do the latter’s Olympic aspirations no harm at all. Whatever happens in the British and American teams may yet prove irrelevant, though, if France maintain their winning ways.
View the full race results here.
