If you woke this morning hoping for drama on the streets of Paris, you may have been best served streaming a few episodes of Emily in Paris.
For those searching for a display of total assuredness, though, Alex Yee’s commanding victory at the Olympic Test Event was not to be missed. Moreover, after much of the race had been spent navigating the pressures of the day and the looming spectre of Olympic qualification, the showdown for the minor medals exploded into life in the final stretch.
On his return from injury, Vincent Luis led the way in the water, with Márk Dévay close by. Jonas Schomburg followed, 5 seconds down, and thereafter the field showed signs of crumbling.
The world champion, Leo Bergere, lost 15 seconds to Luis while Yee conceded 20. However, Hayden Wilde lost over a minute. A pre-race crash had proved an unfortunate omen for Wilde’s day and he struggled in the water.
Meanwhile, on the first lap of the bike, a lead pack of twenty-one men came together. Bergere and Yee made it to the front in comfort while the likes of Kenji Nener and Csongor Lehmann also rode well to join the leaders. The size of the pack risked being a little too unwieldy. On the other hand, they had a healthy lead over several big names.
Vasco Vilaca lurked in the third pack, over half a minute down. Further back, Wilde and Kristian Blummenfelt had brought their deficit under a minute but were consigned to the fourth pack.
As happened in the women’s race, the initial promise of a breakaway faded as the packs came together. In total, a main group of fifty-five men rode around the streets of Paris. With so much strength in the pack, there was little opportunity for anyone to get away.
Shachar Sagiv made a short-lived break off the front. Soon after it was the turn of Wilde as he nipped away. Wilde’s move, though, seemed a little half-hearted as he glanced over his shoulder and promptly sat up.
One athlete could not take on the pack and even a small group would struggle to stay clear. With plenty of athletes determined to save their legs in pursuit of the all-important Olympic qualification, the bike lacked dynamism at times.
Several men, such as Simon Westermann and Blummenfelt took up turns on the front to try to maintain the tempo. Wilde then moved away twice more only for his moves to be shut down as soon as they started. Jonas Schomburg closed down the first, while Simon Henseleit covered the second as the German team stayed close to the lead.
The race would evidently be decided on the run and a familiar face struck out of T2 first.
Schomburg, the king of the first kilometre, powered into an early lead. His bold strategy had paid off at WTCS Cagliari earlier in the year; if he could repeat the trick, he would seal his Olympic spot.
Wilde’s run of cruel luck continued as he dropped to the ground. Although he would return to his feet and resume jogging, it was clear his day was over.
At the front, Morgan Pearson assumed the lead from Schomburg. The American had only made it onto the start list after Matthew Hauser’s COVID-induced withdrawal. With the opportunity suddenly upon him, Pearson was in no mood to relinquish it.
He moved away from the field and opened a 5 second gap over his nearest rivals. Yee was the first to take up the chase while Blummenfelt began to close in on Pearson too.
As Yee stormed into the lead, Blummenfelt caught Pearson. At that point, it was easy to think of how Pearson had faltered at WTCS Yokohama after a similar fast opening lap on the run. This time, though, he battled on.
Bergere, Vilaca and Pierre Le Corre soon caught Blummenfelt and Pearson too. Tim Hellwig had also risen into the mix, overhauling Schomburg as the lead German on the road, while Max Studer had likewise made the pack. However the Swiss athlete had a penalty to serve for swim behaviour.
In the bigger picture, though, the race was over.
Yee was at his graceful best as he floated away from the chasers. At every split his lead only grew and before the midpoint his victory was all but guaranteed. Maybe a fresh Wilde could have challenged him on another day. When Yee is in this form, though, there is hardly a better sight in the sport and, today, no one would have touched him.
In an unequivocal declaration of intent ahead of next year’s Olympic Games, Yee planted his flag in the Parisian streets and made it clear that he will be the man to beat.
If the race for gold was over before it really got going, the minor medals remained very much up for grabs. As Studer and Blummenfelt slipped back, Dorian Coninx and Miguel Hidalgo rose to the occasion and caught the group.
They eventually took the bell for the final lap, some 27 seconds behind Yee, and business began. The three French men were competing for the two Olympic slots available should they have made the podium.
Vilaca did not need any particular result but a medal would keep his world title hopes alive. Pearson and Hellwig only needed to finish in the top-8 and seemed set to do so.
As Yee waved and applauded the crowd before reaching the blue carpet, Hidalgo launched an attack. Coninx brought the pack back up to him and the blue carpet soon came into sight.
Bergere tried to move ahead but Vilaca and Le Corre marked him. Upon stepping onto the blue carpet, the men unleashed their sprint.
Coninx went first and seemed to gain a gap. Vilaca and Le Corre hunted him but Bergere could not respond. Coninx strained and pushed harder and Le Corre seemed to falter. Vilaca, though, would not be denied and he lunged ahead to claim the silver medal.
Coninx grabbed the bronze and in doing so sealed his place on the French Olympic team. Le Corre followed 2 seconds later in 4th while Bergere took 5th place.
Pearson and Hellwig crossed in 6th and 7th, respectively, to seal their Olympic berths. Hidalgo then crossed in 8th, ahead of Blummenfelt and Roberto Sanchez Mantecon.
You can view the full results here.
