Max Stapley and Julie Derron have just won the World Triathlon Cup Chengdu. In China, in both the men’s and women’s races, a small leading group formed during the bike and it was then the athletes from this first group who battled for the podium spots in the final 10 kilometers.
In the case of the men’s race, a lead group of six emerged on the bike: Max Stapley, Jonas Schomburg, Valentin Morlec, Mark Devay, Kyotaro Yoshikawa and Tayler Reid started the run with more than a minute and a half advantage. For a long time Schomburg, Devay, Stapley and also Reid stayed together and only in the closing stages it was Stapley who decided the race in his favor with a nice acceleration. The Brit won the race in 1:43:25, while Schomburg was second at 7 seconds. Reid finished third at 14 seconds.
A group leading the race also formed in the women’s race during the bike, although there were seven women in it. Julie Derron, Tilda Mansson, Roksana Slupek, Anne Holm, Therese Feuersinger, Alice Betto and Ilaria Zane found each other and built their lead over a large chasing pack to nearly a minute and a half.
During the run, however, things did not stay exciting as long as they did for the men, as Derron quickly grabbed a small lead and did not relinquish it either: she won the race in 1:55:18. Mansson and Slupek were still engaged in an exciting battle for the silver and bronze, and in the end it was Swedish Mansson who finished second, 52 seconds behind the winner. Five seconds behind, Slupek finished third.
