It’s one of the toughest Short Distances races out on the circuit with some tough hills, but Csongor Lehmann was loving it. The Hungarian athlete just won World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary, as he outran – among others – America’s Matthew McElroy and Germany’s Lasse Lührs, who took second and third respectively.
In the water, no athletes were able to break free from the mass. The field was spread out over one long line, led by Richard Varga. Initially, some small groups of around ten men took shape on the bike, but later that merged into a lead group of 20 athletes.
After two of seven bike laps, the leading group was about 20 seconds ahead of their chasers, but that gap widened in the second lap to more than a minute. Hungary’s Mark Devay and Austria’s Leon Pauger didn’t feel like sitting back in the group and decided to place an attack, after which also Varga followed. All three of them were taken back into the group soon, though.
A quick transition saw Lehmann head onto the run course in first place, followed by Spain’s Alberto Gonzalez Garcia, Lührs and McElroy. After an exciting battle in front, it was Lehmann who ended up claiming the victory. McElroy crossed the line in second place (+0:10) and Lührs rounded the podium (+0:32).
