Jolanda Annen of Switzerland embraced the steep hills and searing sunshine and Etienne Diemunsch of France ran away from the massive packs that clogged the swim and bike legs to win the Huatulco World Cup this weekend.

Women

After taking 2nd in the swim and staying among the leaders on the bike leg, Annen unleashed a race-best 36:46 run to finish in 2:14:06, with a 13 seconds margin of victory over Agnieszka Jerzyk of Poland (36:53 run) and 21 seconds on 3rd-place Yulia Yelistratova of Ukraine (37:00 run).

The win was Annen’s second straight Huatulco podium after her silver medal at this challenging, hilly course last year.

“I am really excited,” said Annen to ITU Media. “I cannot believe it. I was so disappointed after my last race in [World Triathlon Series sprint distance] Cape Town [where she finished 33rd of 42 starters]. It was a really bad race and then I come here to Huatulco and I just can’t believe it! In Switzerland we have mountains so I think it is very good for me.”

With her silver medal performance, Agnieszka Jerzyk scored her first ITU World Cup podium. “It was a very important race for me because I find out if I get my ticket to Rio,” she said. “The last five months were very stressful and this is a small souvenir for me – my first podium in my career!”

Yulia Yelistratova could be proud because she won bronze even after losing 36 seconds due to a flat.

“It was a tough race for me, but it is my favorite race course,” said Yelistratova, who entered the race with the highest point total and wore Number 1. “I came here aiming for podium, maybe wearing number one put some pressure on me but I wanted to do well.”

Annen and Mari Rabie of South Africa led the swim and started the bike leg with small lead that held for one lap. On the second lap, they were caught by a hard working pack that included Canada’s Paula Findlay and Kirsten Sweetland, Yelistratova, Miriam Casillas Garcia of Spain, Mateja Simic of Slovenia, and Cecilia Gabriela Perez of Mexico. By the 6th lap of the bike leg, Yelistratova suffered a puncture that cost her 36 seconds, so she redlined the final lap to rejoin the leading pack arriving in T2.

After the high octane bike seven times over the daunting hill and under the energy sapping heat, only 25 women were left. Starting the run, Annen, Rabie and Jerzyk surged out front. Beginning the final lap, Rabie faded and Yelistratova rejoined the podium trio. When the issue was decided, Annen had the most left in the tank, Jerzyk hung on for 2nd and Yelistratova found the energy for the final medal.

Men

Etienne Diemunsch of France outran Jelle Geens of Belgium and Drew Box of Australia to win his first gold medal at the Huatulco World Cup in his fourth attempt. Diemunsch also earned his second Mexican World Cup victory after earning his first career World Cup title at Cozumel in 2014. Geens and Box won their first World Cup podiums of their careers on one of the World Cup circuit’s toughest courses.

“Today I felt very good but it was better on the final laps,” Diemunsch told ITU Media. “This was the fourth time that I came here, so I know that it is important not to jump start too fast on the first lap of the run, but I was in front so I just continued the pace.”

With this win, Diemunsch stayed on a hot streak that began with his victory against top international competition last month at Cannes.

Starting the run, Diemunsch broke away from the a massive pack that arrived together at T2 and powered away with a race-best 32:53 10k run that brought him to the finish in 1:58:23, with a 17 seconds advantage on Geens and 19 seconds on 3rd-place Drew Box. Chasing Diemunsch, Geens and Box broke away from the rest of the field to earn the silver and bronze.

“I have never done the race before,” said Geens. “But I heard that it was a hot race and there was a big climb and I like that. My first races this season were not good, so I did not have that much confidence going into the race but to be able to finish second today, I am really happy.”

Austria’s Alois Knabl and Japan’s Yuichi Hosoda and led the swim with 17:30 and 17:33 splits, just a few seconds ahead of a massive pack and 11 seconds ahead of Box, 20 seconds ahead of Geens, and 30 seconds ahead of Diemunsch. Immediately into the bike leg, a lead pack of 40 men formed and, despite a failed breakaway attempt on the second lap, stayed together until the end. But during that crowded chaos, Diemunsch maneuvered his way to safety toward the front with a race-best 1:06:19 split, shadowed by Geens and Box who did not have to push so hard after their superior swim splits.

Huatulco was a huge success for the Brazilian nation as they claimed the fourth, fifth and sixth positions with Danilo Pimentel, Anton Ruanova and Diogo Sclebin.

Huatulco ITU World Cup
Huatulco, Mexico
May 7-8, 2016
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k

Results

Women

1. Jolanda Annen (SUI) 2:14:06
2. Agnieszka Jerzyk (POL) 2:14:19
3. Yulia Yelistratova (UKR) 2:14:27
4. Alexandra Razarenova (RUS) 2:14:34
5. Kaidi Kivioja (EST) 2:14:44
6. Mari Rabie (RSA) 2:15:08
7. Cecilia Gabriela Perez Flores (MEX) 2:15:10
8. Melanie Santos (POR) 2:15:11
9. Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP) 2:16:02
10. Katrien Verstuyft (BEL) 2:16:10
25. Erin Jones (USA) 2:30:21

Men

1. Etienne Diemunsch (FRA) 1:58:23
2. Jelle Geens (BEL) 1:58:40
3. Drew Box (AUS) 1:58:42
4. Danilo Pimental (BRA) 1:59:01
5. Anton Ruanova (BRA) 1:59:02
6. Diogo Sclebin (BRA) 1:59:14
7. Andrew Yorke (CAN) 1:59:16
8. Thomas Springer (AUT) 1:59:22
9. Leonardo Chacon (CRC) 1:59:24
10. Miguel Arraiolos (POR) 1:59:35
34. Rodolphe Von Berg (USA) 2:07:23
38. Alex Libin (USA) 2:09:59