A huge year for France’s Nils Serre got even bigger on Saturday morning in Hong Kong as the U23 World Champion added a first World Cup gold to his growing list of accolades.
It was only a fifth World Cup start for the man who surged to fourth on his WTCS debut in Hamburg earlier this year and won the U23 title in Pontevedra. But he looked remarkably assured as he swept past Max Studer (SUI) late on, then held off Callum McClusky (AUS) to win gold right at the line, Spain’s David Castro also leaving it late to take a dramatic bronze.
“I’m super happy to have battled with these guys,” said Serre. “I didn’t have my best T2, so had to catch them at the start of the race and then waited for a big final finish. I had to stay safe on the bike and knew it was possible to fight for the win. I was confident after Pontevedra and with a good mindset. I told myself I had everything to win and nothing to lose at this stage of the season, and I can’t wait for the next one in Miyazaki.”
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The athletes battled the choppy waters of Victoria Harbour for 750m before coming back to shore and hitting the steps into transition, with Miguel Thiago Silva (POR) out first and Chase McQueen (USA) and Oscar Wootton (AUS) for company.
There was plenty of bike firepower in close proximity, however, with Joao Batista (POR), Simon Westermann (SUI) and Darr Smith among those pushing hard, shutting down the gaps and eventually forming a group of over 50 athletes swarming around the five-lap bike course.
That was how it stayed all the way to the second transition, where Australia’s Jayden Schofield once again ripped in and out fastest, with Nathan Grayel (FRA) and Aram Penaflor (MEX) for immediate company.
Max Studer soon worked his way to the front of the pack, with McClusky right on his shoulder and Castro, Serre and Joao Batista alongside them. The U23 champion soon made his own way into the lead, while another Spaniard, Izan Edo, was also flying on lap one, along with Bence Bicsak (HUN).
Studer attacked again at the bell and was off the front for much of the second and final lap, but a surge from Serre on the final downhill blew the race apart. McClusky was able to stay with him and then hit the front at the start of the blue carpet, only for Serre to start pumping his arms, dig his way back past and fly to the tape. McClusky took silver ahead of Castro, with Studer settling for fourth.
It was a great finish from Edo to take fifth, with Grayel, Bicsak, Mitch Kolkman (NED), Reed and Aoba Yasumatsu (JPN) rounding out the top 10.
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“I’ve had a few World Cups the past few years and finished 4th or 5th a bit, so to come second is a good sign for the end of the season,” said McClusky. “I knew what to expect from the swim, knew it would be choppy, and on the bike it wasn’t fast but more tactical. I wanted to stay safe and position well on the last lap. I had a good transition after dismounting quite far back and worked my way to the front. The finish straight was so long I maybe got it a bit wrong tactically, and Nils was able to fight back.”
“The race was very hard, and the first kilometre of the run was very fast. Then my friends attacked on the final downhill, and I had to sprint to stay at the front of the race,” said Castro. “I was just thinking ‘podium, podium, podium’ and out-sprinted Studer. The swim was aggressive, the sea was choppy, the bike was tactical, and my focus was the run. My biggest opponent is my mind, but I’m happy to fight myself, and this sport is just incredible.”
