TRIATHLON Preview: Luis and Zaferes lead the 2019 World Series heading into Montreal’s Sprint

An ITU World Series title coming for American Katie Zaferes? (Photo: ITU)

The second sprint race of the 2019 ITU World Series season comes this weekend in Montreal (CAN), with Vincent Luis (FRA) and Katie Zaferes of the U.S. trying to hold on to their leads in the men’s and women’s divisions.

The course includes a 750 m swim, 20 km bike phase and 5 km run, half the distances of the traditional Olympic course. The series leaders heading into this week:

Men:
1. 3,200 Vincent Luis (FRA)
2. 2,678 Henri Schoeman (RSA)
3. 2,605 Fernando Alarza (ESP)
4. 2,572 Javier Gomez Noya (ESP)
5. 1,993 Alex Yee (GBR)

Women:
1. 3,925 Katie Zaferes (USA)
2. 3,314 Jessica Learmonth (GBR)
3. 3,249 Taylor Spivey (USA)
4. 3,000 Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR)
5. 2,435 Non Stanford (GBR)

This week’s race is the fifth of eight on the calendar for 2019. In the other Sprint event – the opener in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mario Mola (ESP) won over new find Yee, while Zaferes led a 1-2 U.S. finish ahead of Spivey.

In fact, Zaferes has dominated the women’s tour so far, winning the first three races and finishing second to Taylor-Brown in Leeds (GBR). Zaferes has now medaled in six straight World Cup races over the last two seasons and 10 of the last 11! Behind her, Learmonth has won three medals over the first four races and Spivey has won two.

In the men’s division, only Spain’s Javier Gomez has more than one medal, and the last race in Leeds was won by first-time World Cup gold medalist Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) and first-time medalist Matt McElroy of the U.S., the first World Cup medal for an American man in 10 years.

The other question is what’s happened to Mario Mola? The three-time defending World Series champ won in Abu Dhabi, but has since finished 26-29-29 and now stands 13th in the overall standings. Injured? Tired? Waiting to pounce?

Mola won last year in Montreal ahead of Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), while Vicky Holland (GBR ~ not competing this week) won for the women, ahead of Zaferes and Taylor-Brown.

Look for results here.