CAGLIARI, Italy — Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.) sprinted to a silver medal in the women’s race at the Cagliari ITU Triathlon World Cup on Saturday, while Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.) earned an ITU World Cup career-best fifth place in the men’s race.
The sprint-distance course, the sixth stop of the 2018 ITU World Cup circuit, centered around the marina on the Italian island of Sardinia. Athletes covered a 750-meter swim, hilly and technical 19-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run.
In the women’s race, Great Britain’s Lucy Hall and Japan’s Fuka Sega were first out of the water with a 10-second gap on the rest of the field. Spivey and Chelsea Burns (Seattle, Wash.) were close behind in a large chase pack, which included names like Alice Betto and Ilaria Zane of Italy, Anna Godoy Contreras of Spain and Emma Jeffcoat of Australia.
A front group of 10 women formed on the bike, with Spivey and Burns both still in the mix. The leaders worked together over the five-lap course, each lap highlighted by a long climb and winding descent of the Viale Regina Margherita. The pack stayed together for the whole 19k course, leaving the podiums to come down to the run on tired legs.
At the second transition, four women — Italy’s Verena Steinhauser, Austria’s Lisa Perterer, Great Britain’s India Lee and Spivey — had the strength to pull away. The foursome battled through the 5k course, still neck-in-neck as they reached final turn down the finish chute. In an all-out sprint finish, Peterer broke the tape with a time of 1 hour, 13 seconds, edging Spivey by just a fraction of a second. Lee claimed the bronze one second later, and Steinhauser took fourth in 1:00:19.
“We pushed the most power up the hill and the rest of the bike course was really just recovery for the next hill,” Spivey said. “I tried to stay relaxed on the run and picked off some of the girls on the first lap. The final stretch was really exciting with four of us coming into the tape. Maybe I let go a little too soon, but I’m really proud of Lisa.”
Saturday’s performance marked the third ITU World Cup medal of Spivey’s career, adding to the silvers she won last year in Madrid, Spain, and Miyazaki, Japan.
Burns ended the day in 10th place with a time of 1:01:39. Also competing for the U.S. were Kyleigh Spearing (Frankfort, Ill.), who took 26th in 1:03:25, and Megan Foley (Salt Lake City, Utah), who was 44th in 1:07:58.
In the men’s race, France’s Raoul Shaw took the lead after a choppy 750m swim. Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.) was fourth out of the water and the first American, positioning himself well for a challenging bike. Hemming exited the water about 30 seconds back from the top swimmers, but he pushed hard on the bike to join a lead pack of about 25 men.
The lead group stayed together for most of the 19k course, but it was Italy’s Davide Uccellari and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde who pushed their way to the front on the final lap. Italy’s Delian Stateff found his strength on the run, sprinting past Wilde and Uccellari on the final 200m to break the tape in 54:45. Wilde claimed the silver in 54:49, and Uccellari rounded out the podium in 54:54.
Australia’s Luke Wilian took fourth with a time of 54:59, and Hemming ran his way to fifth in 55:04. With that performance, Hemming topped his previous career-best ITU World Cup seventh-place finish recorded here last year.
Smith finished the day in 14th, crossing the line in 55:45. Also representing the U.S. were Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colo.), 17th in 55:52; Tony Smoragiewicz (Rapid City, S.D.), 29th in 56:54; Collin Chartier (Fairfax, Va.), 46th in 58:32; and Marty Andrie (Aurora, Colo.), 54th in 1:00:56.
The ITU World Cup season continues next Sunday with a stop in Huatulco, Mexico. The ITU World Triathlon Series also stops next Sunday in Leeds, England, and Spivey, Burns and Hemming are on the start list.
2018 Cagliari ITU Triathlon World Cup
750m swim, 19k bike, 5k run
Elite Women – Complete Results
1. Lisa Perterer (AUT), 1:00:13
2. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 1:00:13
3. India Lee (GBR), 1:00:14
U.S. Finishers
2. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 1:00:13
10. Chelsea Burns (Seattle, Wash.), 1:01:39
26. Kyleigh Spearing (Frankfort, Ill.), 1:03:25
44. Megan Foley (Salt Lake City, Utah), 1:07:58
Elite Men – Complete Results
1. Delian Stateff (ITA), 54:45
2. Hayden Wilde (NZL), 54:49
3. Davide Uccellari (ITA), 54:54
U.S. Finishers
5. Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.), 55:04
14. Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.), 55:45
17. Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colo.), 55:52
29. Tony Smoragiewicz (Rapid City, S.D.), 56:54
46. Collin Chartier (Fairfax, Va.), 58:32
54. Marty Andrie (Aurora, Colo.), 1:00:56
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
