Category: Comment

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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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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What To Make Of Thomas Bach’s Trip To Hamburg

Benjamin Eastman

Amidst the action at WTCS Hamburg, one very important face lurked in the crowd. Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, was in attendance at the race and his presence points to a major shift in the sport of triathlon. The President of the IOC does not just happen upon an event like Hamburg. He does not accidentally end up front and centre of the VIP box at the finish line with the best view of the athletes flying through transition. For want of a better word, he…

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Who’s Hot and Who’s Not After the WTCS Hamburg Heats

Benjamin Eastman

With the heats concluded at WTCS Hamburg, attention will now turn to the repechages and then the finals. Ahead of the next stages, it is time to cast an eye over the qualifiers and assess which athletes looked good and which ones flew under the radar. In some cases, cases can be made for athletes looking in a position to win the entire event. In other cases, there are some athletes that looked like they simply used the heats as a warm up and will show their true hand in…

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Breaking Down Round 3 of the Women’s Bundesliga 2023

Benjamin Eastman

While they did not sweep the podium as they had done in Schliersee, Buschhütten were nonetheless a cut above their rivals in Düsseldorf. A third race of the Bundesliga therefore yielded a third win. As much as the overall title is essentially decided, there are still plenty of points to focus on throughout the standings. Potsdam commenced their rise after not starting in Schliersee. Bonn continued their efforts to hold of the challenge of KTT 01. Lüneburg also fought against their sliding ranking in a quest to recapture the momentum…

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Breaking Down Round 3 of the Men’s Bundesliga 2023

Benjamin Eastman

The race is on. After Buschhütten cruised to the win in the opening two rounds of the 2023 Bundesliga, Team Saar struck back in Düsseldorf. A single point now separate the two teams with two rounds to go. If Team Saar can win the next round in Tübingen, a lights-out finale will be in store in September. In the midfield, 6 points cover 6th through 10th and a number of teams could make late charges up the standings. Further down the table, four teams appear to be in the fight…

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Breaking Down Round 3 of the Women’s 2023 French Grand Prix

Benjamin Eastman

With the third round of the French Grand Prix complete, Poissy Triathlon have taken another step towards defending their title. Although Les Sables Vendée Triathlon took the plaudits after their magnificent performance in Metz, Poissy remain firmly in the driving seat. Their lead at the top is now 10 points and it is unlikely that their season falls apart from here. Up and down the standings, there are several tight battles. When the Grand Prix resumes in September there will be plenty left to race for. 1st) Poissy Triathlon –…

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Tiszaujvaros: The Hidden Heart of Hungarian Triathlon

Benjamin Eastman

Tiszaujvaros is a small town. If you start walking from its centre, in a short space of time you will find yourself staring out into the vast, green expanse of the Hungarian countryside. In the summer, there is a slowness to it that is hard to come by elsewhere. When you stand still, between the trees and the Soviet-beige buildings, and focus, more often than not you will hear nothing at all. Quiet isolation envelopes all aspects of the town, as if the outside world does not quite exist. Every…

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Breaking Down Round 3 of the Men’s 2023 French Grand Prix

Benjamin Eastman

Three teams now circle the men’s leaders, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon, with two rounds to go in the French Grand Prix. After Matthew Hauser claimed a virtuoso win in Metz, Triathlon Club Liévin have taken two individual golds from the past two races. As a result, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée’s lead looks a little more vulnerable than it did a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, they held firm despite the absences of a few key men. There was movement throughout the standings after Metz and, given the hit-and-miss season of some teams, there will…

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What to Make of Alex Yee’s First Loss of the 2023 Season

Benjamin Eastman

*clears throat* OH MY GOD CAN YOU BELIEVE IT WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY TURN OF EVENTS… et cetera et cetera. At the third round of the French Grand Prix in Metz, Alex Yee lost a major triathlon for the first time in 2023. Let’s first be sensible about this. Yee still finished 2nd and was only 2 seconds away from matching the field-leading run split of the race winner, Matthew Hauser. To his credit, Hauser had a fantastic race. He carried his form from WTCS Montreal to make it wins over…

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Breaking Down Round 2 of the Men’s Bundesliga 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Schliersee saw a renewal of the rivalry between Buschhütten and Team Saar, the past two champions in the men’s Bundesliga. Although Team Saar scored the individual win through Lasse Nygaard Priester, it was Buschhütten that came away with the maximum team points. Throughout the standings, there were some notable rises and falls after Schliersee. For some teams, a high finish by their best athlete made the difference. For others, the result of their fourth man went a long way to seal their fate. Remember, unlike the women’s series, the men…

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Is WTCS Sunderland Vulnerable To Just Stop Oil Protests?

Benjamin Eastman

The final WTCS race of the regular season awaits in Sunderland. Notwithstanding that the athletes will have a final chance to log points at the Olympic Test Event in Paris, Sunderland will mark the beginning of the end of the Series before attention turns to the Final in Pontevedra in September. Yet apprehension may stalk the minds of the organisers over the coming weeks. On the first day of the Second Test of the Ashes at Lords (London), two Just Stop Oil protestors invaded the pitch to cast orange powder…

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Breaking Down Round 2 of the Women’s Bundesliga 2023

Benjamin Eastman

After the second round of the 2023 Bundesliga in Schliersee, the standings have been completely jumbled up. As much as Buschhütten were dominant on their way to victory, there were several incredibly close finishes among the teams in pursuit. Indeed, 2nd place through to 6th were separated by only five points. As a reminder, the three top finishers (from four athletes on a team) count towards each teams’ points. Each athlete’s place is given the same amount of points (so 1 point for 1st and so on) and the team…

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Poetry in Motion at WTCS Montreal 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi Chapter 2: Yokohama Chapter 3: Cagliari Chapter 4: Montreal It is a law of space and time that light seen from the stars that dance across the night can sometimes be nothing more than the last traces of dead celestials. How fast does their light fade compared with how brightly they once shone. The same is true of man. He who was a star for a time will always fade, leaving only faint hints for the gaze of those still to follow. The question to ask is when can…

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Breaking Down Round 2 of the Women’s 2023 French Grand Prix

Benjamin Eastman

The second round of the French Grand Prix saw plenty of movement in the women’s standings. Emma Lombardi’s win was a real boost for Vals du Dauphiné yet Poissy still lead the way after an impressive weekend. In this article, we analyse how each team fared in Bordeaux and who the big risers and fallers were. You can read the breakdown of the men’s standings here. 1st) Poissy Triathlon – 38 points (no change) After the withdrawals of Sandra Dodet, the winner of the opening round in Fréjus, and Lea…

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