There was a returning Olympic and World Champion in Alex Yee and an audacious T100 and WTCS double-header bid from a returning Hayden Wilde capturing pre-race headlines on Sunday afternoon in the South of France, but the man of the moment was once again Australia's Matt Hauser, who soared to the win at the inaugural WTCS French Riviera and a maximum 3000 points for the season after five races.
From the gun it was Hauser darting the swim, then a 10-deep bike pack scorched a breakaway that stuck hard, the Alex Yee (GBR) chase pack drifting out of contention, Hayden Wilde (NZL) having struggled with the swim only 24 hours after a huge gold over the 100km and found himself a minute back.
Breaking down to the run, 10 leaders quickly became a familiar three, Matt Hauser, Vasco Vilaça and Miguel Hidalgo duelling it out before the Brazilian fell off the pace. A final surge and Vilaça was almost back in contention, but Hauser found the mettle to hold off a familiar foe and win gold.
'It was tough today, the heat was a factor,' said Hauser. 'I wasn’t expecting a breakaway but ten or twelve of us got working. Henry (Graf) and Mark (Devay) did almost all the work and managed to keep us away. And then on the run I was confident but the heat had an impact and at some point I thought that I almost blew it cause I went too early, but as soon as I hit the blue carpet I knew I had it”.
'You can plan all you want, but you gotta do what you feel and I just felt like that was the moment to go. He pulled off a few meters with 1km to go and, credit to Vasco, he was there all day today”.
HAUSER SETS THE TONE
The top-ranked athletes all hit the right side of the pontoon for the fastest line to the first buoy, and Matt Hauser was once again ripping through the choppy waters out front. Mark Devay (HUN), Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) and Diego Moya (CHI) were all right there, Spain's Alberto Gonzalez well set showing no pain after his supertri Chicago win.
Conversely, the man attempting a historic double-header gold, Hayden Wilde, was close to a minute off the front in 48th place, showing the strains of his incredible rehab process and previous day's T100 gold. The race's other returning star, Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR), was 20 seconds back in 21st heading into transition.
After lap one, chasers Conor Bentley (GBR) and Mitch Kolkman (NED) were followed by Yee ten and fifteen seconds off the leaders respectively, Yanis Seguin (FRA) getting huge cheers from the crowds lining the course.
By the fourth lap, however, the last before the technical point-to-point section to the second - split - transition in the Base Nature park, the gap to Yee, Mislawchuk and co in the chase pack was out to 30 seconds, Wilde with Pierre le Corre and frustrated in being unable to make up any time over a minute back.
YEE, WILDE, PEARSON GIVE CHASE
Into the second transition, Gjalt Panjer (NED) was well-set and out onto the run first followed by Gonzalez and Hidalgo, Hauser just slipping back a little but well set with Vilaça, meanwhile Wilde had gassed the final lap and got within 10 seconds of Yee and Morgan Pearson (USA) out onto the run.
It took no time for Hauser to get to the front, Hidalgo moving onto his shoulder with Vilaça as the three stars of 2025 pulled clear of Dorian Coninx (FRA) and Charles Paquet (CAN). On lap two, Hidalgo was shelled and then it became a battle of wills between the Portuguese and Australian bullets.
Further back, Alex Yee had moved up into 9th place, Wilde up to 12th, but further up Henry Graf, one of the breakout stars of the year, was also going well.
HAUSER HOLDS OFF VILAÇA
As the blue carpet came into sight for the final time, the door on a late surge from Vilaça was emphatically closed by Hauser and it was the number one who took the tape and another 1000 points to make his place at the top untouchable to the finals, brave Vilaça a spent force with silver, Hidalgo holding off Coninx for the bronze.
Behind them, Tom Richard, Gonzalez out-sprinting a relaxing Paquet, Graf, Yee and David Cantero (ESP) rounding out the top 10, Hayden Wilde with a spirited finish in 11th.
VASCO VILAÇA:
'It's amazing what Matt is doing this season. He is the one that keeps getting away but I feel like every race Im getting a little bit closer. I tried to work hard on the bike today, I was feeling pretty good, and we kept the breakaway working. To keep Alex and Hayden away os not that easy but it was fun to put up a show together with Matt. I tried to run as fast as I could, he got away. I kept believing when we were coming back to transition but at the end he had one more gear and he got it. But I am very happy to get on the podium again.'
MIGUEL HIDALGO:
'The choppy water helped us to break away and open a bit of a gap. Today I was feeling good on the swim, good on the bike, and then on the run as well. I am quite happy with my third today, is my best result on a sprint distance so far. Is great to be back in the podium. On his plans for the rest of the season: I am going to do Karlovy Vary and Wollongong Finals, and then I am going to do the 70.3 World Championships in Marbella. Three races to go, Im feeling good.'
Full results can be found here
