Britain’s Alex Yee finished second to world champion Mario Mola of Spain as the ITU World Series kicked off in high-octane style on the Formula One track of Abu Dhabi. Advertisement It was an impressive debut at the top level from the 21-year-old Yee, who trains in Leeds and had already showed his class by winning a second tier World Cup race in Cape Town, also over the sprint distance, last month. But it still wasn’t quite enough to defeat Mola, who has won the past three world titles, and once again showed why his biggest strength is the run. The 29-year-old surged to the front with 1.7km remaining and…

Third-place Jess Learmonth led the British charge in the first World Series race of the season as Non Stanford, Vicky Holland and Georgie Taylor-Brown also finished in the top 10. Advertisement USA’s Katie Zafares, who finished runner-up to Holland in last year’s World Series, sealed a commanding victory in Abu Dhabi by breaking clear on the 5km run. With her compatriot Taylor Spivey in second, it was left for Learmonth to out-sprint Under-23 world champion Taylor Knibb to stop a US podium sweep. “I thought I’d shove ‘em out, “Learmonth joked. “She [Knibb] kept pushing and I thought it was going to come to a sprint finish. I thought: ‘She’s…

Commonwealth champions Australia underlined their mixed relay credentials with victory on the opening World Series weekend, as Britain’s quartet toiled home in seventh. Advertisement Despite having two debutants in their line-up, Jake Birtwhistle, fast becoming a relay specialist, brought the Aussies to the tape in Abu Dhabi, having caught USA’s Eli Hemming on the final bike leg and eased clear on the 1,500m run. New Zealand finished in third, with Alex Yee, runner-up in the individual contest yesterday, running Britain up to seventh, 68sec adrift of the winners. Over a 300m swim, 7.6km bike and 1.5km run course, Britain, who were led off by Vicky Holland struggled to make an…

The ITU World Series got underway in the Emirates’ capital this weekend, with success for Mario Mola and Katie Zafares in the individual races and Australia in the mixed relay. But beyond the headlines, what else did we learn from the elite level racing? 220 columnist Tim Heming reflects. Advertisement 1. Super League Triathlon has upped the ante. Compared to the fast-paced, multi-transition, mixed-up world that Chris McCormack and co have delivered, the World Series – even at sprint distance – looks pedestrian. It’s particularly a problem on the bike, where triathletes such as Flora Duffy and Alistair Brownlee, who can really blow racing apart, are sorely missed. The men’s…

Taking place at ExCel London on 29-31 March 2019, the show offers the best opportunity for triathletes and cyclists of all disciplines to learn more about their favourite brands. With so many bike, kit and accessory brands on display and abundant opportunities to test ride the latest bikes on the test track, kids test track and a mini pump track for those up for showing off their riding skills, the London Bike Show and Triathlon Show: London offer an amazing day out for cycling and triathlon fans with plenty to see and do. Advertisement London based Sigma Sports bring an array of names to the show over the weekend; Tacx,…

France’s Dorian Coninx proved a surprise winner of the second round of the World Triathlon Series in Bermuda ahead of returning Spaniard Javier Gomez, who laid down an ominous marker for his Olympic rivals. Advertisement Coninx, a former junior and under-23 world champion, produced a gutsy performance to claw his way back in the second half of the run before pulling away from veteran Gomez and Norwegian Gustav Iden to take the tape in 1:50:36. It was a race full of surprises, with Britain’s Jonny Brownlee short of his best form on the run to finish 11th and world champion Mario Mola cut adrift during the swim to tail in…

USA’s Katie Zafares continued her perfect start to the World Triathlon Series after easing to victory in Bermuda ahead of Britain’s Jess Learmonth. Advertisement Zafares, 29, who was narrowly beaten to the world title by Vicky Holland in the final race of the 2018 season, made it two wins from two WTS starts after victory in Abu Dhabi in March. Holland finished 15th having broken away with the leaders early in the 40km bike ride, but was unable to hold the pace. Fellow Brit Georgia Taylor-Brown came through for fifth, with Non Stanford producing the fastest run leg in the field to claim 13th. The home crowd had hoped to…

The second stop on the ITU calendar saw the world’s best short course triathletes head to the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, and after two standout races at the venue last year that witnessed a Norwegian men’s podium sweep and local hero Flora Duffy charge to a solo victory, there was a lot to live up to. While there might not have been the drama of 2018, the racing again produced a fitting spectacle, with plenty of interesting takeaways. Here 220 columnist Tim Heming takes a closer look… Advertisement 1. Consistent Zafares is now a consistent winner. USA’s Katie Zafares has been both upbeat and up in the top 10…

St. George, Utah, has been selected to host the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Qualification will begin in July of 2020 with an estimated 200,000 registered athletes from around the world expected to try and qualify at one of the 110 events in the global Ironman 70.3 series. Advertisement In addition, each age-group winner at the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupõ, New Zealand, will automatically qualify for the 2021 70.3 World Championship. “Our course showcases some of the most dramatic landscapes on the Ironman 70.3 circuit. The powerful combination of scenery and terrain is backed up by an energetic community that’s exhilarated to host such an iconic event. Athletes who have…

Thanks to a partnership with BR Fernsehen viewers in Germany will be able to watch 9 hours of live coverage of Challenge Roth on 7 July for the first time. The legendary top pro field, combined with 3,400 individual athletes and 650 teams from 76 nations, promises a thrilling race.  Advertisement Shortly after the broadcast starts at 6:15am, the race will kick off with the 3.8km swim in the Main-Danube Canal, followed by the 180km bike leg and finishing with the marathon. The winner of DATEV Challenge Roth will probably finish below the magic eight-hour mark again. The world’s fastest time set by Jan Frodeno in Roth in 2016 is 7:35:39, and…