Not since 2019 have the words ‘Tiszaujvaros World Cup’ been on the schedule together, but the longest-running race in World Triathlon history returns this weekend for another two-day event and celebration of the sport, two hours east of Budapest.
Tiszy has been the spiritual home of Hungarian triathlon since 1997, where now the testing two-day semi-final/final format brings the entertainment. Three men’s qualifiers on Saturday, one 30-deep final on Sunday, the course is also not without its unique flavour.
The tight lake swim is a dizzying three-lap, anti-clockwise, 750m challenge from start to finish, then a long run into transition precedes 2 x 10km loops on the bike (switching to 8 x 2.5km laps for the finals) and then a three-lap run to the tape (4 in the finals).
You can watch Sunday’s finals on TriathlonLive.tv from 14.45 CEST.
Semi-Final One – Lehmann heating up
There’s no surprise in seeing local boy Csongor Lehmann topping the start list of the first semi, the man who grew up on a diet of Tiszy triathlon and has gone on to become the 2021 U23 World Champion and took his first World Cup win in Karlovy Vary last year.
That form has continued into 2023, with top 10s in WTCS Yokohama and WTCS Cagliari. While the pain of a 4th place finish back in 2019 will have been somewhat dimmed by back-to-back European Cup/Premium Cup victories here, there is no doubt what victory would mean to the 24-year-old, who has shown he can produce the goods over any format.
Alberto Gonzalez Garcia has been one of several next-generation Spaniards putting in eye-catching performances including silver in Miyazaki at the tail end of 2022. Strong in the water, lightning on the run, this format could suit him well.
GB’s Hamish Reilly was on the podium at last year’s U23 World Championships and has plenty of potential to deliver a big performance on his day, likewise another Hungarian, Gergely Kiss, who took the U23 silver in Abu Dhabi and helped steer his team to European Games bronze in Krakow a week ago.
Another star in Krakow was Norway’s Casper Stornes, who posted the second fastest bike split in that relay (to Spain’s Gonzalez) and joint fastest run split (with compatriot Vetle Thorn) all of which suggests he is back in the kind of form that will worry his rivals.
Semi-Final Two – Bicsak is back
Another Hungarian bullet with top-tier pedigree and a point to prove is Bence Bicsak, still only 27 but vastly experienced having first raced Tiszy as a Junior 11 years ago. World Cup Champion here in 2017, 7th place in the Tokyo Olympics, two WTCS podiums under his belt and a deadly kick at the pointy end of a race, 6th place at WTCS Montreal in June suggests Bicsak is back.
Frenchman Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger has plenty of power to deploy on his Tiszaujvaros debut if he can navigate the notoriously tricky lake swim, Max Stapley returning for the second time and in his first full season in the Team GB tri-suit will be looking to kickstart a 2023 campaign that has suffered both bad luck and injury up to this point.
David Cantero del Campo has been putting together some eye-catching displays in Europe recently and his fearless style could pay off here, while Canadian Martin Sobey continues his pursuit of precious Olympic qualification points.
Semi-Final Three – Baxter on the hunt
There aren’t many faster in the water than Hungarian Mark Devay, the chase to get on his feet at the start of the third semi possibly more consequential for the outcome of the race. Devay has been a major player over the first half of the biggest races of late, prone to fading over the run, and past struggles here in Tiszy suggest this may not be the place for that first World Cup podium he so deserves.
Spain’s Sergio Baxter Cabrera took his first win at this level in Pontevedra almost exactly a year ago and could be a contender for the medals with an explosive run, USA’s Darr Smith continues to build towards his breakthrough performance and the consistency to help him mix it at the highest levels.
Australian Callum McClusky will want to put his run power to good qualification use if in touch off the bike, Chile’s Gaspar Riveros scored a top 10 in the Huatulco heat last month and China’s Junjie Fan arrives fresh from a first WTCS outing in Montreal where his swim and run were competitive, and he will looking to translate his strong Conti Cup results to the world stage.
See all three men’s semi-final start lists here.
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**Max Stapley photo courtesy of KSport Media/British Triathlon
