Switzerland’s Max Studer produced a brilliant performance to claim back-to-back victories in Weihai, mastering treacherous wet conditions to win his first WTCS appearance of 2026. The Swiss athlete broke away on the final run lap to secure the win in 1:41:08, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Spain’s David Cantero, while Canadian veteran Tyler Mislawchuk rounded out the podium. Meanwhile, reigning world champion Matt Hauser suffered a disappointing day, crossing the line in 10th after an earlier crash derailed his race.
It was Hungary’s Zalán Hóbor who set a blistering pace over the 1.5km swim, leading the field out of the water in 18:12. American duo Chase McQueen and Blake Bullard followed closely, with New Zealand’s Saxon Morgan and Hauser right on their heels. Studer exited 13 seconds back in 16th, though a long trek to transition allowed several athletes – most notably Spain’s Alberto Gonzalez-Garcia – to move up before heading out on the bike.
A massive 33-man group quickly merged on the bike, with Hauser frequently driving the pace to stay safe on the rain-soaked roads. Disastrous news struck on lap four, however, when a slide near the transition area sent the Australian down. Despite losing ground, Hauser mounted an impressive chase, rejoining the pack and entering T2 at the front of the race.
Hauser initially pushed the pace on the 10km run, forming a front group with Studer, Cantero, Kenji Nener, and a bridging Mislawchuk. When Mislawchuk dropped the hammer, only Studer and Cantero could stick with him, leaving Hauser and Nener behind.
The turning point came on the third lap when Cantero slipped on a wet road marking. Studer skillfully avoided the falling Spaniard, immediately launched a decisive attack on the final lap, and powered solo to the finish line. Cantero remounted to take second, while Mislawchuk held off a charging João Nuno Batista to secure third.
Hauser’s 10th-place finish moved him up to second in the overall WTCS rankings, but Portugal’s Vasco Vilaça maintains a commanding 354.24-point lead heading into the final stages of the season, with WTCS Karlovy Vary up next in two weeks.
