It was a wet and wild morning in the Bohemain hills of Czechia on Sunday, conditions that brought the very best out of Britain’s Beth Potter as she dug in to close down USA's Taylor Spivey on the final lap and win the gold.
It was a first win since Pontevedra 2023 for the former world champion, one that meant even more after the tragic loss of her friend and training partner Sam O’Shea in the preceding week. Potter found herself a minute down out of T2 but chipped away at the deficit, gaining significantly on each incline before finally passing the American just before the final u-turn.
Behind them, Lisa Tertsch was back on her first podium since WTCS Yokohama and reigniting her own title challenge heading to the Wollongong Finals on October 19.
Vermeylen sets the early pace
Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen was quickly stretching out the lake swim, Sian Rainsley (GBR) tucked in with her followed by Tertsch, Spivey, and Potter. Netherlands’ Maya Kingma was uncharacteristically 15 seconds back, Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) and Jess Fullagar (GBR) both 30s back and with work to do to catch on.
They were unable to make up much ground, Kingma emerging 14s back from the leaders along with Leonie Periault, Emma Lombardi 20 seconds adrift from the leaders.
Vermeylen flew out of transition and onto the point-to-point into town, where Jeanne Lehair was the first to fall foul of the slick conditions, sliding out and into the barrier. Bravely back on, she found herself in good company alongside Kingma and Periault giving chase.
Tough conditions take their toll
At the end of lap two the contenders were within 15 secs of the 14-deep lead pack, Kingma now at the front of alongside Lombardi with some big pulls, but the French 24-year-old was next to come down and effectively end her chances as she found herself in no-man’s land with Jess Fullagar.
Mechanicals for Ilaria Zane (ITA) and Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) and crashes for Nina Eim (GER), Yuko Takahashi (JPN) and Alice Betto (ITA) underlined the challenges thrown up by the course, but up ahead, Kingma had found another gear and was able to make a break on lap four. For a lap it looked like nobody was going to be able to go with the EF Education-Oatly pro cyclist, until Spivey rolled the dice and hauled herself level with the leader for the closing stages of the 40km.
The pair worked hard to fashion a minute lead by the end of the seventh and final lap and, once they had navigated transition, it was Spivey with 25m over her rival heading out to the 4-lap, 10km run.
Potter delivers timeless 10km for gold
Of the chasers, it was Potter and Tertsch hitting their stride, Periault, Vermeylen and Rainsley just falling back as the pace cranked up, Lehair then doing her best to stay in contention but finding herself a minute back in fourth place.
Spivey was picking her way through the back markers on a tight run course, but Potter was in no mood to be patient, taking 15s out of the lead with each lap and then reeling in the leader on the final ascent with just over 1km to go.
From there, the 2023 World Champion was ruthless, putting down the hammer one last time to break her rival, pulling clear for an emotional win and eventual 13 second margin.
Taylor Spivey was delighted to be back on her first podium since Cagliari 2023, Lisa Tertsch also back close to her best form with bronze. Lehair would finish with fourth 1m45s off the leader, Leonie Periault, Jolien Vermeylen, Ana Godoy Contreras (ESP), Tereza Zimovjanova a hugely popular 8th place at home, Olivie Mathias (GBR) and Sian Rainsley rounding out the top 10.
Full results available here
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