Alex Yee takes on newly crowned world champion Vasco Vilaça as remarkably strong fields head to the Rome World Cup this weekend, just a week after the WTCS Grand Final in Pontevedra.

And the quality extends well beyond that headline showdown, with Taylor Spivey, Tilda Månsson, Kate Waugh and newly crowned junior world champion Fanni Szalai among the contenders in a women’s race packed with talent.

Pontevedra settled the 2026 world titles, but there is still one WTCS event to come this year – the rescheduled Abu Dhabi race in November. Before that, Rome offers another chance for established stars and emerging talents to go head-to-head, this time over the sprint distance.

Here’s everything you need to know about the racing in the Italian capital.

Start times and how to watch live

The individual races take place on Saturday 3 October 2026, with the women starting at 09:00 local time (08:00 UK, 03:00 Eastern and 00:00 Western) and the men at 11:00 local time (10:00 UK, 05:00 Eastern, 02:00 Western).

There is also Mixed Relay action on Sunday 4 October, starting at 08:30 local time (07:30 UK).

The races will be shown live on World Triathlon’s streaming service TriathlonLive.io. Although the platform is a subscription service, World Cup races are free to watch.

Men’s field: Yee takes on world champion Vilaça

The standout clash pits Olympic champion Alex Yee against Vasco Vilaça, who arrives in Rome fresh from securing his first world title in Pontevedra.

The Portuguese star has had the upper hand in their recent meetings but there was virtually nothing between them (or Matt Hauser) in that thrilling finish last weekend and this is a bonus showdown.

Vilaça’s compatriot João Nuno Batista is seeded third after an impressive season which included fourth at WTCS Weihai. The former junior world champion is chasing a second World Cup medal and could make his presence felt against the headline names.

Brazil’s Manoel Messias provides another major threat following the withdrawal of Miguel Hidalgo. A multiple WTCS medallist, Messias won back-to-back World Cups last autumn and has the pedigree to challenge again.

Among the emerging contenders, Britain’s Michael Gar and Hungary’s Zalán Hóbor will look to build on their respective silver and bronze medals at the World U23 Championships in Pontevedra while France’s Tristan Douche, last year’s junior world champion, makes his World Cup debut.

Last year’s Rome winner Arnaud Mengal of Belgium returns, while Connor Bentley and Solomon Okrafo-Smart add to a strong British challenge.

Women’s field: Spivey, Månsson and Szalai lead the contenders

Picking a favourite for the women’s race is arguably even harder, with proven WTCS performers, previous Rome winners and some of the sport’s most exciting young talents all lining up.

Top seed Taylor Spivey makes her first World Cup appearance since 2018 – the American was second at WTCS Karlovy Vary and will be looking to turn that form into another podium.

Sweden’s Tilda Månsson, meanwhile, has already demonstrated her winning credentials at the highest level with victory at WTCS Yokohama and will be keen to bounce back after a disappointing Pontevedra race cost her a place on the overall Series podium.

Then there is Fanni Szalai, who arrives just days after her dominant junior world title triumph.

The Hungarian teenager has already won a World Cup this season in Tiszaujvaros and showed again in Pontevedra how effective she can be when she gets clear. Expect her to try to shape the race from the swim onwards.

The last couple of Rome winners are also on the start list – Austria’s Carina Reicht, who won last year, and Germany’s Nina Eim who took the honours in both 2023 and 2024.

British interest is led by Kate Waugh, fresh from her WTCS podium in Pontevedra, alongside Tilly Anema and Olivia Mathias while Germany’s Laura Lindemann, fifth in Pontevedra, is another leading contender in a stacked field.

Rome World Cup course: Short, sharp and technical

Both individual races feature a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run, with repeated climbs and tight turns adding to the challenge.

The swim consists of one anticlockwise lap in Laghetto dell’EUR. Athletes then face a roughly 250m run to transition, including a short climb at a gradient of around 6%.

The bike comprises five 4km laps, each featuring a 400m climb at 5%. Numerous changes of direction and two 180-degree turns per lap make positioning and bike handling particularly important.

The run is two laps of 2.5km. Although generally flat, it includes the same short 6% climb used at the swim exit towards the end of each lap, along with two 180-degree turns per lap.