Katie Hursey (USA) made it back to back World Cup wins with another controlled performance at the ITU World Cup in Tiszaujvaros. Hursey, a winner in Palamos last month, ran a brilliantly tactical race – keeping herself in the chase group before exploding on the run to take victory.
Aileen Reid (IRL) finished second and Sara Vilic, the Croatian racing for Team ITU, completed the podium.
Hursey said: “I’m elated, to win World Cup is pretty cool but to win two…I’m so happy right now.
“Once I got on the right bike path I was quite confident. We had enough of a gap yesterday to take it easy so I always felt confident. I just picked one person off at a time and was able to hold it and stay controlled and it worked out.”
Out on the course, Lucy Hall (GBR) felt no effects from her semifinal efforts yesterday as she powered through the swim once again to exit the water in first place, ably supported by Natalie Milne (GBR). The two had a gap of sixteen seconds and made a speedy get away on the bike to take advantage.
They worked well together for the first two laps – creating a gap of thirty seconds over a chase group of eight, which included, Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS), Anne Tabarant (FRA), Erin Jones (USA), Hursey and Reid amongst the chasers, who themselves were 20 seconds ahead of the third group.
Hall and Milne were setting a scintillating pace, relentless in their pursuit of a sizeable gap given their concerns about their running power. But after five laps the gap stopped increasing and the chase group were able to maintain their own pace and match the leaders.
Behind them the remaining field merged together but they just couldn’t cut into the leaders gap and entered T2 almost two minutes behind Hall and Milne. Hall and Milne had entered T2 with a 35 second lead over the immediate chasers. By the end of the first run lap Hall was still in front, but Milne was being hunted down by a rampant Reid, Hursey and Vilic.
With Hall and Milne tiring, the trio kept their focus and passed the British duo by the end of the second lap. Behind them the charge on the run was still coming from the likes of Van Coevorden and Tabarant, but Hursey kept her rhythm and crossed the line for victory.
The American said: “Tiszy is an amazing place, the atmosphere and the support from all the people. It’s nice to have that that support when you’re doing triathlon in a place where the crowds are full.”