Beaugrand and Coninx Thrill French Fans with WTCS Quiberon Wins

French fans were provided the show they wanted at today’s World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) event in Quiberon as Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand and countryman Dorian Coninx took the tape with impressive wins.

“I was ready to fight to the end,” Beaugrand said after the race. “It was crazy. Every time I race in France people push me so much. I just tried to give them my best and give the best show I can.”

The day began well for Beaugrand as she led the way out of the water with Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen close behind. Vermeylen would make a charge early on in the bike, but by the end of the first of four laps on the bike there were 25 women up in front, with the chase group with France’s Leonie Periault and American Gwen Jorgensen 25 seocond back. The chasers kept closing the gap and heading into the final lap of the bike they had caught the leaders, setting up a 5 km road race for the title. That put the likes of Beaugrand, who, as we reported earlier this week is arguably the sport’s premier runner, and Sweden’s Tilda Månsson, who outsprinted Beth Potter to win WTCS Yokohama earlier this year, in the driver’s seat.

Canadian Desirae Ridenour who blasted out of T2 in first, but it wasn’t long before Beaugrand, Vermeylen and Jeanne Lehair would move to the front, with France’s Emma Lombardi and Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) close behind. Månsson joined the lead group at the end of the first of two laps of the run to make it a group of six vying for the medals. Månsson made her push, which dropped Taylor-Brown from the mix, and with 1 km to go it was the Swede and Beaugrand clear and duelling for the win. Once Beaugrand made her move she eased away for an eight-second victory. Vermeylen would hang on for third, with Lombardi and Lehair rounding out the top five.

The race to finish as the top American came down to a sprint as Gina Sereno was given the nod over Gwen Jorgensen to finish 10th. Both were credited with the same time – 59:12.

WTCS Quiberon — Women’s Elite Results

Another Big Sprint for Coninx

A sprint victory at the Grand Final in 2023 leapfrogged Dorian Coninx to the world title, and the Frenchman delivered with a big sprint at home in Quiberon today, too.

Chile’s Diego Moya led the way out of the water, with series leader and pre-race favourite Vasco Vilaca (POR) 13 seconds behind, while Alex Yee hit T2 in 39th place, 32 seconds behind the lead. While Vilaca was close enough to make the lead group of 15, Yee found himself in the third chase group and 22 seconds back at the end of the first of the four bike loops. By the end of the second loop that third group had joined the other chasers, but the lead group that included the likes of Coninx, Vilaca, Moya, Max Stapley (GBR), Ricardo Batista (POR) and Seth Rider were 28 seconds up. The lead group maintained their lead and finished the bike 26 seconds ahead.

Australia’s Luke Schofield blasted out of transition in front, but Vilaca quickly marked his move with Coninx, Batista and Italy’s Nicola Azzano staying close to the WTCS series leader. Yee would retire from the race, but Spain’s David Cantero would manage to run through the rest of the chasers and apply some pressure on the front four. Vilaca, Coninx and Batista ran clear of Azzano, setting themselves up for the podium. As he did at WTCS Alghero, Vilaca kicked for the line first, but instead of getting clear he found himself with company. Rounding the final corner, Vilaca slipped and lost a bit of ground – Coninx seized the opportunity and sprinted for the line to take a one-second win, with Batista finishing third. Cantero and Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo would run their way from the chase pack to fourth and fifth.

WTCS Quiberon — Men’s Elite Results

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