The men’s race at the Brasilia World Cup will see a major clash between two of Brazil’s best triathletes.
In one corner, Manoel Messias will line up, seeking to add another World Cup win to his ledger. He won the Valencia World Cup in 2022 with a stylish late attack on the bike and since then has become a triple WTCS medallist.
In 2023, he won medals at both WTCS Abu Dhabi and WTCS Montreal. Although both were over the Sprint distance, his Olympic distance credentials should not be doubted. His maiden WTCS medal came in Cagliari in 2022 over the longer format.
Messias is one of the best runners on the circuit and is equally adept at front-running or hunting down athletes ahead. No matter the situation in Brasilia, he will still likely be in with a shot of winning out of T2.
In the other corner is Brazil’s rising star, Miguel Hidalgo.
Hidalgo was the youngest man in the WTCS top-20 this season and was the only man born this century to make the top-25. Crucially, he out-performed Messias over the course of 2023.
Messias may have taken the medals home, but Hidalgo finished his WTCS campaign on a real high. At the Paris Test Event, he finished 8th. He even launched a bold move on the final lap of the run to threaten the silver medal in a sign of his growing confidence. Then, at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra, he finished 6th.
While he had to get a disqualification overturned, his performance in Pontevedra was his best of the season. Moreover, Paris and Pontevedra showed he is coming to terms with the Olympic distance. At the end of 2022 Hidalgo admitted that he was better at the Sprint distance but his work is clearly paying off.
With Brasilia coming over the Olympic distance, Hidalgo’s form may nudge him ahead of his compatriot, Messias.
The race to be Brazil’s leading man will be a tricky one to call. Hidalgo is the better swimmer but if Messias has one of his days he could run away to a comprehensive victory. With the race being on home soil, both have a big chance to impress. A win could even help turn some heads in the domestic market when it comes to sponsorship.
For some athletes, Brasilia will be a points-gathering exercise to wrap up the season. Yet for Messias and Hidalgo, the stakes seem that bit higher.
Of course, the event cannot be purely conceived as a showdown between the pair. There are too many other talented athletes starting for that.
Antonio Serrat Seoane will wear number 1 and is usually a contender. Furthermore his teammates Sergio Baxter Cabrera and David Castro Fajardo will be in the mix. Having won a World Cup over the Olympic distance before, Baxter may be the better prospect for a medal right now. Castro, though, is the reigning European champion and won the World Cup in Huatulco in the summer.
Another World Cup winner will be starting. Crisanto Grajales stormed to victory in Weihai with a super final lap on the run. With his experience and running pedigree, he could upset the home team.
Michele Sarzilla will also be racing having won a first World Cup medal in Valencia in September.
When considering form across the season, Charles Paquet is tough to ignore. The Canadian athlete finished 7th at WTCS Montreal and recently added a 6th place at the Rome World Cup. Both results came over the Sprint distance so it remains to be seen whether Paquet will add Olympic distance success to his year. Given his ability, there is no reason for him to not achieve a high finish.
Diego Moya and Alessio Crociani are both World Cup medallists and could push for another. However, there are a couple of outsiders that could spring a surprise.
Tjebbe Kaindl has had a good season and could make something happen on the bike. At this stage, he will likely need a breakaway to beat the likes of Messias and Serrat. If he can maximise the bike, where he has shown his ability on numerous occasions, a medal could materialise.
Similarly, the Ecuadorian duo of Ramon Armando Matute and Juan Jose Andrade Figueroa will need to be watched. Both have performed well at Americas Cup races over the past year. With Brasilia being a rare World Cup in South America, look for both to step up.
Overall, though, Brasilia feels like a fight between Hidalgo and Messias. One of them will have to come out on top but the distance between them is so fine. Both have enjoyed great seasons and could end it in the perfect way.
TriStats Predictions
- Miguel Hidalgo
- Manoel Messias
- Sergio Baxter Cabrera
- Crisanto Grajales
- Michele Sarzilla
