The 2022 Multisports World Championships leave the forests of Targu Mures and relocate to the Transylvania Motor Ring, where this year’s Duathlon World Champions will be crowned on Friday afternoon.
The course presents an exciting challenge for the athletes, built for speed and ready to receive the world’s best run-bike-runners over the 10km – 37.5km – 5km race. Finished in 2018, the 3.7km motor circuit will be doubled in length with the up-and-back bike course offering some fast straights, long climbs and tight turns over five laps, two loops of the draining 2.5km run course wrapping up the action in front of the grandstands.
You can watch all the action as it happens over on TriathlonLive.tv.
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France’s Nathan Guerbeur will be looking to defend the title he won in Aviles last year, where his bike skills proved the difference as he held off the challenge of compatriot Maxime Hueber Moosbrugger to win gold. Both will want to continue the French team’s dominance of the Championships so far, the 2019 World Champion and 2021 European Champion Benjamin Choquert also surely among the favourites to podium for les bleus with his explosive run.
Hoping to crash the party will be the Belgians Arnaud Dely, Vincent Bierinckx and Angelo Vandecasteele, third, fourth and fifth respectively in that Aviles race last November and all undoubtedly capable of a place on the podium on Friday afternoon.
Outside of Europe, South America is well represented with Uruguay’s Franco Forestier and Brazilian Francisco Viana hoping to make an impact if they are able to put themselves in striking distance off the fast and flat bike segment.
Fourth back in 2019, Liam Lloyd leads Great Britain’s medal hopes along with Philip Wylie, and the crowds will no doubt be cheering on Romania’s Alexandru Ion, who received such a roar as he emerged in the lead halfway through the Cross Triathlon swim segment on Wednesday.
In the men’s U23 race, Belgian Stef Corthouts looks to defend his title from Aviles six months ago.
The women’s elite race sees Joselyn Brea Abreu back on the start line to defend her 2021 world title. The Venezuelan track star just managed to hold off the challenge of Japan’s Ai Ueda in Aviles having lost ground to her on the bike, and the pair will renew their rivalry on the motor ring on Friday afternoon. Joselyn’s sister and the 2019 U23 World Champion Edymar Brea Abreu also starts in what could be a proud day for Venezuela.
Austria’s 2018 World Duathlon Champion in Fyn, Sandrina Illes will be chasing redemption after disappointment in 2021, France’s Marion Legrand, third in that race, was also European silver medallist here in Targu Mures last year and could be a major challenger for a first world title.
Previously a regular on the World Triathlon Cup circuit, Italy’s hugely experienced former national duathlon champion Giorgia Priarone will be packing plenty of podium potential once again, and after finishing just off the medals in Wenzhou in 2019, Singapore’s Man Yun Yong could make an impact.
Great Britain’s Nicole Allan, European Age Group champion here in 2019, will be keen to test herself against the best on this exciting course, while Hungarian hopes in the U23 race include Tunde Bukovszki and Borbala Sarcia.
For the full start lists, click here.
