Mola reigns as Jonny finishes sixth
SPAIN’S Mario Mola yesterday won a second straight World Triathlon Series title as Britain’s Jonny Brownlee failed to break into the podium places.
Vincent Luis of France picked up his first win of the season in the series final in Rotterdam but third place was enough for Mola, who went into the race with a 340-point lead over compatriot Javier Gomez, to defend his crown.
Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt was second, lifting him two places in the season standings to third.
Gomez came in fourth with Brownlee fifth in Rotterdam, leaving the two-time Olympic medallist sixth for the season.
Mola recorded his best swim of the season to trail the leader at that stage, Richard Varga, by 26 seconds.
Brownlee was eight seconds off the lead at that point despite swimming without goggles and, with the wet weather suiting him, he was in the leading group early in the bike ride.
The trailing group containing Mola made up 20 seconds as the two groups merged, and as the run began Brownlee and Blummenfelt were followed by Gomez and Luis.
Mola was nicely in fifth and before long he caught the leaders, with Brownlee dropping off the pack early in the final lap as Mola pushed through for series victory.