Felix Forissier (FRA) stunned the field to claim his second World Title at the 2025 Cross Triathlon World Championships in Pontevedra, leading a French 1-2 of the podium. He beat fellow countryman Arthur Serrières (FRA), the 2021 and 2022 World Champion, in a blistering sprint finish, while Kevin Tarek Viñuela (ESP) thrilled the home crowd to claim the bronze.
The elite athletes enjoyed a fantastic course that kicked off with a 1km swim in the pristine water of the Verducido rowing center, followed by a 30km MTB ride quite technical with 546m of elevation, to then finish with a 7.6km hilly run course on technical terrain all off road.
The race saw Kevin Tarek Viñuela surge out of the water, closely followed by strong swimmers Rory Strachan (GBR) and Eneko de Castro Cativiela (ESP). However, the powerful French squad, spearheaded by Felix Forissier and his brother Arthur, along with Arthur Serrieres (FRA) quickly closed the gap, bringing Lukas Kocar (CZE), Sebastian Neef (GER), and defending World Champion Michele Bonacina (ITA) along with them.
The group remained largely intact heading into the final transition, setting the stage for a dramatic 7.6km run. Forissier and Serrières immediately surged ahead, creating a gap over Tarek Viñuela and Kocar. The leading French pair ran shoulder-to-shoulder until the final stretch, with Forissier unleashing a final burst of speed to outsprint Serrières and claim the coveted World Championship title.
Fueled by the roaring cheers of the local crowd, Tarek Viñuela dug deep to secure the final podium spot, crossing the finish line just 11 seconds ahead of Kocar. Maxim Chane (FRA) rounded out the top five, further cementing France's dominance in the race.
In the Men's U23 classification, Eneko de Castro Cativiela (ESP) took the gold, leading a Spanish 1-2 with teammate Alejandro Pla Estebanez claiming silver. Davide Catalano (ITA) secured the bronze.
The Junior race witnessed a victory for Antony Clayton (RSA), with Sebastiano Margaria (ITA) finishing second. Spanish athlete Aleix Garcia Vilaseca displayed incredible resilience, overcoming a hard crash on the bike course while leading the race to secure a hard-fought third place.
