Olympic points chase continues in Tangier

by Olalla Cernuda on 28 Sep, 2023 10:13 • Español

Sixty-five men will be lining up this Sunday on the beach of Tangier, on the Atlantic Ocean, for the Moroccan city’s much-awaited debut in the World Triathlon Cup circuit. Only a week after the Championship Finals in Pontevedra, some of the strongest men this season are chasing more Olympic Qualification ranking points. Get ready for a challenging, fast and flat course along the seaside that will have a combination of new and old talent on the start list. Tangier, here we go!

Wearing number 1 on Sunday will be someone who has already secured his presence at the Paris 2024 Olympics in Paris: Pierre La Corre. The Frenchman sealed his ticket for his Olympic debut with an outstanding third place at the Pontevedra Championship Finals, and is ready to prove that he is one of the most consistent athletes this season. A strong biker and powerful runner, he will accompany a sizeable French squad, including World Cup usuals Tom Richard, Paul Georgenthum, Valentin Morlec, Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger and Louis Vitiello.

One athlete that really didn’t want to miss this race was Jawad Abdelmoula (MOR). After an astonishing 2022 season that saw him on the podium at the World Triathlon Series and a few World Cups, the young Moroccan athlete has not delivered what he expected this season so far, but the member of the World Triathlon Team wants to delight the local crowds and enjoy the first World Cup on his home country.

His teammate Badr Siwane (MOR) and Greece’s new rising star Panagiotis Bitados (GRE) will also be representing the World Triathlon Team, the latest only a week after finishing on fourth place at the U23 World Championships.

The Spanish team will be led by David Cantero Del Campo, one of the youngest athletes in the field, but who already knows what it is to win a World Cup, as he did in his hometown Valencia a month ago. Esteban Basanta, who crossed the finish line in fourth place at the Pontevedra U23 World Champsionships but was disqualified later, is in great form as well, and will be a dangerous one if it all comes down to the last kilometers of the run.

Fast swimmers like Jamie Riddle (RSA) or Brock Hoel (CAN) will try their best to break the group before the athletes get to their bikes. But the race in Tangier is expected to be a windy one, which could be great for experienced and robust bikers like Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN), Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (NOR) or Richard Murray (NED), especially if there’s a large group together on the bike course.

Germany’s Jonas Schomburg is fighting to secure a ranking high enough to grant him a spot on the team’s selection for the Paris Olympics, after missing out the autoqualification events in Paris and Pontevedra. His lightening swim and powerful bike consistently put him in the mix at every race, and he will be a one to consider for the podium in Tangier, now that he finally knows what it takes to podium at a World Cup.

The men’s race of the Prince Moulay El Hassan world Triathlon Cup Tangier starts on Sunday, October 1, at 13.20h, and you can watch it on TriathlonLIVE.tv. Check out the full start lists here.