SUR
Malaga triathlete Alberto González finished third at the World Triathlon Cup Beijing on Saturday, in a race won by Switzerland’s Max Studer. Home favourite Xirui Zhang took silver, becoming the first Chinese man to reach a World Cup podium.
The World Cup returned to Beijing after 15 years, this time on a new course at Yanqi Lake, for the tenth round of the series. Persistent rain made conditions tough, and 11 men failed to finish.
Hungary’s Márk Dévay led out of the water, after which González joined a breakaway of six on the waterlogged bike course. Studer and American Darr Smith bridged across on the second lap to form a lead group of 15, while American Morgan Pearson crashed out late in the bike leg.
González and American Seth Rider pushed the pace at the start of the run, while Studer lost time in the second transition. The Swiss soon recovered to join the leaders, and once Rider faded, four men were left to fight for the medals: Studer, González, Hungary’s Márton Kropkó and Zhang.
Studer pulled clear on the final lap, clocking the fastest run of 30:00 to win by nine seconds. Zhang crossed the line 17 seconds ahead of González.
The result is González’s fifth podium of the season and strengthens his position in the Olympic rankings.
Spain’s Eloy Canales was 13th. In the women’s race, China’s Xinyu Lin won, while Spain’s Marina Muñoz finished 22nd.