Category: Races

Having won the World Junior titles in Hamburg a little over three weeks ago, Ilona Hadhoum and Joao Nuno Batista were the favourites to take the wins at the European Junior Championships in Balikesir. Both impressed in the semi-finals, with Batista winning his race in storming fashion. Hadhoum, meanwhile, produced a slightly more reserved performance in the semi-final. The next day, as the finals rolled around, Batista and Hadhoum each stepped up to another level to claim the gold medals. In the men’s race, Zalán Hóbor had pushed the pace…

Read More

The men’s World Cup in Yeongdo had been a cagey affair for much of the race. Ahead of the run, once plenty of work had been done to whittle down the field to a select few, it seemed a tight finish would be in store. In the end, it was not close. Fresh off his WTCS debut in Sunderland, Max Stapley drove the pace in the swim alongside Aiden Longcroft-Harris of Canada. Over the course of the 750m, the lead pair managed to stretch the field and put time into…

Read More

While a smaller field than normal lined up on the pontoon in the early hours to contest the Yeongdo World Cup, the level of racing remained as intense as ever. In humid conditions, Zuzana Michalickova took an early lead in the swim. It was not until late on, though, that she began to turn the screw and made the field suffer. Márta Kropkó and Sophia Howell were able to stay closest to Michalickova as the Slovakian powered through the final part of the 750m. A trio of Desirae Ridenour, Sara Vilic and Yuka…

Read More

Across two women’s semi-finals and three men’s semi-finals, the fields at the European Championships in Balikesir have been cut down to the final thirty. With only two women’s semi-finals, the top-14 finishers would head straight into the final. The last two spaces would then go to the fastest two losers to take the final number to thirty. In the first women’s semi-final Tanja Neubert, Barbara De Koning and Jessica Fullagar crossed together in 24:12, with Neubert being awarded the win. Although Anja Weber and Michaela Sterbova pushed the pace in…

Read More

Across three semi-finals, the men’s and women’s fields at the European Junior Championships were whittled down to thirty apiece ahead of the final. A top-9 finish would book a place in the final while the three fastest non-qualifiers would be added. In the first men’s semi-final, the World Junior champion, Joao Nuno Batista, took a grip on the race in the swim that he did not relinquish. Gergő Gyula Soós and Gregor Rasva followed Batista into T1 and the field behind was already spread thin. Although they pushed the pace…

Read More

With a start list packed with talent, the European Super Sprint Championships will come down to the athlete best able to navigate the demands of the multi-round event. On that front, it is hard to look past the credentials of Alberte Kjaer Pedersen. Last year, the Danish athlete finished 4th at WTCS Montreal at which a similar multi-round Super Sprint format was used. At the equivalent event this year in Hamburg, she managed 19th place, although that was the best of any female athletes starting in Balikesir. As one of…

Read More

The semi-finals of the European Junior Championships kick off today in Balikesir, Turkey. At the forefront of the event will be the newly-crowned World Junior champions, Ilona Hadhoum and Joao Nuno Batista. Both claimed their titles in memorable fashion in Hamburg. Hadhoum was a class apart in the women’s race as she swam away from the field and then backed up her performance with the fastest run of the day. Batista, meanwhile, won with a brutal sprint finish. Having proven their credentials on the toughest Junior stage, they will line…

Read More

The European Championships over the Super Sprint distance will be taking place in Balikesir, Turkey, this weekend. Over two days, the athletes will take on a semi-final and a final to award the second European crown of the season. After the Olympic distance affair ended up as a duathlon, the organisers in Balikesir will be hoping for a smoother weekend. An additional layer will shape the racing as the Senior and U23 field will compete together although the latter will have a separate classification after the race. Athletes born in…

Read More

The women’s race in Yeongdo looks likely to come down to a clash between two World Cup winners. Annika Koch will arrive in South Korea on the back of an exceptional run of form. A 4th place at WTCS Hamburg in July represented a major step up for the World U23 silver medallist. Only two weeks later, she went one better as she landed 3rd place at WTCS Sunderland. The combination of her Hamburg and Sunderland results have vaulted her to 13th in the WTCS standings, making her the top…

Read More

Having been postponed from its original slot in May, the Yeongdo World Cup will take place this weekend. Fresh of a personal best WTCS performance in Sunderland, where he finished 11th, Valentin Wernz may be the man to beat. Prior to that, Wernz had set a personal best WTCS finish in Cagliari through his 13th place. Wernz has had a slightly inconsistent year to date as finishes of 40th at WTCS Abu Dhabi and 42nd at WTCS Montreal will attest. On his day, though, he will be a match for…

Read More

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…

Read More