Hamburg WTCS: Beaugrand beats rival Potter in last test ahead of Olympics
France’s Cassandre Beaugrand was in imperious form as she beat GB’s Beth Potter in Germany. Australia’s Matt Hauser took the men’s win
France’s Cassandre Beaugrand got the better of Britain’s Beth Potter in Hamburg as the two Olympic favourites clashed for the final time before Paris.
The northern German city has proved a happy hunting ground for Loughborough-based Beaugrand, who won her first World Series race here in 2018 and took victory again last year.
Potter eventually had to settle for third place after being out-sprinted by Germany’s Lisa Tertsch – making it the same podium as in the previous WTCS race in Cagliari.
But while it was a close-run contest in Sardinia, this time Beaugrand looked serene as she cruised to the win with a 15:20 final 5km run.
Britain’s Kate Waugh was towards the front throughout and eventually placed seventh, with team-mate Liv Mathias in 19th, and Jess Fullager in 42nd.
In the men’s race, Matt Hauser showed he was in prime shape for Paris by taking the tape, followed by Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca, and France’s Pierre Le Corre.
It built on an already impressive season from the Australian, who had finished second in Yokohama and is right in the mix to win the first ever Olympic medal by an Australian man in two-and-a-half weeks.
It was also reassuring for Vilaca, who finished second in last year’s test event in Paris, but suffered the aftereffects of a nasty crash in Yokohama in May.
Britain’s Max Stapley produced a career-best performance to finish in ninth place, with Hugo Milner in 25th, but Barclay Izzard dropped out on the bike.
What happened in the men’s race?
The field consisted of a mixture of triathletes looking for one final tune-up before the Olympics, and others who hadn’t been selected trying to prove a point.
Mark Devay made an early statement in the 750m swim. The Hungarian who narrowly missed out on Olympic selection was joined at the front by France’s two-time world champion Vincent Luis – another who won’t be competing in Paris.
With the bike course adapted from previous years and narrower in places, a front group of 13 opened up a small gap in the early laps.
Luis was driving the pace at the front, but Vilaca was hunting at the head of the chase pack as several athletes including Yokohama winner Morgan Pearson and Britain’s Milner struggled to stay in touch.
By the penultimate lap of six a group of 28 were clear, including Stapley, with it all to be decided by the run.
It took until the second 2.5km lap for seven athletes to break clear including more established stars such as Hauser, Vilaca, Le Corre and Luis.
It then whittled down to three, with Hauser putting down the power over the final kilometre to pull clear for the victory.
What happened in the women’s race?
It was a non-wetsuit swim, but the women were noticeably chilly on an overcast day as they lined up mid-afternoon and two hours after the men.
Unlike the men’s race where Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde were absent, the women’s event featured plenty of medal favourites including Potter, Beaugrand and Tertsch.
Austria’s Therese Feuersinger, who had led out the swim in her previous three races, was first out of the water again in 9:51, with Mathias in third. The Welsh Commonwealth Games medal winner then went straight to the front on the bike and tried to force a break.
By halfway through the 20km bike leg, 14 athletes were clear including a trio of British contenders, but the gap to the chasers was only around 15sec.
In her first WTCS race, Fullager sadly crashed on a corner in the second half of the bike leg, but picked herself up to continue.
Twenty-six athletes started the 5km run together, but it was soon Beaugrand who took charge, and while the others jostled for position in her wake, including Waugh having to stop briefly to fix her laces, the French star built up an unassailable lead.
The gap was 11sec at the finish, but Beaugrand was easing down, while Tertsch and Potter were engaged in a scrap for the minor podium places.
What Hauser said:
“That was tough out there but I’m happy to get the win. There were a few big dogs missing, but in two weeks we’ll fill in the gaps and have a good showdown.
“This year I want to enjoy the experience and being in some of the fittest form I’ve been in during my career.
“They’re your enemies [on the course] and your best mates off the course. I can’t fear anybody. I just stick to what I know, put the blinders up and go-go-go.”
What Beaugrand said:
“It was good for me to race, as I don’t like a big gap between races. It’s 10 years since my first WTS race in Hamburg and I thought I’d make it special by coming back. I didn’t know how I’d feel after altitude, I but surprised myself and felt good.
What Potter said:
“I’m satisfied with where I’m at and I’d have preferred to be a couple of places higher, but there are still a couple of weeks [to go]. I’m fully focused on what I can do, I know my training has been really good and I just need to freshen up a bit more.”
Hamburg WTCS: Men’s final standings
- Matt Hauser (AUS) 50:03
- Vasco Vilaca (POR) +6
- Pierre Le Coore (FRA) +7
- Jelle Geens (BEL) +15
- Casper Stornes (NOR) +16
- Vincent Luis (FRA) +20
- Alessio Crociani (ITA) +25
- Alberto Gonzalez Garcia (ESP) +35
- Max Stapley (GBR) +36
- Tom Richard (FRA) +38
Hamburg WTCS: Women’s final standings
- Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) 55:19
- Lisa Tertsch (GER) +11
- Beth Potter (GBR) +12
- Jeanne Lehair (LUX) +14
- Emma Lombardi (FRA) +16
- Annika Koch (GER) +26
- Kate Waugh (GBR) +29
- Cathia Schar (SUI) +41
- Rachel Klamer (NED) +53
- Marlene Gomez-Goggel (GER) +58
Top pic credit: World Triathlon
Tim Heming
Freelance triathlon journalist 
