No quibbling: Cassandre Beaugrand proves too good in WTCS triumph in France

France’s Cassandre Beaugrand eased through the gears to outclass Sweden’s young pretender Tilda Månsson on home soil and take her second World Triathlon Championship Series win of the season.

The Olympic champion backed up last month’s victory in Italy with another win over the 22-year-old Swede on the sprint-distance course, with Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen in third, ahead of Emma Lombardi and Jeanne Lehair.

“It was crazy,” Beaugrand said. “Every time I race in France, people are pushing me so much, and I just try to give them the best show that I can.

“I was ready for the last kick if I had to, but I realised I had a gap and that if I could get to the final corner it’s 60m and I could make it.”

Georgia Taylor-Brown was the best of the Brits in seventh place, having been unable to stick with the leaders through the latter part of the 5km run. Team-mate Sophie Evans placed 22nd.

Quiberon in Brittany represented a new WTCS venue but was familiar to many of the athletes from the long-established French Grand Prix series.

There was no Beth Potter, with the series leader, who has a win and two runners-up spots in the first three WTCS races, choosing to sit out this leg. World champion Lisa Tertsch was also absent.

What happened in the swim

With the tide having gone out in the two hours since the men’s race started, it was an extended beach run before the start of the 750m swim.

Beaugrand led the way, with Vermeylen, who finished second at the European Championships last weekend, in close contention.

A sub-10min swim helped split the field, with Japan’s Manami Hayashi completing the leading trio into transition.

Taylor-Brown was first of the Brits out in 13th, 17sec back, with Evans for company.

What happened on the bike

Vermeylen struck out early on the 22km bike leg, but a solo breakaway on the flat course always looked a challenging ask, and it wasn’t long before a large leading pack formed.

New Zealand’s Phoebe Carter couldn’t quite make the front group, which initially put 30sec into the rest of the chasers before the deficit was clawed back as the four laps elapsed.

Evans, whose traditional strength has been her swim-bike combination, featured prominently at the front of the bike as she looked to improve on her 13th place in Alghero.

A huge group came into transition together, meaning – as with the men’s race – it was all going to come down to the 5km run.

What happened on the run

The race favourites of Beaugrand, Lehair and the in-form Vermeylen led the charge on the first lap of the run, with Lombardi and Taylor-Brown refusing to let the gap develop.

Sweden’s Månsson, who took a first WTCS win in Yokohama, made up ground to catch the leaders and, as Taylor-Brown started to struggle, it came down to a front group of five.

The ever-consistent Lehair was the next to find the pace too hot, before Lombardi and then Vermeylen also started to falter.

It came down to a head-to-head between Månsson and Beaugrand before the more experienced French star eased away in the final stages and soaked up the atmosphere on the blue carpet as she took her 15th WTCS podium.

“i always want to win, but she was too strong today, ” Månsson said post-race. “On the run, I tried to stick to the front for as long as I could. It was pretty close, but not close enough.”

WTCS Quiberon results

1. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) – 58:29
2. Tilda Månsson (SWE) – +0:08
3. Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) – +0:13
4. Emma Lombardi (FRA) – +0:22
5. Jeanne Lehair (LUX) – +0:28
6. Valentina Riasova (AIN) – +0:32
7. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) – +0:35
8. Mariana Vargem (POR) – +0:38
9. Leonie Periault (FRA) – +0:40
10. Gina Sereno (USA) – +0:43

WTCS standings (after four races)

1. Jeanne Lehair (LUX) 3,235pts
2. Beth Potter (GBR) 2,850
3. Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) 2,686
4. Tilda Månsson (SWE) 2,349
5. Lisa Tertsch (GER) 2,297