It was hot in Spain today in 2022 World Triathlon Cup Valencia.
Mario Mora did his best to bring cheers to his home crowd, but had to be content with winning the silver medal against the very strong Manoel Mesias. Lisa Tertsch continued her stellar 2022 season by winning her second World Cup title in her triathlon career.
Elite Women – Telc Wins Sprint
The US Summer Bugleport set the pace with the opening 750m swim at the Port of Valencia. Making his fifth appearance at WTCS Montreal this year, the tall American is always quick in the water, but the race formed in the first few kilometers on a fairly flat and fast course. And a large front his group soon formed.
Rapaport’s teammate Kirsten Kasper, wearing #1, was safely in it. Nearly 40 athletes, four cycles, he was with him at the end of the first lap of the lap, but his next three were largely unchanged. Over 50 athletes started running within 20 seconds of him.
Leonie Periault (FRA) took the early lead, joined by Lisa Tertsch (GER) and Anahi Alvarez Corral (MEX). After her second place in Yokohama earlier this year, Pelliot had an incredible run for most of the two years before a loss at Leeds and her uncharacteristic 28th place at the European Championships in Munich brought it to a halt. I was in a good mood. Did this represent a return to normal service?
The German, who finished 3rd at WTCS Hamburg in 2022 and 2nd at the Pontevedra World Cup, will be a tough test. The Mexican, by contrast, had no such resume, yet he was perhaps the best performer of his young career to date.
Entering the final 400m, Pelliot was the first to slow down as Telc picked up the tempo. This year in America he won his cup in his race, which was a big step forward for the struggling Álvarez Corral. Telci kept the pressure on and it didn’t look like she was losing, but the Mexican never kept a big distance. With just two seconds to the finish, Périol held a wide lead over the Chasers to round out the podium trio with bronze.
It was Tertsch’s second career triathlon World Cup win, the first being in 2019 in Antwerp.
Elite Men – Messiah Holds Mora
Davide Castro Fajardo (ESP) emerged first from the 750m swim against the backdrop of modern Valencia harbor, but like previous elite women’s races, long lines of athletes led to large groups on flat, high speed It looked like a four-lap bike circuit.
Thirty-five athletes passed the first lap just seven seconds apart. However, crashes in the early stages cost a handful of athletes, including Henry Graf (GER).
Manoel Messias (BRA) and Tjebbe Kaindl (AUT) attacked on the fourth of the last lap and now reach T2 with a 12 second advantage over a huge group of over 40 people.
Messias is a class act (and great runner), finishing second to Jonathan Brownlee at this year’s Arzachena World Triathlon Cup. Not surprisingly, he dropped Kindle like a stone the moment he put his shoes on for a run.
Behind him it was like the Spanish armada that Antonio Serrat Seoane, Mario Mora and David Castro Fajardo were chasing. Matthew McElroy (USA) was probably the only athlete who could go with the home trio.
Serrat Seoane bridged up to Messias’ shoulders, but soon returned to Mola and McElroy, appearing to have paid the price for his efforts. Too much, too soon?
2015 world junior champion Messias appeared to be in control of the race, but Mora ran as hard as he could to take the win on home ground, leaving McElroy and Serrat Seoan behind. He came close, but the Brazilian won the title.
Although he didn’t win, Mario Mora said after the race: I think we still have a long way to go, but we are on the right track. ”
World Triathlon Cup Valencia 2022 results
Saturday 3 September 2022 – 750m / 20km / 5km
elite women
- 1. Lisa Tertsch (Germany) – 55:17
- 2. Anahi Alvarez Corral (MEX) – 55:19
- 3. Leonie Pelliot (FRA) – 55:23
- 4. Valerie Barthelemy (Belgium) – 55:40
- 5. Mathilde Gautier (FRA) – 55:42
- 44. Iona Miller (GBR) – 57:57
- 47. Annabelle Morton (GBR) – 58:14
elite men
- 1. Manoel Messias (BRA) – 50:14
- 2. Mario Mora (ESP) – 50:18
- 3. Matthew McElroy (USA) – 50:25
- 4. Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP) – 50:34
- 5. David Castro Fajardo (ESP) – 50:48
