A roaring crowd, pleasant 22°C temperatures and fierce competition greeted the athletes today at WTCS Hamburg, the fifth race of the 2022 WTCS series and a firm series favourite for many.
The short sprint-distance course would prove to play to some athletes’ strengths, while leaving others in its dust. Set to race were Olympic bronze medallist Haydn Wilde (NZL) and France’s two-time ITU world champion Vincent Luis.
France’s Leo Bergere and GB’s Sam Dickinson, would be put to the test by WTCS winner Jelle Geens (BEL) and Australia’s Matt Hausner.
What happened in the 2022 Hamburg WTCS men’s swim?
Diving into Hamburg’s Alster city lake, the elite men’s race set off with a big pack fighting for dominance on their way to the first buoy of the short 750m loop. It was a fight for clear water, among them France’s main hope Vincent Luis tactically tucked in behind the feet of compatriot Vincent Morlec.
Unique on this sprint swim leg is the dark 40m tunnel about seven minutes into the race, some swimmers miss the opening all together.
After undergoing surgery linked to heart issues only a couple of weeks earlier and almost quitting triathlon, Luis has bounced back in fine form to race at WTCS Leeds and today in Hamburg.
First out of the swim was Luis in a time of 8:40, a smooth and composed T1 leaving him in good stead to start the short 21km bike leg in leading position. Quick behind him was Morlec and Italy’s Mark Devay.
What happened in the 2022 Hamburg WTCS men’s bike?
The two Frenchmen managed to break away from the pack and worked together to keep in the lead. But a strung-out chasing pack caught the two after just a few minutes and again, the race becomes anyone’s to win.
Leeds WTCS winner and silver Olympic medallist Haydn Wilde was nowhere to be seen after coming out the swim relatively far back in the field. Coming into the second lap of sixth, the kiwi made up time to be only 13s behind the front cyclists in 33rd position.
On lap two of six, there’s a 17 strong leading group with a big chase pack housing Wilde and Geens. With only three WTCS finishes in his pocket, Geens will be aiming to make up some time on the run for a strong fourth series finish to boost his overall rankings.
Sure enough by the half-way point, Geens boosted up to second position, with Australia’s Dylan McCullough also having crawled his way up the ranks to the lead group and GB’s Barclay Izzard safe in the folds.
A lone break away rider in the form of South Africa’s Jamie Riddle left a 8s gap between him and the lead chase pack. It was impressive work from the South African, but in vain as Wilde and Geens soon catch him ahead of the final bike lap.
It was finally Wilde’s turn to take a shift at the front as the final 3.5km commenced. A final push on the bike saw Bergere lead into T2 at 38:36 with Wilde and Geen close on his heels, along with the likes of GB’s Dickinson and a host of other athletes.
What happened in the 2022 Hamburg WTCS men’s run?
The short 5km run started with a close pack of men battling it out for prime position. Belgium’s Geens tucked in behind 24-year-old Barclay Izzard, an up-and-coming young GB athlete.
Positions constantly shifted on the run though, with a group of six athletes battling it out in the front and Vincent Luis just holding onto the back of the pack behind Wilde, with compatriots Bergere and Richard making up the fold.
The field is blown apart after that first kilometre of the two-lap run, the flat and fast course necessitating an unrelenting pace.
It’s Australia’s Matt Hauser who pushed the front pack forwards with Geens, Wilde and Richard holding onto his heels. Redbull cap and oversized sunnies covering a poker face, Wilde then managed to skip into the lead as the athletes pass onto the final lap.
Who won the 2022 Hamburg WTCS race?
The hammer went down hard on the final kilometre, with Wilde showing his prowess by opening up a substantial gap over Hauser and Bergere behind him, a chasing pack of three with Luis drifting farther and father back.
Wilde was in a league of his own, though, as he powered across the line flapping his arms in true kiwi bird style with a time of 53:10, Hauser came in strong just 3s after. A sprint finish for the bronze position sees France’s Bergere just miss out against Jawad Abdelmoula in a time of 53:26, who wins Morocco it’s first ever triathlon medal at this level.
Later down the field, it was fifth for Jelle Geens and a disappointing 11th for Vincent Luis at 34s behind the winning time.
Quotes from the winner: Haydn Wilde
On being 30s back out of T1: “It was pretty hard to get through everyone today. It was actually full-on on the bike, everyone wasn’t holding up, so I just had to stay calm and stay in position, knowing that we had a good group to catch up the front [cyclists]. It played out pretty well.”
On his T2: “I had a rusty T2, a lot of people coming out at the same time. It actually worked in my favour a little bit as going out there was a bit of a headwind, so I got to tuck into a few athletes until we got the tailwind on the run.”
On his surge to victory: “At about half-way, kicked into attack, tried to hold on, and got the win today”, he says with a final smile.
Quotes from runner-up Matt Hauser
On his first podium at this level: “I’m so stoked. It was a long time coming.”
Quotes from bronze place, Jawad Abdelmoula
On his first ever podium placing: “Wow, I don’t believe it. I’m really happy to take the third place. It’s a good place here in Hambourg, it’s my first. I take a lot of pressure, so I’m really happy.”
On his run to catch Leo Bergere: Bergere is a very strong athlete, so I’m really happy to catch him inthe final. Sorry for him. I didn’t know I took the third place until someone told me, I was like ‘wow!’.
Top image: World Triathlon