After a little pause since the last race in Hamburg, the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) resumes on Saturday in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, with the first of three races that will determine the 2022 World Triathlon champions.
World Triathlon Championship Cagliari 2022
While Cagliari is new to the WTCS circuit, it has held multiple Triathlon World Cup races in the past. Thus it is no stranger to Elite triathlon. If you can believe it, there are other elite triathlon events happening this week, not just the IRONMAN World Championship.
The run course at World Triathlon Championship Cagliari 2022 is as follows:
The final leg of the race is a 10-kilometre run, comprised of four 2.5-kilometre laps along the same flat and fast roads as the cycling course. There will be strict cutoffs to ensure that no bicycles are on the course when the first runners begin the last leg of the race. The bike and run use many of the same roads.
The two-lap water swim race at Poetto, Cagliari’s major beach, is an Olympic distance event. The athlete guide claims that the 38-kilometre bike course is “completely flat,” and competitors will likely be relieved to learn that someone else will keep track of the 10 loops they complete on a lap that still has room for 14 turns.
The run, which is completely flat once more, consists of four laps of 2.5 kilometres.
TriathlonLive.tv, the BBC Red Button, the BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app (if you have access) will all be showing the action live.
The local start times for the elite races are:
- This Saturday, October 8th, at 10:30 a.m.: Elite Women (0930 UK, 0430 EST)
- Men of Distinction, October 8th, 1445 (1345 UK, 0845 EST)
Where can I watch World Triathlon Championship Cagliari 2022 Caligari?
All races will be broadcast live on TriathlonLive.tv, and viewers in the UK may tune in through the BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport app, or the Red Button for live coverage of the men’s and women’s competitions. Visit the BBC Sport page by clicking here. Not only on Paramount+ but also on Fubo TV
Who is NOT in the race of the World Triathlon Championship
Stars like Flora Duffy (Australia) and Hayden Wilde (USA) are sitting this one out (NZL). Being second and first in the standings, respectively, their absence creates a little window of opportunity for others.
I admit that I was incorrect about Flora, who I had pegged as a competitor in Italian races. If so, what does that imply? Georgia Taylor-Brown, who is now in first place in the series, can only move up the standings if she wins. Her four scoring results are: first, first, second, and second. If she were to win, her score would go up to 3925, just 75 points short of the maximum before the Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi.
If Flora were to do this, the most points she could have going into Abu Dhabi would be 3856 (presuming she also won in Bermuda). So, the final score gap would be 69.
If GTB were to win in Cagliari and Flora were to place second in Bermuda (but ahead of GTB), then Flora would have a greater total of points (3925) than GTB (3781). The 144-point gap is more than the gap between the first and second in Abu Dhabi. Therefore, even if she were to win in Abu Dhabi, she still wouldn’t have a shot at the global crown.
That’s a roundabout way of expressing that Flora is convinced that she will win in her native country of Bermuda no matter what happens this weekend. The 2022 World Triathlon Championship will be decided in a head-to-head race at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, where all mention of points can be put aside. Stunning, right?
Hayden Wilde has had a solid year so far, with firsts, firsts, seconds, and seconds to his name. Alex Yee will undoubtedly be his main rival for the World Triathlon Championship, although Yee is feeling some pressure after only two outcomes (both victories) and needs to do well in Cagliari and Bermuda to have a chance at the title. Even if current number two Leo Bergere wins this weekend in Italy, Wilde will still remain on top anyway.
Read More: The London Marathon 2022: Everything You Need To Know
Elite Women
The wise wager would be on Georgia Taylor-Brown, who won in Toulouse despite being less than 100% earlier in the week, to repeat as World Triathlon Championship this weekend with a start number of 1 if she has recovered from whatever ailment had plagued her. Even if the pan-flat route isn’t her preference, she should still be very difficult to beat as the race is the entire Olympic distance.
Sophie Coldwell (winner in Cagliari over half the distance three years ago) and Beth Potter (who has broken through to WTCS podiums this year in Montreal and Hamburg) continue Britain’s dominance. Their one possible disadvantage is that they have spent the past month concentrating on the super-sprint versions of Super League.
