Olympic gold medallist Lisa Tertsch produced an incredible come-from-behind display to win the World Triathlon Cup Valencia.
Part of Germany’s winning Mixed Relay team in Paris, Tertsch looked to have a mountain to climb when she started the 5km run with over 45 seconds to make up on the front of the race, having missed out on the front group in the swim.
She had been 35 seconds back when she exited the water and 46 seconds after the bike but what unfolded from that point will live long in the memory.
But it was heartbreak for Britain’s Olivia Mathias who, just as she had been six days earlier at supertri London, was denied the win after animating the race and leading until late on.
How the race panned out
Mathias’ efforts in London weren’t rewarded with a podium finish as she had to settle for sixth behind fellow Brit Georgia Taylor-Brown and Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand.
But this time they were as she carried on the good work – part of a lead group of four that hammered home their advantage from the swim on the four bike laps.
The quartet – Mathias, Candice Denizot (FRA), Emma Jeffcoat (AUS), and Sophia Howell (GER) – worked brilliantly together on the bike to stretch their lead to over 40 seconds by halfway.
And they maintained that all the way to T2, despite the best efforts of up-and-coming Norwegian star Solveig Løvseth and Tanja Neubert (GER) who broke away from the chasers.
Starting the run, Tertsch was 46 seconds down in seventh place, but what followed was remarkable – especially on that first lap when she moved to within 17 seconds of Mathias and Denizot after a 7:46 2.5km.
The catch looked inevitable from that point onwards and she briefly joined the duo midway through the second lap before kicking clear.
Her efforts told slightly in the closing stages but she still had seven seconds in hand on Mathias when the line came – with the Brit’s second place her highest World Cup finish so far.
Denizot rounded out the podium in third, a further five seconds back.
Tertsch’s combined run time was 16:04, compared to Mathias’ 16:56.
World Triathlon Cup Valencia 2024 results
Saturday September 14, 750m swim / 19.2km bike / 5km run
ELITE WOMEN
- 1. Lisa Tertsch (GER) – 55:09
- 2. Olivia Mathias (GBR) +7s
- 3. Candice Denizot (FRA) +12s
- 4. Tanja Neubert (GER) +22s
- 5. Solveig Løvseth (NOR) +30s
