San Pedro de la Paz World Cup draws world-class field, including last year's gold and silver medallists
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rematch. At last year’s San Pedro de la Paz World Cup, Manoel Messias (BRA) and David Cantero del Campo (ESP) produced an epic duel over the sprint distance, one that saw the Brazilian athlete summon an almighty final burst to defeat his Spanish rival by 5 seconds. This weekend, the stage is set for the pair to lock horns once more.
Over a 750m lake swim, four-lap 20km bike and two-lap 5km run, the rematch will be settled. However, given the calibre of athlete around Messias and Cantero - with further WTCS medallists starting in addition to a cluster of World Cup medallists - simply winning the rematch is no guarantee of making the podium. Make sure to catch every minute live on TriathlonLive on Sunday 1st November with the men starting at 15:15 (CET).
Round two
On their day they are two of the fastest men over 5km in the sport. They have the most World Cup wins of anyone starting in San Pedro de la Paz. And, in Cantero’s case, they represent the only athlete starting to have medalled in the WTCS this season. As a result, going by their credentials the contest between Messias and Cantero should be the battle that decides the gold.
Cantero’s silver medal at WTCS Weihai in August showcased all his qualities in one neat highlight reel. The 2024 World U23 champion also placed 4th at WTCS Quiberon and won the Lanzarote World Cup at the start of the year. Notably, both events were over the sprint distance. But for a 4th place finish in Haikou in March, Cantero might have had the opportunity to extend a six-race World Cup medal streak here. Indeed, across the fourteen World Cups he has finished in his career, he has missed the top-5 twice and has made the podium more times than he has not.
As for Messias, he has not quite hit top form this year, with a best finish of 5th at the Rio de Janeiro World Cup. Good by anyone else’s standards, but not up to the levels the 2015 World Junior champion has previously set. Between November 2023 and November 2025, Messias won four consecutive World Cup races, three of which were in Chile, making San Pedro de la Paz close to the perfect location for the Brazilian.
Old dogs and new
Cantero and Messias are not the only WTCS medallists starting and the pair will be joined by Morgan Pearson (USA) and Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP) in Chile. Pearson placed 4th at WTCS London over the sprint distance back in the summer, highlighting the speed he brings over the shorter distance. For this part, Serrat placed 6th at the Chengdu World Cup (also over the sprint distance) before finishing 4th at the Europe Championships over the standard distance.
Two of the oldest men in the field, Pearson and Serrat will be up against a rising duo of young World Cup medallists in Márton Kropkó (HUN) and Mathis Beaulieu (CAN). Both already have multiple World Cup medals to their name but are still waiting for their first in 2026.
Beaulieu has four top-10 finishes to his name this season, culminating in a 4th place at his last appearance in Asuncion. The Canadian also got the better of Pearson over the sprint distance at last summer’s Americas Cup in Montreal.
Kropkó also has a 4th place finish of his own, achieving his a little over a week ago at the Beijing World Cup after missing the bulk of the season through injury. With another race rep under his belt, the 2025 World U23 Championship medallist will aim to go even better.
Firecrackers ready to ignite
Diego Moya (CHI) wears number two and is the joker in the pack. The World Cup medallist loves racing on home soil and always brings something special to bear. In all likelihood, Moya will try to break the race up early and see if he can drag a pack away from the field on the bike; in Kropkó he may have the perfect ally.
When it comes to the bike, Panagiotis Bitados (GRE) could play a key role. The Greek athlete almost has too much power on two wheels. He just has to time his moment to unleash it, something demonstrated at WTCS Karlovy Vary when he rode away from the field, but his timing was off and spent the rest of the bike alone while the breakaway sped away.
Finally, keep an eye out for Thomas Hansmaennel (FRA). The former World Junior champion is still fairly new to the World Cup level but already has a 4th place finish to his name. As part of the same cohort as Kropkó and Beaulieu, he could be due his next breakthrough.
