WTCS Abu Dhabi: Hayden Wilde powers to victory in season opener

Hayden Wilde continued from where he left off in the World Triathlon Championship Series, as the New Zealander took top spot in the first event of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Wilde, who picked up Olympic silver in Paris and then won the WTCS Championship Finals in Spain, kicked away from Australia’s Matt Hauser in the closing stages over the sprint distance in the Middle East.

Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca grabbed a hard-earned third place, with Britain’s Ben Dijkstra, on his WTCS debut, finishing eighth, Max Stapley, 11th, and Harry Leleu 15th.

After a cancellation on the eve of last year’s competition due to an impending storm, the triathletes were just pleased to get racing on a typically hot day in the Middle East.

While Abu Dhabi has become the traditional curtain-raiser for the season for the past decade, a February race was a month earlier than usual – and the earliest that a WTCS event has ever been scheduled.

With the next event not being until May in Japan, it meant several of the big names were missing including reigning world champion Alex Yee – who was concentrating on his London Marathon preparations for April – and the French contingent of 2022 and 2023 world champs, Leo Bergere and Dorian Coninx.

What happened in the swim?

Olympic silver medallist Wilde was ranked No 1 of the starters and was a clear favourite for victory.

But next best in the 2024 rankings, Australia’s Hauser, is a renowned swimmer, and the Gold Coast native was very familiar with the beach start format adopted in the Middle East.

As such, Hauser led the swim from the hooter, with a line of athletes content to swim in his wake starting with Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo. 

Hauser, who crashed out of last year’s WTCS finals in Spain, produced a rare sub-8min swim, with Hidalgo following and then Portugal’s Miguel Tiago Silva and Germany’s Henry Graf.

The best placed Brits out of the water were Dijkstra (9th), Leleu (11th) and Stapley (15th). Wilde was 32nd out of the water, 29sec behind.

What happened on the bike?

The pace was on from the start with the front group of 16, including the leading three Brits, making a small gap of 6sec on the chasers led by Wilde.

The wind was fierce in places, buffeting them as they rode over the short bridge section, and then pushing them to more than 50km/h as they headed back towards the athletics track.

By the time they completed the second lap, the main groups were back together, but Wilde wasn’t content to let that be the end of the action.

The Kiwi continued to try and forge a break at the front and in Switzerland’s Simon Westermann and Austria’s Tjebbe Kaindl found two willing accomplices.

Heading onto the final lap the leading trio had established a gap that only served to give them a clearer run into the second transition as the main group dismounted within seconds of one another.

What happened on the run?

A group of five set about making the pace on the first of the two laps for the 5km run. Hauser, Wilde, Vilaca were all present along with Netherlands’ Mitch Kolkmann and Canada’s Charles Paquet.

Kolkmann and Paquet were quickly jettisoned, and Vilaca, who placed fifth in the Paris Olympics, dropped off towards the end of the first lap.

Wilde and Hauser took turns at the front as they approached the closing stages, but it always looked likely that Wilde would go through the gears at some stage, and when he did, Hauser couldn’t quite match it.

Dijkstra was a few seconds away from fourth place, but eventually had to settle for eighth, with Stapley and Leleu also having decent showings. 

It wasn’t Hugo Milner’s day though. Having lost touch on the bike, the fast-running Milner finished in 31st place and just over 2min off the pace.

Wilde said:

“It feels like this is my second home as I’ve been here three-to-four weeks and have been loving it. We got a breakaway [on the bike], it didn’t stick, but we had fun out there. I’ve raced Matt over 5km many times and I knew for sure he had one more push. He was coming hot, and I was happy to hold on. I don’t know how many World Series I’ll do, but it was nice to win here for the first time. T100 is up next in Singapore, so I’m looking forward to racing the long course boys.”

Hauser said:

“It’s always tough getting second, especially when you’re there the whole way. I kept saying to myself: ‘Stay in the game!’ There were a few tactics and games [from Wilde] but I managed to hold on for second. I can’t wait for the next one, and I’m looking forward to the World Championship Finals and hopefully bringing it home on home soil.”

Vilaca said:

“I’m very happy with third place. It’s the first race of the session, and a  great start. These guys made me suffer today and I think the legs have woken up and are ready to get into 2025. I loved the course. The F1 course is legendary but this whole island is beautiful and I’m stoked to be here. Now it’s time to put some good work in for Yokohama.

WTCS Abu Dhabi: Men’s final standings 

1. Hayden Wilde 48:21
2. Matt Hauser +2
3. Vasco Vilaca +18
4. Henry Graf +34
5. Adrien Briffod +34
6. Ricardo Batista +35
7. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon +36
8. Ben Dijkstra +36
9. David Cantero Del Campo +38
10. Miguel Hidalgo +43

WTCS 2025 calendar

• Abu Dhabi (February 15-16)
• Yokohama (May 17)
• Italy (location TBC) (May 31)
• Hamburg (July 12-13)
• Karlovy Vary (September 14)
• Weihai (September 26)
• Championship Finals, Wollongong (October 15-19)