All eyes may have been on Cassandre Beaugrand heading into WTCS Hamburg, but it was her French compatriot Leonie Periault who delivered a stunning and unforgettable performance to take the win in a thrilling women’s race.
In stark contrast to the rain-soaked men’s race, the women’s field enjoyed dry conditions on the technical Hamburg course. The action started early in the swim, with Bianca Seregni and Lisa Tertsch breaking away from the field. The duo exited the water in 9:14 with a 14-second advantage over a large chase pack that included the likes of Beaugrand, Jeanne Lehair, Jolien Vermeylen, and Beth Potter.
However, their lead didn’t last long. Seregni was quickly reeled in on the bike, and despite Tertsch’s efforts to stay clear, she too was caught in the second of six laps. At that point, the first and second chase groups merged, forming a massive front pack of 44 athletes. Among the notable names missing the front group was Gwen Jorgensen, who couldn’t bridge the gap and remained distanced from the leaders.
As the athletes hit T2 and began the decisive five-kilometre run, it was Beaugrand – unsurprisingly – who surged to the front, setting a fierce early pace. For a moment, it looked like the race was all but decided.
But Leonie Periault had other plans.
Periault launched a powerful move after about 1.5km into the run course, overtaking Beaugrand in what looked like a full-on sprint and immediately opening up a small but crucial gap. From that moment, it was all about holding on.
Despite being chased by two of the sport’s most formidable runners – Beaugrand and Potter – Periault dug deep, showing extraordinary resilience and tenacity. She refused to be caught and held her slender advantage all the way to the line.
Periault crossed the finish in 56:25, claiming a wonderful WTCS win in dramatic fashion. Beaugrand followed just four seconds later, with Potter close behind to round out the podium at +0:07. Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen delivered an excellent performance to take fourth at +0:19.
