Alex Yee finally tasted Super League success in his home city as he claimed the first round of the SLT Championship Series in London ahead of Sharks' team-mate Jonny Brownlee.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist from Brockley, who’d been vocal in his disappointment after missing the win in both 2021 and 2022, made no mistakes this time around as he exerted his superior run speed on the final leg of the Enduro format to take the tape.
The impressive Brownlee – who disappointed in last week’s Paris test event – looked back to his form of old, pushing the pace throughout to finish second ahead of New Zealand’s Tayler Reid.
Luxembourg’s Jeanne Lehair was the surprise winner of the women’s race thanks to a series of blistering run legs that first dragged her back into contention and eventually on to take the tape.
Behind her, Sharks’ Sophie Coldwell finished second, USA’s Taylor Spivey placed third for RTS Warriors with last week’s Paris test event winner Beth Potter in fourth.
It also proved a bumper weekend on the teams front for team captain Michelle Dillon’s Sharks as they had a one-two in the men’s race and took five of the first seven places in the women’s event to build up an early 73pt lead over the Warriors and make them the clear favourites to take the $125k team prize.
It was the third year running that Super League had kicked off the series in London’s West India Quay and the women kicked off the action in the swim, bike, run – swim, bike, run – swim, bike, run Enduro format. Here's how it played out.
SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON, LONDON: WOMEN’S RACE
What happened in the first stage of the women’s Enduro?
It was last year’s runners up Sharks who seized the initiative from the gun with three blue jerseys headed by Coldwell leading out the opening 300m swim.
It also meant the all-British Sharks grabbed the first ‘short chute’, a handy short-cut that could be taken by a designated team member on the final run leg.
A front group of seven, including all five Sharks along with Warriors’ American duo Spivey and Kirsten Kasper opened a 10sec gap by the end of the four-lap bike leg – with Spivey dashing on to the run first to grab the second short chute.
As expected, Potter took off over the two-lap run, pulling her swim cap back on in the final yards ready to dive straight back into the water. With no break afforded in the non-stop Enduro format, Lehair put in a phenomenal effort to make the front group as the lone Eagle.
What happened in the second stage of the women’s Enduro?
The speed of the opening stage meant that many of the field were in danger of elimination for being more than 90sec behind after just one-third of the contest.
The gap continued to widen as Potter led out the swim and then Spivey took charge on the bike to drive the pace. Hungary’s Fanni Szalai was one of those ‘yellow flagged’ during the second bike leg – the 15-year-old’s cause not being helped by a spill on a corner in the previous stage.
Coldwell and Lehair joined Spivey and Potter at the front for the 1.6km run as news filtered through that Coldwell and Spivey were awarded the short chutes by their respective team captains for the final round.
The tough going finally told for Jess Fullagar, Olivia Mathias and Kasper, who were cut adrift by the time they made it to the final swim, with just 14 of the 20 triathletes still on the course and the rest eliminated.
What happened in the third stage of the women’s Enduro?
Coldwell fought through to lead the swim and a sharp transition alongside Spivey gave the pair a slight break over Potter, Lehair and reigning Under-23 world champion Kate Waugh.
The five all came back together on the bike as they approached the final run with Mathias and Fullagar 26sec back coming into the final transition followed by Katie Zafares and Verena Steinhauser who were working their way through the field.
Coldwell and Spivey took advantage of the short chute to extend their lead over Potter into the final 800m, but Lehair – who’d already clocked the fastest run leg earlier in the Enduro – was rapidly making up the ground and launched into a sprint with a couple of hundred metres remaining to take the win.
Final results: Women's Enduro
- Lehair 49:51
- Coldwell +2
- Spivey +4
- Potter +11
- Waugh +16
- Mathias +53
- Fullagar +60
- Zafares +61
- Van Der Kaay +70
- Rappaport +74
Lehair said: “Every run I felt really good, but I was doing really badly on the bike! I can’t quite believe it. I was like ‘wow’, I hope it will be the same every time.”
Coldwell said: “It’s just as savage as I remember, but a great atmosphere with loads more people out than last year and it’s amazing to be back racing in London.”
Spivey said: “That was rough and I didn't set myself up great at the start but tried to be smart throughout and somehow kept making my way up. I’ve been battling some pain in my ankle and wasn’t even going to start today, so to come home in third is incredible.”
SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON, LONDON: MEN’S RACE
What happened on the first stage of the men’s Enduro?
Max Stapley continued where the Sharks’ women had left off by leading out the opening swim leg for Dillon’s team, with Eagles’ Marcus Dey for company as they headed out on to the cobbled bike course.
New Zealand’s Reid was next out of the water, with Dan Dixon and Brownlee heading up a chase pack including Chase McQueen, and Yee just a second or two back.
Stapley and Dey split the short chutes between them, with the Eagles’ late call-up Dey just about pulling on his running shoes in time to grab the second bonus before, main job done, he fell back on the run.
Stapley held the advantage over the 1.6km but Yee and Brownlee were closing the gap behind as John Reed of the Warriors was the first of the 20 starters to be eliminated.
What happened in the second stage of the men’s Enduro?
After the second 300m in the water, Stapley retained the lead on to the bike, with the front group whittled down to eight made up entirely of Sharks and Scorpions.
The biggest casualty of the bike leg was Shachar Sagiv. The Israeli who picked up the most bike points in last year’s series was hit by a mechanical which ended his chances.
Brownlee, Reid and Yee led on to the run as the Yorkshireman looked in determined mood as he continues to build form following a hamstring injury.
By the time another 1.6km was completed it looked like the podium would be decided by the lead trio.
What happened in the third stage of the men’s Enduro?
Reid sat in for most of the swim before pushing to the front in the final few strokes to emerge first from the water.
Stapley, Dixon, Henri Schoeman and Roberto Sanchez Mantecon were still just 10sec behind and poised to take advantage should there be any let up from the leaders.
The field was whittled down to 12 by the time they headed towards the final run, where Yee finally showed his run form to push on for the victory ahead of Brownlee and Reid, with the fast-finishing Sanchez Mantecon fending off Stapley despite the Brit being able to use a short chute.
Final results: Men's Enduro
- Yee 45:23
- Brownlee +3.7
- Reid +10.2
- Sanchez +20.4
- Stapley +21.4
- Dixon +26.1
- Schoeman +29.9
- Rider 49.4
- McQueen 53.5
- Holm 58.8
Yee said: “I’m really happy. You can’t beat racing in London. The crowd really showed up today and I felt their presence, so thank you. People made a huge effort to come. It’s reminiscent of the Commonwealth Games last year and it’s set up a really exciting series.”
Brownlee said: “It was absolutely brilliant. Alex and myself were first and second but the team worked all the way through. Max was brilliant in the swim and the bike as well and we really controlled it the whole way.”
Reid said: "I’m so stoked. That’s my first Super League podium and the boys made me bleed for it and I was holding on for dear life on the final run, and I did fill up a whole one of these [holds up a sick tray]!"
Teams Leaderboard
- RTP Sharks 148
- RTS Warriors 75
- Bahrain Victorious Scorpions 65
- Santara Tech Eagles 60
The SLT Championship Series now moves on to Toulouse next Sunday before Malibu on September 30 and the final round in NEOM, Saudi Arabia on October 21.
Image credit: Super League Triathlon
