Lisa Tertsch and Italian newbie Davide Menichelli were crowned 2026 World Triathlon Duathlon Champions on a hot and windswept Saturday in Abu Dhabi, opening the World Triathlon Multisport Championships in significant style.
In the ladies’s race, Tertsch got better from the previous day’s WTCS frustration to protect her very first world duathlon crown. After a tactical opening 5km run kept the leading 10 within 6 seconds, an eight-woman lead pack formed on the 30km bike leg– reinforced by a solo bridge from Fiona Cornet to sign up with early breakers Emma Wasser and Jasmijn Bakker.
The race come down to the last 5km run, where Tertsch, Diana Isakova, and Maria Varo right away rose clear. As Varo faded over the last 2 kilometers, the fight for gold ended up being a two-woman shootout in between Tertsch and WTCS winner Isakova. Sitting locked on the Russian’s shoulder till 200 meters from the surface, Tertsch released a definitive kick to win by 5 seconds. Isakova declared silver, while the Netherlands’ Jasmijn Bakker rallied late to protect bronze ahead of Jeanne Dupont and Varo.
The males’s race was specified by a bold, race-winning breakaway from Davide Menichelli, who recorded both the elite and U23 world titles. Following a bunched very first 5km run led by safeguarding champ Benjamin Choquert, Menichelli captured the field off guard by rising through the very first shift and assaulting solo onto the 30km bike course.
Belgium’s Martin Oldenhove bridged throughout late on the 3rd lap, and the set worked perfectly together to develop an undisputable one-minute lead over the chasing pack, that included Choquert and Arnaud Dely. Oldenhove left the 2nd shift initially, Menichelli rapidly took control on the last 5km run, opening a 15-second space within 1,500 meters and travelling solo to the surface line. Oldenhove held company to take silver, while France’s Adrien Pilleux rose previous Karpeev late in the go to declare the bronze medal.
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