Beth Potter began her 2022 season on the top step of the podium at Europe Triathlon Cup Quarteira, where Dan Dixon continued his start to the year with another podium finish in Portugal.
At the same location, there were medal successes for British juniors Lizzy Edge and Bethany Cook in the Europe Triathlon Junior Cup during a weekend which featured strong British representation in the senior and junior continental cups.
2022 Europe Triathlon Cup Quarteira
After a strong end to 2021, including back-to-back World Triathlon Cup wins and a seventh-place finish at the World Triathlon Championship Series finale in Abu Dhabi, Beth Potter started 2022 in winning style with victory in the elite women’s race at Europe Triathlon Cup Quarteria.
Both the men’s and women’s event took place in challenging swim conditions at Quarteira Beach, where Sophie Alden led the women’s race for the majority of the 1.5km swim, exiting the swim second behind Summer Rappaport of the USA.
With nobody able to gain any significant advantage on the 40km bike it all came down to the 10km run, which saw Potter and France’s Emma Lombardi establish a lead over the rest of the field.
Potter made her move inside the final few kilometres, creating what would become a 23 second winning margin by the time both athletes had crossed the line. It is Potter’s sixth international triathlon win and was achieved in a winning time of 01:58:56.
Alden completed the course in 02:01:41 to join Potter in the top-10 in seventh. Annabel Morton (02:03:09) was 18th and Sophia Green 32nd (02:06:03). Iona Miller and Tilly Anema both recorded DNFs.
In the men’s race, there was never a British triathlete far from the front as they helped set-up an exciting race in Quarteria.
Having pushed hard at the front on the bike, Connor Bentley’s efforts were rewarded on the last bike lap when he managed to gain a small lead with a solo effort off the front, holding the advantage onto the run.
It was then all change at the front of the race on the run with the Japanese duo of Takumi Hojo and Kenji Nener and Seth Rider of the USA replacing Bentley at the front and Dixon moving into fourth place, before passing the fading Neder into third.
Dixon was in second at one stage in the final moments of the race, having been able to close the gap to Rider and then passing him, but the American responded to finish second ahead of Dixon.
Dixon stopped the clock at 01:46:33, three seconds behind Rider, to claim third and another podium finish in what was his first senior international standard distance race.
After his efforts on the bike, Bentley crossed the line in seventh (01:46:48), Sam Dickinson was 12th (01:47:36) with Barclay Izzard (01:47:53) 14th as four British triathletes were among the first 14 finishers.
Grant Sheldon (01:48:31) was the fifth British athlete in the top-20, crossing the line in 17th. Tom Bishop was 22nd (01:49:03) two places ahead of Harry Leleu (01:49:03) in 24th as Cameron Main began his season with a DNF.
Results: 2022 Europe Triathlon Cup Quarteira
2022 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup Quarteira
Lizzy Edge and Bethany Cook both finished on an international podium for the first time as the British pair finished second and third, respectively, at Europe Triathlon Junior Cup Quarteira.
Just like the women’s race on Saturday, it all came down to the run with the top-three of Edge, Cook and Spain’s Helena Moragas Molina all battling for the podium places. It came down to a head-to-head battle between Edge and Molina, with both stopping the clock at 01:03:40, as Edge just edged out on the line by Molina.
Cook, who led the race at the end of the swim, was 13 seconds behind the top-two to complete the podium and record a top-three finish for the first time at an international event.
Martha Calton-seal (01:04:32) was fifth and Madeline Cooper 15th (01:06:15) at the end of their first international starts.
There were three British juniors in the top-10 of the junior men’s race with Ryan Symington (00:58:19) and Solomon Okrafo-smart (00:58:29) seventh and eighth, respectively, and Joe Sherman (00:58:36) completing the top-10.
World junior duathlon champion Ben Cumberland (00:59:10) was 17th, three places ahead of Hugo Jinks (00:59:21) with Tom Hattee 28th (01:00:21) and Struan Bennet 51st (01:03:07).
