On Sunday 14 September, the sixth stop of the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series heads to the Czech city of Karlovy Vary for an Olympic-distance challenge in the breathtaking hills of Bohemia.
A World Cup venue since 2017, this year sees the spa town step up to hosting the Series for the first time. A split transition awaits, the first on the edge of Rolava Lake, site of the 1500m swim, T2 coming at the end of a 6.5km point-to-point section into the town centre, from where seven further laps of 4.9km are launched, taking in the pretty, hilly, cobbled terrain. Off the bikes and into the shoes, it’s then a gruelling 10km run to the tape.
With three races and the Finals counting in the chase to become World Champion, men's number one Matt Hauser has already hit the maximum 3000 points available. This will be a first test of his Olympic-distance mettle since May's silver in Alghero and just over a month ahead of those huge home Championship Finals in Wollongong on 19 October. With no Vasco Vilaça lining up, it looks likely that Hayden Wilde, Miguel Hidalgo and Dorian Coninx will be among those hoping to chase him down.
Watch it all unfold from 3pm on Sunday 14 September on TriathlonLive.tv
Operation Wollongong begins for Hauser
Matt Hauser (AUS) has been a man on a mission in 2025. Opening his campaign with silver behind Hayden Wilde in Abu Dhabi, since then he has gone gold-silver-gold-gold and looked in the form of his life. The timing could hardly be better with those home Finals coming up fast, and Karlovy Vary will be a perfect testing ground for how he approaches that race.
Darting the swim with the likes of Mark Devay and Miguel Hidalgo has been a recurring theme, carving out breakaways that have stuck decisively in Alghero, Hamburg and the French Riviera. After out-running the likes of Wilde, Alex Yee and David Cantero over 5km in that last race, Karlovy Vary will be all about hitting numbers and building even more confidence instead of points. A nice position to be in.
Hidalgo looks to Alghero for inspiration
With Vasco Vilaça a late withdrawal, Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) wears the number two. Currently just 64 points off the Portuguese and with a gold and two bronze counting to his total, silver or better here would see him move into second spot in the rankings. With his best results largely over the Olympic distance – including that historic gold in Alghero – this could be the course for more Brazilian magic.
The 2023 World Champion Dorian Coninx (FRA) may be yet to podium so far this campaign, but the French Riviera saw him home in 4th place - his best result of the year - and a win in Karlovy Vary would launch him to within some 480 points of the Series leader. It is worth remembering that when Coninx won that most dramatic of world titles, he was just over 500 points adrift of the leader Alex Yee going into those unforgettable Pontevedra Finals.
Wilde style set to continue
Hayden Wilde (NZL) returned to the blue carpet in true style in France, tackling the WTCS race just 24 hours after conquering the T100 course. His audacious double attempt may have unravelled in the 750m swim, emerging a minute off the front, but the way he attacked the bike and run suggests that we will see much more of him, and making an impact much earlier in the race, as he continues a typically speedy return back from injury. Get ready for a mighty push on the bike to close up any deficit out of T1.
Of all the young talent to emerge in 2025, Germany’s Henry Graf has been one of the most exciting to watch. A key ally to the likes of Hauser in making those breakaways stick, his bike power has put him into strong positions that his run and mental fortitude can now deliver on. After missing out on Yokohama and Alghero, he will need to find that first podium for a meaningful points increase, but it will be a first outing on a bike course he should relish, albeit over a distance he has only raced twice.
Conversely, Csongor Lehmann (HUN) has already tasted gold here, winning in some style back in 2022. WTCS top 10s duly followed, and a first podium at the top level was over the Olympic distance in Cagliari. After sitting out the French Riviera, we could be about to witness the fruits of Lehmann’s latest training camp mission on a course he knows well.
Past winners ready for Battle of Bohemia
Both the USA’s past World Cup winners here, Morgan Pearson (2023) and John Reed (2024) line up, Reed having delivered one of the fastest runs in France, Pearson looking to ignite his season after some disappointing results this campaign. New Zealand’s Tayler Reid was on the podium at the first World Cup here in 2017, finishing third behind a young Gustav Iden.
Expect the kiwi and Miguel Tiago (POR), Max Stapley (GBR) and Mark Devay (HUN) to be among the figures leading through the water and looking to stay away on the bike, and keep an eye on young talents like Alessio Crociani (ITA) – bronze medallist in Hamburg - Panagiotis Bitados (GRE) and Mitch Kolkman (NED) as they chase experience on the big stage.
WTCS KARLOVY VARY
14 SEPTEMBER | 3PM
FULL START LIST
WATCH ON TRIATHLONLIVE.TV
