Three long years had passed since Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) last stood atop a WTCS podium, but in treacherous conditions the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist served a reminder of her enduring class to claim the seventh WTCS win of her career in Karlovy Vary. On a cold and wet day in which over a quarter of the field did not finish, Taylor-Brown was simply brilliant in every component of her race.
“I’m quite emotional about it,” said Taylor-Brown of her win afterwards. “I didn’t think I was ever going to get there again to be honest. I kind of settled for playing with the girls in the front and being in the top-6 so I’m just really happy I could make the race today.”
Last year’s winner Beth Potter (GBR) took control of the race on the first lap of the swim, leading out ahead of world champion Lisa Tertsch (GER), Taylor Spivey (USA) and Bianca Seregni (ITA) in an early statement of intent. Both Potter and Tertsch needed big results to keep their hopes of reeling in Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) in the wider race to the world title. Only a win would do.
Seregni cruised into the lead on the second swim lap with Potter, Tertsch and Spivey on her heels into T1. A group of sixteen athletes would then form at the head of the race in the ride into the city centre where the famed hills and cobbles awaited. The ride in, however, was not without its pitfalls as multiple athletes suffered crashes in the slippery conditions.
Not moments after making it into the centre, Spivey and Taylor-Brown then shredded the lead group on the first climb, taking it from sixteen athletes to nine. In the previous two women’s races in Karlovy Vary we have seen two-woman breakaways. This year would prove to be completely different: there were three that escaped.
Alongside a Spivey riding possessed and a poker-faced Taylor-Brown, Therese Feuersinger (AUT) got in on the fun to put the rest of the leaders on the back foot. Spivey had memorably made the same move in 2025, only to be denied the gold medal by Potter. It was clear this time around she had no intention of letting the Brit back into the race.
Although Potter, Tertsch, Jeanne Lehair (LUX), Márta Kropkó (HUN), Marta Pintanel Raymundo (ESP) and home hopeful Dana Prikrylova (CZE) pushed to limit the damage, the gap between the two groups ballooned to over 2:30 by end of bike. It was a sucker-punch for Potter and Tertsch’s world title hopes and both had to settle for potentially clawing back a bronze medal. Things went from bad to worse for Potter as a slow T2 saw her left behind by her rivals.
Up ahead, Spivey hit the run in 1st place. Taylor-Brown, though, was only a few seconds removed and soon swept past to take the lead. Having claimed a maiden T100 win earlier this year in Spain, Taylor-Brown had rediscovered her killer instinct on the run and she gradually ramped up the pressure on Spivey. The American battled to hold on, but it was clear which way the tide had turned.
Meanwhile, Tertsch moved clear as seemingly the only candidate likely to challenge Feuersinger for the bronze medal. That was until Lehair was suddenly alongside her. With half a lap to go Feuersinger’s lead had almost halved as Tertsch and Lehair pursued while also eyeing up one another. Tertsch then found another gear to first drop Lehair and then speed ahead of Feuersinger.
By this point, the medals were settled and there was no doubt over the winner. Previously a silver medallist at the Karlovy Vary World Cup in 2020 behind the great Flora Duffy (BER), this was Taylor-Brown’s first Series medal in two years and her first victory since Cagliari in May 2023. More than anything, it was also a showcase of the talents that for a spell made her the only true rival to Duffy’s reign. Having achieved again what she thought was consigned to the past, who knows what this next chapter of Taylor-Brown’s career will hold.
Spivey crossed 36 seconds back while Tertsch claimed 3rd place. Like Spivey’s silver, her bronze medal repeated her 2025 performance. Lehair likewise matched her result from last year as she took 4th ahead of Feuersinger who celebrated a career-best finish in 5th. Potter then crossed the line ahead of Pintanel and Kropkó, meaning the happiest woman after Taylor-Brown may just be Beaugrand sat at home.