Reigning Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand heads the women’s elite field at the 42nd Garmin Noosa Triathlon on Sunday as she looks to bounce back from a rare and high-profile DNF.
The French star, who won gold on home roads in Paris last summer, was in the lead group as the WTCS season went down to the wire in Wollongong a fortnight ago.
But her hopes of retaining that crown evaporated early on the run as she dropped through the field and eventually pulled out of the race.
However she’s stayed in Australia and now has a chance to end her season in much more upbeat style in the world-famous event in Noosa.
Storied history
And she’s well aware of the race’s roll of honour, saying: “I know so many of the best triathletes in history have won this race.
“Specifically on the women’s side, I know Ashleigh Gentle has pretty much dominated the last decade and before that Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffat won a few times each. All of those women I really look up to, so it would be a really nice feeling if I could join them as a winner here,” said Beaugrand.
“I really have no idea how this will go, and I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, I’d like to have a great race but most of all I just want to enjoy this environment and have fun.”
‘A tough year for me mentally’
Looking back to what happened in Wollongong, she added: “After my disappointment in the WTCS Grand Final I’m very happy to be racing in Noosa and hopefully finishing on a better note.
“It’s been a tough year for me mentally since the Olympics last year. So, it’s nice to be at a race that’s more of a fun atmosphere and I guess less pressure than the normal race environments I’m used to.”
On thing that is very different in what is an Olympic-distance race in Noosa is the fact that the 40km bike leg is non-drafting.
And Beaugrand added: “To be honest, I don’t have so many expectations in terms of the result for myself in Noosa. I’m typically racing on a road bike, and I’m just starting to figure out how to be comfortable in the TT position, it’s something very new to me, but also something that’s bringing a lot of excitement and curiosity to see how I feel in the race.
“I know it’s a competitive field and one of the biggest triathlons in the world. In Europe people talk about Noosa as the biggest weekend in triathlon, and since I’m already in Australia, I wanted to be able to say I raced here at least once in my career. I can’t wait to experience the entire event across the weekend and enjoy the atmosphere.”
Hill aiming for 3-2-1 sequence
Beaugrand will have a field of up-and-coming Australians to contest with on the course, including Queensland’s Richelle Hill who won the Under-23 World Championship in Wollongong in an incredible sprint finish.
Hill, who was second in Noosa last year, and third in 2023, claimed her World Championship title in the final few hundred metres and will be looking to bring that pace to the streets of Noosa on Sunday.
“Honestly, I’m really excited. This year I’ve missed a lot of opportunities to race due to injury, so any opportunity to race I find is such a privilege,” said Hill. “The win in Wollongong was my highest moment in this sport, the emotions that the race created for me and the crowd is something I will always cherish.”
Joining Hill on the start line will be fellow Australians Sophie Malowiecki, who was second in 2023, Tara Sosinski and Danielle De Francesco, along with Great Britain’s Jess Fullagar and Australia-based Dutch athlete Lotte Wilms.
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