Spirig, Hauss win Geneva

Nicola Spirig of Switzerland dominated the women's field and David Hauss of France ran away from Sven Riederer of Switzerland to win the elite titles at the ETU European Championships.

Women

Spirig overcame a minute deficit after the swim with a second-fastest bike split and the best run of the day, to finish in 2:07:15 with a 59 seconds margin of victory over Annamaria Mazzetti of Italy and 2:01 over 3rd-place finisher Ainhoa Murua of Spain.

Spirig, the 2012 Olympic champion, seems fully back on track for a defense of her Olympic title at Rio after taking time off to have a baby in 2013 and winning a few long course events. Spirig successfully defended her 2014 European Championship title and followed up her early season with 3rd at WTS Cape Town and a recent victory at the European Games in Baku.

Jodie Stimpson, the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion and runner-up in the 2013 World Triathlon Series, suffered a puncture and dropped from contention to a 9th place finish.

Men

David Hauss combined an 8th-best swim, a 9th-fastest bike split and a blazing, by-far-race-best 31:19 run to finish in 1:52:55 with an 18-seconds margin on 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Sven Riederer of Switzerland and 21 seconds on 3rd-place finisher Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway.

Heavy favorite and defending WTS World Champion Javier Gomez of Spain lost time with a mix up in transition, then lost over a minute for wheel change on the bike leg before quitting the race in T2.

Hauss, the 2012 Olympic 4th-place finisher, was disqualified at this year’s WTS round at Abu Dhabi and won the 2015 World Cup in Mooloolaba.

ETU Triathlon European Championships
Geneva, Switzerland
July 11, 2015
S 1.5k / B 40.8k / R 10k

Results

Elite Women

1. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 2:07:15
2. Annamaria Mazzetti (ITA) 2:08:14
3. Ainhoa Murua (ESP) 2:09:16
4. Vendula Frintova (CZE) 2:09:45
5. Lucy Hall GBR) 2:09:59
6. Agnieszka Jerzyk (POL) 2:10:20
7. Lisa Norden (SWE) 2:10-:26
8. Emmie Charayron (FRA) 2:10:33
9. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) 2:10:50
10. Katrien Verstuyft (BEL) 2:10:56

Elite Men

1. David Hauss (FRA) 1:52:55
2. Sven Riederer (SUI) 1:53:13
3. Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) 1:53:16
4. Richard Varga (SVK) 1:53:20
5. Thomas Bishop (GBR) 1:53:22
6. Dmitry Polyanskiy (RUS) 1:53:46
7. Francesc Godoy (ESP) 1:54:00
8. Alessandro Fabian (ITA) 1:54:03
9. Matthew Sharp (GBR) 1:54:07
10. Támas Tóth (HUN) 1:54:59
DNF Javier Gomez (ESP)