Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway and Mathilde Gautier of France took top honors at the ETU Sprint Triathlon European Cup in Barcelona Sunday.
Blummenfelt started the 5k run running virtually elbow to elbow with five-time ITU Olympic distance World Champion Javier Gomez of Spain, but gradually pulled away to the victory when his 4th-best 15:32 run bested Gomez by 12 seconds. Blummenfelt finished in 53:53 with a 13 seconds margin over Gomez and 33 seconds over 3rd place finisher and fellow Norwegian Gustav Iden.
Blummenfelt’s win comes after a second-place finish at the 2020 Arzachena World Cup, a 13th at the 2020 Hamburg WTS Championship, and a victory at the 2019 WTS Grand Final.
Gautier won a race-long duel with Anna Godoy Contreras of Spain by a whisker in a sprint at the finish as both were recorded at equal 1:00:43 times.
Contreras, Gautier and Michelle Flipo of Mexico emerged from the swim in a tight pack within seconds of swim leaders Flipo, Natalie Van Coevorden of Australia and Sara Perez Sala of Spain.
The quintet rode in a tightly bunched pack that arrived within four seconds of the 30:14 split notched by bike leaders Gautier and Flipo.
On the run, Gautier and Anna Godoy Contreras of Spain broke away to a narrow lead from the chasers. After a heated duel, Gautier’s 17:56 run split was enough to hold off Contreras’ race-best 17:54 5k split by a few inches. Flipo, who could just manage an 18:08 run, took the final slot on the podium, 13 seconds behind the leading duo’s 1:00:43 mark.
Gautier holds a 134th ITU World Ranking and her win comes after her recent 10th place finish at the Arzachena World Cup. In 2019, Gautier took 14th at the Tongyeong World Cup and she took 1st at the 2018 Kalmar FISU World University Triathlon Championship.
Barcelona ETU Sprint Triathlon European Cup
Barcelona, Spain
October 25, 2020
S 750m/ B 20k / R 5k
Men
1. Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) S 9:42 T1 1:10 B 26:47 T2 00:44 R 15:32 TOT 53:53
2. Javier Gomez (ESP) S 9:40 T1 1:08 B 26:52 T2 00:43 R 15:44 TOT 54:06
3. Gustav Iden (NOR S 9:56 T1 1L12 B 27:18 T2 00:44 R 15:17 TOT 54:26
4. Genis Grau (ESP) S 9:53 T1 1:11 B 27:22 T2 00:38 R 15:27 TOT 54:30
5. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon (ESP) S 10:02 T1 1:14 B 27:08 T2 00:39 R 15:30
6. Leon Pauger (AUT) S 9:53 T1 1:12 B 27:19 T2 00:41 R 15:35 TOT 54:39
7. David Castro Fajardo (RDP) S 9:44 T1 1:15 B 27:30 T2 00:42 R 15:46 TOT 54:55
8. Felix Duchampt (ROU) S 10:05 T1 1:06 B 27:22 T2 00:38 R 15:52 TOT 55:02
9. Jamie Riddle (RSA) S 9:38 T1 1:10 B 27:40 T2 00:45 R 15:57 TOT 55:08
10. Gaspar Riveros (CHI) S 9:54 T1 1:11 B 27:23 T2 00:41 R 16:02 TOT 55:09
13. Austin Hindman (USA) S 9:56 T1 1:13 B 27:24 T2 00:38 R 16:08 TOT 55:17
21. Darr Smith (USA) S 9:48 T1 1:23 B 27:21 T2 00:42 R 16:43 TOT 55:57
27. Andrew Shellenberger (USA) S 9:57 T1 1:13 B 27:23 T2 00:40 R 17:04 TOT 56:17
49. Thomas Roos (USA) S 9:58 T1 1:40 B 29:47 T2 00:47 R 17:59 TOT 1:00:10
Women
1. Mathilde Gautier (FRA) S 10:39 T1 1:17 B 30:14 T2 00:39 R 17:56 TOT 1:00:43
2, Anna Godoy Contreras (ESP) S 10:38 T1 1:16 B 30:17 T2 00:40 R 17:54 TOT 1:00:43
3. Michelle Flipo (MEX) S 10:38 T1 1:16 B 30:14 T2 00:41 R 18:08 TOT 1:00:56
4. Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) S 10:35 T1 1:20 B 30:17 T2 00:40 R 18:35 TOT 1:01:26
5. Sara Perez Sala (ESP) S 10:36 T1 1:17 B 30:19 T2 00:42 R 18:38
6. Marta Pintanel Raymundo (ESP) S 11:01 T1 1:17 B 31:08 T2 00:38 R 18:13 TOT1:02:17
7. Cecilia Santamaria Surroca (ESP) S 11:02 T1 1:21 B 31:02 T2 00:34 R 18:23 TOT 1:02:21
8. Xisca Tous (ESP) S 10:52 T1 1:15 B 31:21 T2 00:38 R 18:29 TOT 1:02:34
9. Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP) S 10:57 T1 1:18 B 31:13 T2 00:38 R 18:34 TOT 1:02:38
10. Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) S 11:06 T1 1:17 B 31:06 T2 00:37 R 18:44 TOT 1:02:48
15. Gina Sereno (USA) S 11:14 T1 1:20 B 32:16 T2 00:47 R 18:21 TOT 1:03:56
