Gold medallist from last week’s race in Ceuta, American Annie Fuller returns to the start line this weekend in Tenerife.
Gold medallist from last week’s race in Ceuta, American Annie Fuller returns to the start line this weekend in Tenerife, looking to make it three gold medals from three races on European soil.
Fuller will face some tough competition, however, with European athletes looking to get their final races of the season under their belts and finish the year strongly.
Returning from Rome, Anabel Knoll will hope to turn her fourth-place finish in Tata in July into a medal position. Knoll has already medalled this season in Kitzbühel, host of the 2027 Europe Triathlon Championships, where she claimed bronze after a tough weekend of racing. Since then, she has been unable to return to the podium, although three consecutive top-10 finishes in her last three Europe Cup races will give her confidence heading into Tenerife.
Fuller will start just behind her in bib number two and will have a strong chance to make it three wins from three in her European campaign.
Alejandra Seguí Soria will be the first of a strong Spanish contingent to take to the start line, wearing bib number three. Having claimed bronze in Rzeszów, she will be hoping to replicate that success on home soil in Tenerife.
Double gold medallist on the Americas Triathlon Cup circuit, Faith Duncan, will start in bib number four. The American last raced in Pontevedra a few weeks ago, finishing just outside the top 20 in the U23 race. She has already claimed gold in Callao, Lima and Magog this season, but Tenerife will be her first Europe Cup race of the year.
Luisa Daniela Baca Vargas last raced in Europe in Torremolinos back in April and has since competed in the World Triathlon Cup. The Mexican will have another opportunity to race on European soil this weekend.
Felipa Herrmann raced in Coimbra, where she finished 10th. The week before, she claimed gold in Monastir, and she will be hoping to replicate that success in Tenerife.
Silver medallist from the Nordic Championships in Aarhus, Clara Carlquist, will make her first Europe Cup appearance since the World Triathlon Finals three weeks ago. The Danish athlete has not raced in the Europe Cup since Monte Gordo in April, but following a strong performance in Pontevedra, she will be looking to move through the field this weekend.
Nele Dequae leads out a five-strong Belgian contingent, starting in bib number 10. Mit Wittemans, wearing bib number 16, will look to build on her performance as part of Belgium’s relay team in Rome last week, where they finished sixth.
Great Britain also bring five athletes to Tenerife, led by Isabella Hayes in bib number 14. Hayes showed significant improvement in her two Europe Cup appearances this year, following a finish just outside the top 30 in Monte Gordo with a ninth-place finish in Olsztyn.
With the Junior Cup calendar now complete, Tenerife provides an opportunity for younger athletes to gain valuable experience in the final Elite races of the season. This weekend is no different, with seven athletes born in 2007 taking to the start line.
The highest-ranked starter among them is Carlotta Bülck, who claimed bronze in the City of Derry. The German will be looking to replicate or improve on that result after finishing sixth in the Junior Women’s race in Pontevedra three weeks ago.
Luca Vanderbruggen, wearing bib number 25, finished eighth in Pontevedra. With several young athletes stepping up to the Elite field, this weekend could provide an opportunity for some of them to make a name for themselves.
Elite Men
A full start list of 70 athletes in the Elite men’s race means it will be a busy start in the water, with two Germans making up two of the first three athletes to be called.
Justus Töpper leads the field in bib number one, with the German having claimed silver at the World Triathlon Cup in Asunción in August.
In bib number three will be fellow compatriot Jaspar Ortfeld, who finished sixth in the U23 race in Pontevedra. He will be hoping to improve on his result from last week in Rome, but with a new race comes a new opportunity.
Separating the two Germans will be American Zach Leachman, who also raced in Rome last week. Leachman has claimed one gold medal this season, winning in Magog in July. Tenerife will be his first-ever Europe Cup race.
Similar to Ceuta, Spain has a large contingent racing in Tenerife, with Esteban Basanta Fouz starting in bib number five. Fouz will be hoping to reach the podium after narrowly missing out on a medal last week, finishing fourth in Ceuta.
Fouz is part of a 14-strong Spanish contingent, meaning the home crowds will have plenty to cheer for around the streets of Santa Cruz.
Raf De Dobbelaere is among the first 10 athletes to take to the start line, with the Belgian wearing bib number eight. Dobbelaere has recorded three top-10 finishes in the Europe Cup this season, in Rzeszów, Kitzbühel and Wels, with his best result coming in Wels. He will be hoping to round out his season with another strong result, with Ibiza also on his provisional race schedule.
Antoine L’hôte finished 10th in his last race in Derry, while the Swiss athlete has also recorded strong results earlier in the season, including a notable performance in Magog on the Americas Triathlon Cup circuit.
After claiming sixth place in Holten in July, Antoine Duval has not raced since. The Frenchman will be looking to make a big impact in one of the final races of the season, having competed in just three Cup events this year.
Just behind him in bib number 19 is Pao Millo, who has similarly had a relatively quiet season. His most recent race came in Derry, where he finished inside the top 20.
Julian Piller is one of four Austrians taking to the start line, with Piller starting in bib number 14.
Fiorenzo Angelini will be the first of seven Italian athletes to take to the start line, with the Italian racing in the Europe Cup for the first time since Olsztyn in May.
Behind him in bib number 27 is Nicolo’ Astori, who raced in Coimbra a few weeks ago. In another busy start list, Astori was able to finish inside the top 30 and will be looking to build on that result in Tenerife.
Johannes Sikk, who claimed the Baltic Championship in June, will race for the first time since the Africa Triathlon Premium Cup in Larache in July after not starting in Derry last month.
The Estonian claimed his first medal of the season in Alūksne at the Baltic Championships, but is yet to finish inside the top 20 in a Cup race this year. Tenerife will give him another opportunity to change that record as the season reaches its final stages.
View the full start lists here.
You can watch the race live here.
