Norway Goes 1-2-3 In Bermuda Thanks to Big Risks on the Bike
Norway’s Casper Stornes built a massive lead on the bike and then held on to claim his first ever World Triathlon Series title.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Norway’s Casper Stornes built a massive lead on the bike and then held on to claim his first ever World Triathlon Series title.
The athletes were greeted with windy conditions, but thankfully the forecasted rain stayed away for the entirety of the race. It was a huge pack out of the 1500m swim, with South Africa’s Henri Schoeman leading the way. It initially looked like it could play out the way many ITU races do: a big pack off of the bike and then a battle on the run.
Norway’s Casper Stornes had a different idea as he took a big chance and broke away on his own in the fourth of 10 laps. The tough, technical bike course worked to his advantage as the group behind him failed to get organized. With every lap Stornes built on his lead over the main pack, ultimately coming onto the 10K run with a one-minute gap over fellow Norweigans Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden, and Denmark’s Andreas Schilling. The athletes known for their run prowess, including Spain’s Mario Mola and South Africa’s Henri Schoeman, came onto the run with nearly 2:20 to make up.
Stornes proved to be a strong runner, even with that epic solo performance in the bike. He finished his day with a 32:51 10K to become the first ever Norweigan to win an ITU World Triathlon Series race. Bluemmenfelt and Iden finished second and third, respectively, to complete the podium sweep and mark a historic day for Norway in triathlon.
Though it hasn’t quite been the start to the season he had hoped for, Mola’s fourth-place finish (paired with his second-place finish in Abu Dhabi) was good enough to put him in the lead for the 2018 World Triathlon Series.
2018 ITU WTS Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda – April 28, 2018
1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run
Men
1. Casper Stornes (NOR) 1:54:47
2. Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) 1:55:08
3. Gustav Iden (NOR) 1:55:10
4. Mario Mola (ESP) 1:55:45
5. Rodrigo Gonzalez (MEX) 1:55:58
6. Fernando Alarza (ESP) 1:56:08
7. Dorian Coninx (FRA) 1:56:08
8. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 1:56:24
9. Ryan Bailie (AUS) 1:56:28
10. Crisanto Grajales (MEX) 1:56:29