RACE PREVIEW: Karlovy Vary World Cup
Overview
The first standard distance race of the 2020 ITU calendar will take place this weekend in the Czech Republic with an exciting start list in the men and women’s races promising to put on a good show. Only a week after the makeshift 2020 World Championships in Hamburg, Europe and America’s best talents head 400 miles south east to Karlovy Vary for only the second World cup of the year, six months on from the last edition in Mooloolaba on the Gold Coast.
Karlovy Vary is notorious for its demanding race course and the athletes will be tested on every single leg. The 1500m swim in Rolava Lake is technical, with a 200m straight to the first buoy likely to string the field out quickly. Unlike most World Cups Karlovy Vary is a split transition, with the athletes having to cycle 5km from T1 to the city centre before 7 laps of a technical course which includes a punishing 21% hill that will surely leave even the best riders in pieces by the final lap. Exiting T2, everyone will complete 4 laps of 2.5km before racing down the blue carpet in a bid for World Cup glory and their share of a $60,000 prize purse.
Men’s Race
Neither Sam Dickinson (GBR), Grant Sheldon (GBR) or Raphael Montoya (FRA) make the return to the Bohemia region after last year’s podium performances, leaving Israeli Ran Sagiv as the best of the returners following his fourth place here last year. However, Sagiv won’t be the only one with past experience of this course, so expect 2017 winner Gustav Iden to use his knowledge of the course to his advantage in his bid to win gold here for the second time.
Last year’s swim leader Richard Varga (SVN) returns, but after debatably relinquishing his title of the ITU’s best swimmer last year to Vincent Luis (FRA) he could be even more determined than usual to stretch out this group of 70 athletes early on in the first leg. If this is to be the case, Vincent Luis may choose to also swim hard and hope to put some time into the Norwegians early on, who look likely to be his biggest rivals. If this is the Frenchman’s race plan, the company of solid swimmers Jonas Schomburg (GER) and Bence Bicsak (HUN) on the bike could help him stay away from the Norwegian trio.
In all honesty, as incredible of an athlete Vincent Luis is, I think this race is the Norwegian trios to lose. This bike course suits them to perfection and with Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden and Casper Stornes all looking for their first win of 2020 there is no chance they’ll allow a pack of 29 to roll around the course together as was the case in last year’s race. A repeat of the clean sweep in Bermuda is on the cards this year but will take a lot of work on the bike to get away.
However, even if Vincent Luis can keep in touch with them, possibly in a small breakaway which could also include uber biker Richard Murray (RSA) who is likely to come out of the swim with the Norwegians, it would take a huge effort on the run for him to match Blummenfelt. Looking back to last year’s grand final in Lausanne, Blummenfelt and Iden managed to outrun Luis after a demanding 40km bike course. As much as I hate to bet against the world champion, I’m inclined to hedge my bets firmly in Arild Tveiten’s team, but can see Luis and Murray pushing hard for a podium place. That being said, come race day anything can happen, but it promises to be an enticing match up. Ben Dijkstra is the only British performer and will hope to put in a strong performance and show the GB Olympic selectors that he is a contender for a spot on the plane to Tokyo in 2021.
Start time – 9am GMT.
Women’s Race
The women’s start list is stacked with 2019 World Champion Katie Zaferes (USA) vowing for redemption after missing out on the podium in Hamburg last week. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) and Flora Duffy (BER), who finished first and second respectively, will be looking to back up last week’s performances whilst local favourite Vendula Frintova (CZE) will hope to defend her crown from 2019.
With such a demanding course, especially in the saddle, Karlovy Vary could follow a similar script to most of 2019’s WTS races, where Katie Zaferes and Britain’s Jess Learmonth often found themselves in breakaways together after super swim legs. The return of Flora Duffy adds another strong swim/biker to the mix and these three women will go into the race knowing their best chance of beating Taylor-Brown is by getting away on the bike. Lotte Miller (NOR) impressed massively in last week’s World Championships and could put herself in contention for a podium place if she manages to get into the breakaway bike group. Georgia Taylor-Brown however will be aware of the importance of making the break and will surely race hard from the start, especially with the knowledge that on tired legs she is still capable of outrunning anyone in the field.
If Duffy or Zaferes manage to breakaway they’ll need in excess of a 30 second lead to have any chance of outrunning Taylor-Brown, whilst Learnmonth will likely need more after running almost 60 seconds slower than her compatriot over 5km last weekend. Laura Lindemann (GER) and Rachel Klamer (NED) are two other athletes who could run themselves into the medals if they fail to make the front. Another notable name on the start list is Al Uieda (JPN) who after missing the World Championships will look to put her lockdown fitness to the test and could make the podium alongside last year’s winner Frintova who will be determined to be a strong showing on home turf.
Start Time – 2pm GMT.
More to look forward to...
If back to back weekends of top class racing has left you desperate for more worry not, as October promises more elite action with two world cup events being held.
The first is a new event in Arzachena, Italy on October 10th where Alistair Brownlee (GBR) will face off against Gustav Iden and Henri Schoeman, who will be racing for the first time in 2020 after a double bout of COVID-19.
Two weeks later the last race of the ITU calendar will be held in Miyazaki, Japan. Whilst the start list hasn’t yet been announced, expect the best in the world to race there as part of their preparations for the climate and customs of Japan ahead of the 2021 games.
