It was the day before temperatures in Karlovy Vary fell off a cliff and the men’s race at the World Cup had an end-of-summer feel to it as athletes threw every plan, tactic and idea at the wall. Haven’t made a breakaway this summer? Today was the day. Feel like making a Hail Mary attack on the bike? Go for it. Want to do a bunny hop over the steps on the laps around town? You do you. Through this somewhat madcap approach by much of the field, the men’s race bristled with life.
Amid the hectic action, it was John Reed (USA) that made the most of the glorious final day in the sun. A winner of a maiden World Cup medal earlier this season in Huatulco, Reed went even better on the cobbles and climbs of Karlovy Vary. In the closing stages he found himself up against a former WTCS race winner in the hunt for gold, but he did not wilt. Instead, Reed summoned a supreme final burst that carried him to gold and made his race one he is unlikely to ever forget.
Sometimes, the race actually starts before the starter’s horn sounds. When Márk Dévay (HUN) and Tayler Reid (NZL) sat down together for breakfast after Saturday’s swim familiarisation, one pertinent topic of conversation may have been their plans for today’s competition. Known for their fast swimming and aggressive style of racing, the pair were ideally suited to try to break the field up in the early stages. Considering that they utilised the strategy to great effect as part of the breakaway at the Chengdu World Cup earlier in the year, their rivals in Karlovy Vary must have seen it coming. Alas, for the most part, the field was powerless to do anything about it in the opening half hour of racing.
In contrast to the women’s race earlier in the day, the top seeds occupied the far right-hand side of the pontoon and only a select group were able to live with Dévay and Reid as they ripped into an early lead on the first of the two swim laps. Zalán Hóbor (HUN) scurried past Reid on the pontoon to make it two Hungarian men at the front heading into the final swim lap. Thereafter the lead trio remained unchanged beyond Reid shifting back past Hóbor and a pack of seven men came together out of T1. Among their number was Kevin Tarek Viñuela Gonzalez (ESP), the newly crowned World Aquathlon champion. Three stragglers, including Reed, endeavoured to latch on to the leaders. They proved successful and a pack of ten men made it through the first of the seven bike laps in the city centre with a lead of half a minute to play with.
Casper Stornes (NOR) was at the forefront of the nineteen-strong chase pack and had compatriot Sebastian Wernersen for company. Together, the Norwegian pair got through a significant amount of work as they pushed to reel in the leaders. Up front, Dévay attacked on the third lap. When Reid then bridged, the theories around their breakfast conspiracy thickened. Their fun was not to last, though, as the Norwegian-driven chase pack swept up the leading ten. That left twenty-three men at the front after individuals like Hóbor lost touch with the group.
The attacking was by no means done. A dig here and there came to nought but then Viñuela stepped up. With a late move, he held off the group for the entire final lap and even earned a 15 second advantage for his efforts, although it must be said he showed some momentary confusion as to what lap he was on. Once onto the run, there was no turning back for the Spanish athlete.
Stornes, Dévay and Wernersen led the charge after him and halved his lead at the first run check point. From there, the lead shifted as Stornes, Viñuela and Reed came through to complete the first lap together. However, they had not fully escaped the attentions of Reid, Wernersen and Dévay, himself a medallist in Karlovy Vary last year. Slowly but surely, Reed and Stornes pulled away over the second lap and, by the midpoint of the run, turned the finale into a two-horse race despite the defiant efforts of Viñuela. Two remaining laps became one and still the front pair were inseparable. Having endured a DNF in Karlovy Vary last year, Stornes seemed set for a redemptive victory and had the advantage of experience. Nevertheless, Reed has been in some of the form of his life lately and would not be denied.
A late surge on the final lap cut his rival loose and handed him a fantastic victory. An exhausted Stornes then crossed to seal a silver medal in what is proving a remarkable season in which he has put the injury trouble of the past couple of years firmly behind him. Viñuela then rounded out the podium for a maiden World Cup medal of his own after a bold and daring performance.
What they had to say
“This course is iconic,” said Reed. “Honestly, probably the hardest race I’ve ever done in my life. From the get-go, Márk, I knew he was going to drill the swim and that’s exactly what he did. And the bike: you can’t go easy. I had to push the first kilometres to catch up to the leaders and then Casper and I were going for it.” Despite his win, he noted, “I’ve still got to get better technically, I think. Tayler had me a couple of times on the long descent into the cobble section and I was a little hesitant going off the cobbles and I would fall back.” On the note of the finishing burst that carried him to gold, he said, “I’ve been out-kicked a lot, so I was pretty nervous. I know Casper is an incredible athlete and I knew he was going to have a kick but I was able to get some extra momentum and I tried to hold on during the downhill and it came good.”
“I’m so tired now,” was the first thing Stornes had to say. “I really went for it on the bike. I felt at some point that I was doing most of the work but I got some help from Sebastian and some other guys and we made up (the ground). The last three laps were just about saving energy and I didn’t feel good on the run so I just needed to stay on the back of Reed. So I’m happy to get 2nd.”
Finally, Viñuela said, “It’s the race of my life! Three weeks ago I won the Aquathlon World Championship and now in Karlovy Vary my first podium in a World Cup. It’s a dream. Today is my day.”
