In slam bang, sprint distance stage racing, long shot Taylor Spivey won the women's crown for the final day and the weekend’s total for the women at Super League Triathlon Mallorca. Despite a painful fall in a bike to run transition midway through the final stage, Katie Zaferes of the U.S. finished third on the day, second for the weekend and held on to her Super League Triathlon 2018-2019 series lead after the third of five scheduled races.
On the men’s side, 2018-2019 Super League Triathlon series leader Vincent Luis of France dominated all men’s races on the weekend. With his performances, the WTS Grand Final winner lengthened his series lead to 12 points over the weekend’s runner-up and Sunday’s third place finisher Henri Schoeman of South Africa.
Women
In a weekend filled with much jockeying for position and constant points counting, the women’s Sprint Enduro Stage 2 Final was the best example of the Super League brand of split second, strategic and thrilling racing.
The Sprint Enduro format was a 300 meter swim, four 1000 meter laps on the bike and two 800 meter run laps, then repeated, without a stop. Coming into the first bike-to-run transition midway through, Taylor Spivey led Kirsten Kasper and Katie Zaferes when Zaferes suddenly tripped and fell head over heels into the pavement while desperately grabbing on to her bike.
While Zaferes managed to scramble upright, she fell to 5th as the women roared into the two-lap, 1600 meter run to the halfway point. While Zaferes managed to surge back into the lead trio with her U.S. countrywomen, she clearly expended a ton of energy she would need near the end.
During the Sunday morning qualifying rounds, Spivey and Kasper won their heats which gave them a crucial advantage coming into the Sunday afternoon finals. Winners of the heats earn what is known as the “short chute bonus.” That is, on either the first or last lap of the final run leg, they get to cut in yards short of a turnaround - perhaps 100 meters before the finish line. That short cut gains about six crucial seconds in the race.
Approaching the end of the first lap of the final run, Kasper took the shortcut and vaulted to the front, yards ahead of Spivey and Zaferes. While Super League commentators opined that Kasper had made the right move and Spivey had made a tactical error, Spivey held her card close to her singlet. On the final go-round, Spivey made the short chute cut and exploded into a finish line sprint that won the day.
“That was so hard, and the Short Chute mixed it up,” Spivey told Super League media. “But it gave me a real advantage today. I didn’t feel too strong at all throughout the race, but towards the end of the bike I could tell the other girls were hurting. I saved the Short Chute until the last lap as I wanted to give them minimal time to chase.”
“I’m feeling pretty tired, but proud of my effort, and pleased to come away with second,” said Kasper. “It was a really exciting race to be in, and a great way to end the season.”
Zaferes was gracious about her 3rd place on the day and second for the weekend. “I felt pretty terrible before the race, and I knew Kirsten and Taylor were going to be really fierce competitors,” said Zaferes. “I was actually pretty happy with how I did - I was lucky on the crash to bounce back up so quickly. And I think I misjudged the Short Chute.”
U.S. women have taken charge of Super League Racing as this was the second straight time that they have filled the podium - which they did at Super League Malta last month.
Men
The men’s races offered a similar nerve-wracking tension.
Vincent Luis and Jonny Brownlee won the morning races and earned the Short Chute bonuses to be used on the final run leg of the afternoon. As the men began the final run, Brownlee went for a small lead. Brownlee hoped to capitalize and decided to play his Short Chute card on the first of two run laps. Brownlee did increase his lead and tried to hold it.
When Luis took the Short Chute shortcut, he earned a brief lead, then put in a decisive surge that, like Spivey, won the day.
“That was a tough race,” Luis told Super League Triathlon media. “I had to focus on Henri and Jonny, and Jonny was really strong. He played his card, taking the Short Chute early, and when he did I knew it was full gas until the end. I thought to myself, he played his card, so now I will play mine. I still have a good kick, so with 300 meters to go I went full gas, and he couldn’t catch me.”
“That was probably one of the most exciting races I have ever been involved in,” said Brownlee. “I felt good, and I was hoping to be one of the least tired people. I realized at the end the only card I had to play against Vincent was to take the Short Chute early, surprise him, get a gap, and go as hard as I could. That’s what I did, and he was still better than me.”
The 2018-2019 Super League Triathlon series will conclude with two more races - Super League Singapore in February and the Super League Triathlon final in Australia in March.
Super League Triathlon – Mallorca
Mallorca, Spain
November 3-4, 2018
Sprint Enduro Final – Sunday
Swim 2x300m / Bike 4x1k / Run 2x800m
Women
Sprint Enduro Stage 2 Results Sunday
1. Taylor Spivey (USA)
2. Kirsten Kasper (USA)
3. Katie Zaferes (USA)
Super League Mallorca Overall Results November 3-4
1. Taylor Spivey (USA)
2. Katie Zaferes (USA)
3. Kirsten Kasper (USA)
Men
Sprint Enduro Stage 2 Results – Sunday
1. Vincent Luis (FRA)
2. Jonny Brownlee (GBR)
3. Henri Schoeman (RSA)
Super League Mallorca Overall Results November 3-4
1. Vincent Luis (FRA)
2. Henri Schoeman (RSA)
3. Jonny Brownlee (GBR)
Super League Triathlon 2018-2019 Season Current Points Rankings
Men
75 Vincent Luis FRA Jersey 1 Malta 1 Mallorca 1
63 Henri Schoeman RSA Jersey 2 Malta 2 Mallorca 2
48 Richard Murray RSA Jersey 4 Malta 3 Mallorca 4
46 Jonathan Brownlee GBR Jersey 5 Malta 5 Mallorca 3
34 Hayden Wilde NZL Jersey 6 Malta 7 Mallorca 6
32 Leo Bergere FRA Jersey 7 Malta 6 Mallorca 7
22 Ben Kanute USA Jersey 9 Malta 8 Mallorca 8
21 Tyler Mislawchuk CAN Jersey 12 Malta 4 Mallorca 11
Women
71 Katie Zaferes USA Jersey 1 Malta 1 Mallorca 2
54 Kirsten Kasper USA Jersey 3 Malta 3 Mallorca 3
40 Rachel Klamer NED Jersey 11 Malta 2 Mallorca 4
38 Taylor Spivey USA Jersey DNS Malta 4 Mallorca 1
30 Jodie Stimpson GBR Kersey 8 Malta 7 Mallorca 6
30 Summer Cook USA Kersey 5 Malta 6 Mallorca 10
26 Joanna Brown CAN Kersey 12 Malta 5 Mallorca 7
19 Yuko Takahashi JPN Jersey DNS Malta 8 Mallorca 5