If we’re talking about the Super League, then Taylor Spivey’s steady play has to put her in the running, too. It’s intriguing to see Taylor Knibb (USA) back in a WTCS race for the first time since Yokohama in May. At the PTO US Open in Dallas, she swam and biked brilliantly but struggled in the final sections of the 18-kilometre run. This week’s conditions won’t be as difficult as dealing with GTB, Beaugrand, and Potter’s run speeds.
Cassandre Beaugrand has yet to show the same level of form over the Standard distance that she has in shorter disciplines. Can they, along with the rising star Emma Lombardi, fight for medals this coming Saturday?
Elite Men
The race in Cagliari in 2017 nearly ruined Alex Yee’s career, but I believe that a year later, the cool-headed Alex Yee will be focused solely on his racing results this Saturday. He chose not to defend his Super League Championship Series title in order to devote more time to the World Triathlon Championship, and it’s hard to imagine anyone beating him on this course (especially without Wilde or Blummenfelt) if he’s among the leads at T2.
Jelle Geens (BEL) and the French 1-2-3 from the European Championships in Munich, Leo Bergere, Pierre Le Corre, and Dorian Coninx, would have to be in the running if it came down to a footrace. Jonny Brownlee and Matt Hauser are two more that should be mentioned. While the route in Sardinia is vastly different from the one he won earlier this year (and last year), it’s evident that Brownlee is at home in Italy. After an interrupted season, Jonny is also not worried about the World Triathlon Championship points pursuit and will be racing just for enjoyment.
The Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, Hauser, has certainly climbed up a level this year, even if Brownlee almost started a swim with his cycling helmet at SLT Toulouse. He finished fourth this year on the flat Yokohama course, so the change in format shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
World Triathlon Series Maurice Lacroix Rankings
Cagliari, Bermuda, and the series’ final race in Abu Dhabi remain.
The best four World Triathlon Championship results, plus the Championship Final, will be used to determine the final rankings. Winning a regular WTCS event is worth 1000 points while winning the Finals is worth 1250 points. In either situation, your point total will decrease by 7.5% for every place you fall.
In anticipation of Saturday’s Italian races, here are the current top ten.
Elite Women
- Georgia Taylor-Brown – 3850
- Flora Duffy – 3482
- Beth Potter – 3139
- Cassandre Beaugrand – 3002
- Laura Lindemann – 2986
- Taylor Spivey – 2838
- Annabel Knoll – 2341
- Sophie Coldwell – 2338 (3 races – 3rd, 3rd, 7th)
- Summer Rappaport – 2017
- Sian Rainsley
Elite Men
- Hayden Wilde – 3850
- Leo Bergere – 3493
- Jelle Geens – 3102
- Pierre Le Corre – 2726
- Vasco Vilaca – 2669
- Vincent Luis – 2557
- Antonio Serrat Seoane – 2459
- Lasse Nygaard Priester – 2015
- Jawad Abdelmoula – 2005
- Alex Yee – 2000 (2 races – both wins)
The current rankings take into account the best four finishes for each athlete (with the exception of Sophie Colwell and Alex Yee).
Recent Champions in Cagliari
- 2019: Alistair Brownlee (GBR) / Sophie Coldwell (GBR)
- 2018: Delian Stateff (ITA) / Lisa Perterer (AUT)
- 2017: Adrien Briffod (SUI) / Jolanda Annen (SUI)
- 2016: Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) / India Lee (GBR)
Triathlon World Cup events in Cagliari have always been held in the Sprint distance in the past. For the first time, the 2022 race will be held over the Standard distance, and a top-tier (World Ten Cycling Series) event will be held there.
Prize Money:
Outside of the Championship Finals, the prize pool at each stop on the World Triathlon Championship Series is $50,000. Winners will share $18,000, with 20 total payees.
- 1. $18,000
- 2. $12,000
- 3. $8,000
- 4. $6,000
- 5. $4,900
- 6. $4,100
- 7. $3,400
- 8. $2,800
- 9. $2,300
- 10. $1,900
- 11. $1,600
- 12. $1,400
- 13. $1,300
- 14. $1,200
- 15. $1,100
- 16 to 20. $1,000 each
