The first World Triathlon Cup Lanzarote of the season delivered exactly what fans hoped for: a dramatic race that remained undecided until the final meters. Spain’s David Cantero del Campo ultimately claimed victory after an intense sprint duel with Germany’s Tim Hellwig.
Compared to the women’s race held two hours earlier, the wind had eased noticeably. While still present, the calmer conditions made for a smoother swim. France’s Igor Dupuis emerged from the water with a small lead of around ten seconds, but it quickly became clear that the race would regroup. On the bike, a large lead pack of roughly thirty athletes soon formed.
The opening kilometers of the bike leg occasionally resembled a relaxed group ride, but the reality was quite different. Short, steep climbs repeatedly created an accordion effect in the field, forcing athletes at the back of the group to fight hard to maintain contact.
Midway through the second of the three bike laps, France’s Dorian Coninx joined a brief but determined breakaway attempt of Dutch Ian Pennekamp. The pair pushed hard in an effort to split the race, riding aggressively for several kilometers, but the chasing pack eventually reeled them back in.
From that point, the front group stayed together into T2, beginning the decisive 5 km run with a gap of roughly one and a half minutes over the chasing athletes – ensuring the eventual winner would come from the lead pack.
The run quickly stretched the group into a long line. Early pace-setting came from Spain’s Pelayo González Turrez and Roberto Sanchez Mantecon, both eager to challenge for victory on home soil. Their effort lasted about two kilometers before Hellwig and Cantero del Campo surged past with a decisive acceleration.
However, Cantero del Campo still had to serve a 10-second time penalty for an earlier mount line infringement in transition. Knowing the cost of that penalty, the Spaniard launched an explosive surge, quickly opening nearly a ten-second gap over Hellwig and even more over the rest of the field. When he stopped to serve the penalty midway through the run, Hellwig passed him and briefly took the lead.
Yet Cantero del Campo was far from finished. With about two kilometers remaining, he closed the gap and latched back onto Hellwig’s shoulder, setting up a tense tactical battle between the two.
Hellwig fought bravely to defend his slim advantage, responding to every surge. For nearly a kilometer the German maintained a gap of just a few seconds, but in the final kilometer Cantero del Campo finally reeled him in, turning the race into a shoulder-to-shoulder showdown.
What followed was a remarkably long finishing sprint. The pair traded positions multiple times as they drove toward the line at maximum speed. Hellwig entered the final corner first with roughly 150 meters remaining, but Cantero del Campo found another gear and surged past in the closing meters to claim victory in 54:45. Hellwig crossed the line four seconds later to secure second place, while Morocco’s Jawad Abdelmoula completed the podium, finishing 17 seconds behind the winner.
