The France ace got the better of Germany’s Lisa Tertsch and GB’s Beth Potter as the fight for Olympic qualification came to a head in Sardinia <\/p>
France\u2019s Cassandre Beaugrand<\/a> produced a stellar 10km run to beat Germany\u2019s Lisa Tertsch and British world champion Beth Potter<\/a> in Sardinia.<\/strong><\/p> Britain\u2019s Georgia Taylor-Brown<\/a> finished sixth and Sophie Coldwell<\/a> placed seventh as they looked to catch the eye of selectors for the remaining two GB spots in the final chance for Olympic qualification. <\/p> Another leading contender for an Olympic start, Kate Waugh<\/a>, finished in 10th place, two places behind Tokyo champion Flora Duffy<\/a>, but just ahead of leading US hope Taylor Knibb<\/a>. Sian Rainsley<\/a> ensured all five GB women finished in the top 20 and underlined their continued strength in depth.<\/p> It was Beaugrand\u2019s fourth World Series victory, but her first over the standard distance. With team-mate Leonie Periault<\/a> winning in Yokohama a fortnight ago, it means French women have won the only two WTCS races to take place in 2024, boosting medal expectations even further ahead of the Olympics in two months.<\/p> The USA selection for Paris was another hot topic of discussion. After none of the competing triathletes were able to get the required podium in Yokohama, two discretionary places remained and Katie Zafares<\/a> \u2013 subbed into the race in Cagliari at the expense of 2016 Rio champion Gwen Jorgensen<\/a> \u2013 pushed her claim for a slot by finishing 12th.<\/p> While it wasn\u2019t the victory Potter hoped for in her first WTCS start of the year, the Scot was content with a place on the podium. There was a significant swell for the two-lap 1,500m sea swim in Sardinia with a suspect start suggesting several triathletes might have jumped the hooter although no penalties were forthcoming.<\/p> The Netherlands\u2019 Maya Kingma<\/a> led the field through the first 750m, but the leading contenders were all within a few seconds of each other as they hit Poetto beach for the first time. The pace was on from the start of the 10-lap 38km bike leg and it was no surprise to see Knibb regularly driving from the front. Opportunities for a breakaway were always going to be rare on a technical, pan-flat course, especially with so many triathletes eyeing Olympic qualification and not wanting to waste energy ahead of the 10km run.<\/p> What happened in the swim?<\/strong><\/h2>
What happened on the bike?<\/strong><\/h2>