Under the scorching Moroccan sun, Oliver Conway (GBR) defied expectations to claim his first-ever World Triathlon Cup win at the Saidia World Cup, outsprinting seasoned veteran Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN) and USA's John Reed in a thrilling finish.
Temperatures soared to 30 degrees Celsius in the impressive beach setting of Saidia, on Morocco's Mediterranean coastline, as the men lined up for a fierce battle under the relentless sun. Learning from the earlier women's race, most of the field strategically positioned themselves on the right side of the beach, resulting in a tightly packed swim. Brayden Mercer and Lachlan Jones, both of Australia, led the charge out of the water, with the pre-race favorites closely trailing.
The long run (over 300m) from the swim exit to transition provided an opportunity for some of the chasers to gain ground. A group of 12 athletes emerged from T1 together, including John Reed (USA), Darr Smith (USA), Kevin Tarek Vinuela (ESP), Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN), and Gergely Kiss (HUN).
Another fast runner, Callum McClusky (AUS), managed to bridge the gap to the leading train, while local hero Jawad Abdelmoula (MOR) spearheaded the chase group, which quickly organized and caught the leaders within two laps.
The long train of athletes rode together until, with three laps remaining, Darr Smith, Bence Bicsak (HUN), and Kevin Tarek Viñuela launched an attack, opening a small gap of 12 seconds. However, on the sixth lap, disaster struck as Tarek crashed on a roundabout, losing contact with the leading duo, although he managed to stay within the chase group.
Smith and Bicsak entered T2 with a lead of over 30 seconds and began the run solo. Behind them, a group of seven athletes, including Mislawchuk, John Reed, McClusky, Oliver Conway, Nicola Azzano (ITA), Bradley Course (AUS), and Jonas Osterholt (GER), set off in pursuit. By the end of the second lap, the chase was complete, and Mislawchuk, Reed, and Conway quickly moved to the front, never looking back.
The leading trio ran shoulder-to-shoulder for the final three laps as the intensity and pace escalated in the final loop. Reed began to fade, leaving a head-to-head battle between the veteran Mislawchuk and the rookie Conway. In the last 100 meters, the 19-year-old Conway surged ahead in the final corner, securing the victory on the finishing stretch.
Mislawchuk finished second on the day, clocking a time of 1:45:58, claiming his first World Cup podium in three years and the seventh of his career. Reed held on to secure third place, marking his fourth World Cup podium finish.
The two Australians, McClusky and Course, rounded out the top five. Grigory Antipov (AIN), Bicsak, and Azzano completed the top eight.
