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Canada’s ITU Swing

eventually loped into the line in 36th. Alexi Lepage was also with the lead group off the bike and hung in for 31st.

While Edmonton served as continuation of the 2017 WTS status quo – both Duffy and Mola took their fourth WTS races of the year – Montreal saw a change in the dominance the two WTS series leaders have enjoyed so far this year. The women’s race saw a large group stay together on the bike as all of the women seemed determined that Duffy would not get clear this time around. That turned the women’s race into a 10 km road race, which was won by Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle, who claimed her first WTS victory after five runner-up finishes. Duffy took second after a strong run while New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt rounded out the podium.

In the race of her life, Joanna Brown was one of the driving forces on the bike and helped keep the group together and then had an incredible run to take fourth, a breakthrough day for the woman from Carp, Ont. Findlay wasn’t able to make the lead group on the bike and would struggle home in 21st.

The men’s race saw a group of seven that included Britain’s Olympic silver medalist Jonathan Brownlee, last year’s winner Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway and Spaniard Javier Gomez ride to a lead of almost a minute over a huge chase group. In the end, Gomez would run away from Blummenfelt and Brownlee to take the win and become the oldest man (at 34) to ever win a WTS race. Blummenfelt hung in for second, but Brownlee struggled on the run and would be passed by South African Richard Murray, who rounded out the podium.

Once again Mislawchuk struggled on the run after coming off the bike (along with Lepage) in the chase group. Lepage took 29th to finish as the top Canadian, while Mislawchuk was left to deal with cramping issues that would see him fade to 33RD.—TMC