She came in wearing the number one and off the back of a second place two weeks ago in Chile, and Spain’s Sara Guerrero lit up Florianopolis on the final day of World Cup racing on Sunday morning.
The race had boiled down to a shootout between Guerrero, Marta Pintanel and San Pedro de la Paz winner Miriam Casillas, but it was the race number one who was able to dig in and find the final push clear of her teammates and score a first World Cup gold, Pintanel with her maiden podium in second, Casillas taking bronze.
“This is my first World Cup win, a dream for me, to be honest I didn’t feel well after Vina two weeks ago, but today I woke up healthy and motivated and thought I could win, and delighted to share with Miriam and Marta. I felt good on the swim, but it became a big group on the bike and I wanted to save all my energy for the run.”
Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes delivered a complete swim lesson over the 750m, so despite the current pulling the field left of the first buoy, she was able to correct and carve out a lead of nearly 20 seconds from USA’s Kelly Wetteland and debuntant Margareta Vrablova (SVK).
Guerrero, home favourite Djenyfer Arnold USA’s Kirsten Kasper were there too chasing Lopes, while Casillas had work to do some 50 seconds back, and quickly set about her task helping to haul up the second pack of chasers.
Lopes was quickly caught and the second-group deficit was also halved after lap one then 14 athletes came together at the front on lap two.
That was how it stayed over the remaining 10km of the bike, Casillas in and out of transition with Levi for Israel closest to her and daylight suddenly behind them. Levi couldn’t keep the pace, though, and within the first 500m the trio of Spaniards came together out front and started to extend their lead over the likes of Arnold, Vrablova, Kasper and Barbara de Koning (NED).
The gap drifted out to almost 30 seconds as Casillas was first to be dropped after the first of two laps, Pintanel and Guerrero picking up the battle side by side before the latter made one final push out of the dead turn that broke her compatriot, searing clear to take the tape.
Pintanel was thrilled with a first silver, Casillas completing the sweep ahead of a returning Kirsten Kasper, De Koning in fifth from Arnold, Vrablova 7th on debut, Wetteland, Hiraizumi and Levi completing the top 10.
Marta Pintanel
“This is my first World Cup podium and I don’t have words to explain it. These weeks with the team have been incredible in Chile and here, it’s been amazing. I tried to follow Sara but I couldn’t, but for me the silver feels like a gold.”
Miriam Casillas
“I’m really happy with the podium, I struggled a little at the beginning. The water was choppy and I didn’t have the best start so was getting better through the race and a lot of work to get to the front. Big pack and a lot of bumps so had to be more focussed than hard on the bike.”
