His comeback victory at the supertri E World Championships was an impressive feat, but Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger (FRA) took his escapology antics to new levels with a victory at the Samarkand World Cup that at the midpoint of the race seemed improbable at best. After earning a maiden World Cup win in Miyazaki last autumn, this was gold medal number 2 for the Frenchman. Based on his recent results, even more are likely to follow.

Marton Kropkó (HUN) was in fine form in the 1500m swim, leading out from Maciej Bruzdziak (POL) in a time 17:50. With the field stretched, a lead pack of five settled at the front of the race. Jeremy Quindos (UZB) ignited the home fans, as well as the army of volunteers bearing air horns, by making the group. Igor Dupuis (FRA) and Marcus Dey (GBR) comprised the rest of the quintet.

The pack behind became eleven as Pavel Sorokin (AIN) was swept up having not been able to live with the tempo of the leaders. The initial 15 second gap between the two groups looked tenuous, however, in the opening lap and Jack Crome (AUS) was particularly prominent working at the front of the chase pack. But Bruzdziak had other plans.

Keen to relive the breakaway success that saw him win his first World Cup medal in Tongyeong last October, the Polish athlete dropped the hammer with Kropkó to swing momentum in the leaders’ direction. Meanwhile, World Cup winners Reese Vannerson (USA) and Hueber-Moosbrugger found themselves stuck in the third pack, over a minute down and leaking time fast. By the midpoint of the race, their hopes seemed to have been fatally compromised.

Zsombor Dévay (HUN) tried to force his way from the chase into the lead group with a powerful surge. His aggression was then matched by Kropkó trying to blast clear on his own at the front. After both moves were quashed, the gap between the two packs stood at 42 seconds.

Chris Ziehmer (GER) and Takuto Oshima (JPN) were next in chancing their hand alongside Dévay. However the race was to turn against them. At end of the penultimate lap, the second and third groups came together, putting twenty-six men on the scent of the leading five. Crucially, the work of the third pack brought Hueber’s race hopes back from the brink.

Kropkó added more urgency to the front with another big push. At the same time, the influx of firepower in the chase drew them even closer. Heading into T2, the gap was down to 33 seconds.

Kropkó led Dupuis onto the run with Bruzdziak battling to hang on. Ominously, though, Hueber-Moosbrugger was flying. He carved passed Bruzdziak and then his teammate Dupuis. Similarly, Mathis Beaulieu (CAN) climbed through the ranks having spent his day entrenched in the second pack. Hueber-Moosbrugger soon drew level and then passed Kropkó before Beaulieu was snapping at the Hungarian’s heels. Try as he might, Kropkó could not withstand Beaulieu.

Yet the final twist was yet to come. In a Houdini act of his own, Kropkó went from being seemingly buried to hauling past Beaulieu in the closing metres. After the race, he dedicated his last-ditch effort to his sister who crashed from the lead group in the women’s race earlier in the day.

As Kropkó and Beaulieu fought, it was a serene finish for Hueber-Moosbrugger until the line. He was then able to celebrate his young compatriot Thomas Hansmaennel logging a best ever World Cup finish in 4th place. With three athletes born in 2004 and 2005 in the top-4, the next generation are certainly on the rise. Still, for the time being, they may have to bide their time behind a man for whom “down but not out” is fast becoming his mantra.