On a stunning summer day along the French Riviera, the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) delivered two thrilling sprint-distance showdowns, where Cassandre Beaugrand lit up the women’s finish line and Matt Hauser remained the man to beat this season.
Women’s Race: Beaugrand Digs Deep for a Home Soil Victory
With the five top-ranked women on the start line – including Beth Potter, Jeanne Lehair, Leonie Periault, Lisa Tertsch, and Cassandre Beaugrand – the stakes were high. And the race didn’t disappoint.
After a large front group of athletes hit T2 together, fans were treated to an intense run battle between France’s Beaugrand and Luxembourg’s Lehair, who gradually pulled away from the field. Lehair led most of the way, but Beaugrand stayed tucked just behind, eventually finding one last gear to break the tape in a dramatic sprint finish in front of a home crowd.
“I’m impressed with myself today because I went very deep, I fought until the end,” Beaugrand said at the finish. “It’s not finished until it’s finished.”
When asked how she handled Lehair’s attempts to break away, Beaugrand added: “‘[I thought] I’m still here and I’m not ready to give up, so she’ll have to push harder to make me suffer.”
Lehair, gracious in second, was all class: “For a moment I thought maybe – I knew with Cassandre it would be very, very, very, very hard to win… I really tried everything I could.”
France’s Leonie Periault rounded out the podium in third, and it was a welcome return to form for Emma Lombardi, also from France, who finished a strong fourth place after a year of health challenges.
Canadian Highlights: Three Canadian women toed the line with Desirae Ridenour finishing in 16th, Sophia Howell in 25th, and Emy Legault in 29th. Ridenour stayed with the front pack throughout the bike leg and showed she’s one to watch heading into the final stretch of the WTCS season.
WTCS Series Standings: Beaugrand sits atop the overall standings, followed by Periault, Lehair, Potter, and Tertsch.
Men’s Race: Hauser Wins Again and Canadians Impress
Matt Hauser’s remarkable 2025 campaign continued with another 2025 WTCS victory – his third of the year. Vasco Vilaca made a late push during the run, threatening to close the gap, but couldn’t quite pull it off.
“I almost blew it,” Hauser admitted. “I almost went a bit too soon, he was coming back…it was right to the finish line…it was good to get a win.”
Vilaca, who took silver, was upbeat post-race: “It’s amazing to be racing with Matt this year…I feel like every race I”m getting a little bit closer. I thought I could get there, but he had one last gear.”
“Matt keeps me motivated to train and one day get the gold,” he continued. “I haven’t got it yet, but I’m working hard to get there one day.”
Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo completed the podium with a solie third-place showing.
The Double Attempt: Eyes were also on Hayden Wilde, fresh off his T100 win the day before, as he attempted the rare weekend double. “It was a really good reality check,” Wiilde said. “These guys swim at a completely different level and I just wasn’t there today.” He added that, while some may find him “crazy” for attempting both, he loves racing and always loves a good challenge.
Canadian Highlights: It was a mixed day for the Canadian men, with heartbreak and breakthroughs in equal measure. Tyler Mislawchuk was taken out of the race after a crash on the bike, an unfortunate setback for one of Canada’s most experienced triathletes.
Charles Paquet delivered another strong performance with a seventh place finish – but it could have been sixth if not for a bit too much finish-line celebration. While high-fiving down the chute, Paquet was passed right at the line. Paquet still moved from eighth to sixth in the overall standings.
Mathis Beaulieu, in his first WTCS race of the season, made an instant impression with a 13th place finish, just four spots behind Alex Yee and two behind Wilde. A performance like this in your first WTCS outing? That’s a statement.
WTCS Series Standings: Hauser remains the clear leader, followed by Vilaca. Paquet now sits in sixth overall, with Mislawchuk in 16th.
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