WTCS Weihai 2025 men’s results: Swiss star Studer stuns rivals

Switzerland’s Max Studer notched by far the biggest win of his career with an impressive victory at WTCS Weihai in China, the last regular season race before the Grand Final in Woolongong.

The 29-year-old recently won the European Triathlon Championships in Istanbul but had never even been near the podium at WTCS level.

However he produced a perfectly judged race against a 37-man field in China which was lacking many of the star names from the season so far, taking his opportunity brilliantly.

Studer broke away late on the bike and then put the hammer down early on the run and never looked back.

He crossed the line 24 seconds ahead of Germany’s Henry Graf, who claimed his maiden WTCS victory last time out at Karlovy Vary.

American John Reed rounded out the podium in third on a strong day for the Stars & Stripes, with three athletes in the top 10.

Here’s how it all played out…

Swim – Dévay sets the pace

It was two 750m laps in calm conditions in the Yellow Sea and, in the absence of runaway overall WTCS leader Matt Hauser, it was no surprise to see Márk Dévay lead it out.

At the end of the first lap it was then a Hungarian one-two, with Márton Kropkó the nearest challenger to Dévay but there were less than 10 seconds covering the top 25.

And that pattern continued on lap two with Dévay still in front, just 17 seconds between the top 25 – and the other 12 with a huge amount of work to do at over a minute back.

The two men in the field to have won a WTCS race in the past – Graf and Morgan Pearson (USA) – were both in the front group.

Bike – Late move proves decisive

The first thing to say about the bike course was that it was very, very different from the hilly challenge which helped animate WTCS Weihai last season.

This time we had eight flat laps – and that was very much reflected in the way things played out, at least until the final lap.

We had a front group of 19 and there were 40 seconds between them and the chasers at the end of lap one and that stayed pretty constant for the first few laps.

After five laps Darr Smith (USA) and Takumi Hojo (JPN) chipped off front but were soon reeled in.

Miguel Tiago Silva (POR) and Pearson were the next duo to try and finally it looked like they may make it stick, with a 15 seconds advantage after lap six.

Again though they were caught but what proved a race-defining move came on the final lap when Tjebbe Kaindl (AUT) and Studer opened up a gap at the perfect moment.

Graf and Smith came next and suddenly we had 25 seconds back to the rest of front group, though Smith’s good work was undone when he dropped his bike going through T2.

Run – No stopping Studer

Onto the run and there was a statement start from Studer as he powered ahead on the first of four laps.

So much so that he was 23 seconds ahead at the end of it, with Reed, Luke Willian (AUS) and Pearson having now joined Graf in what was a four-man chase pack.

But rather than close, they lost more ground – they were 35 seconds adrift at halfway and that rose to 40 seconds when the bell went at the end of lap three.

It did come down on the last lap but mainly because Studer let the victory soak in during the closing stages and he was a comfortable 24 seconds to the good when he took the tape, with Graf second, Reed third, Willian fourth and Pearson fifth.

David Cantero (ESP) ran through the field from more than a minute back after the bike to take sixth.

“To be able to pull something off like this is just unbelievable,” said a delighted Studer afterwards.

“What helped a lot was the European Championships,” he added. “I had a lot of doubt in my mind so to have such a great performance there helped me come here and repeat that.

“The break late on the bike was really important too – to get a little head start on the run was a great feeling.”

RELATED CONTENT: Beth Potter powers to victory in women’s race at WTCS Weihai.

WTCS Weihai 2025 results

Friday 26 September 2025 – 1.5km / 40km / 10km

Elite Men

WTCS standings after Karlovy Vary (which is the last one before Woolongong Grand Final)