🛩️ Ainsley Thorpe is heading home to Cambridge happy, James Corbett to Europe with a fresh reminder that triathlon in the big leagues is bash or be bashed.
Thorpe was 7th and Corbett 21st in Saturday’s World Cup Chengdu, standard distance races won by Russian Valentina Riasova and American Reese Vannerson, the former competing under the ‘Individual Neutral Athletes’ or AIN moniker.
For Thorpe, the top-10 was an encouraging way to sign off the first part of her year that has included four top 10s in as many starts, her season-opening bronze at February’s World Cup Napier the highlight.
The Cambridge 27-year-old was in the mixer for much of Saturday’s race and finished just six seconds off the podium, handy momentum to take into a six week training block before she heads up to Europe.
“It was a very solid race all round starting with a strong swim and then having my second fastest ever 10km [34:39] run too,” said the two-time Olympian whose next race is scheduled for June 21 in The Netherlands – European Premier Cup Holten.
“Holten is a race I haven’t done before and I’ve heard it’s great hard course so excited for that one as my cousins who live in Amsterdam will be there with me. Hamburg [July 12-13 World Triathlon Sprint and Mixed Relay Championships] will be my final race in Europe as I’m trying to stay home more this year and not be on the road as much.”
The men’s race on the impressive, purpose-built Chengdu course was broken up early by a three strong swim breakaway of Hungarians Márk Dévay, Márton Kropkó and Frenchman Igor Dupuis. Dévay later broke off the front of the bike again with last weekend’s Oceania Super Sprint champion Luke Schofield. The Aussie faded badly to 38th and while Corbett tried to rally the chasing peloton on the final lap of the bike, the race had been blown apart.
“Yeah, it was a pretty tough day out there, to be fair. I think there’s lots of motivated people, it’s their first race of the season and yeah, to be fair, I felt a little bit flat today,” Corbett told SBR.
“I think being in China this week after last week [Oceania Super Sprint & Relay Championships on the Gold Coast] has been a little bit of a push with nutrition and stuff like that. I didn’t think it was going to be as difficult as it was, so I think I’ve lost quite a bit of weight just being here and yeah, and I just felt a bit flat.”
Corbett knew he was in a race from the get-go, getting a timely reminder of the washing machine bish-bash that comes standard in offshore racing.
“I got a bit caught up with some argy-bargy on the way out to the first buoy. And then from there I felt like I was a bit in no man’s land with people on my hip and stuff. So was a bit of a battle as soon as we got onto the bike,” Corbett said.
“I started feeling a little bit better and the power was on for the first four laps until we caught and then everything just sat up and yeah, I tried my luck a couple of times but no success.
“I came off the bike relatively fresh and got to work. I was happy with my positioning coming off the bike and just tried to stay up there and, yeah, the boys were running insanely fast.
“I tried to manage my effort once the adrenaline had calmed down a little bit and started eating back into a couple places as people slowly started to fall off the pace and yeah, pretty proud of myself. I think I’m happy with that World Cup result. I think I executed another good run [31:39] at least.”
Corbett’s next race will be round three of the World Triathlon Championship Series [WTCS] in Italy. The May 31 race in Alghero, a new venue on short course triathlon’s premier circuit, will be Corbett’s second start at WTCS level.
He’s a far superior racer than when he was given a last-minute start and finished an eye-opening 44th at WTCS Cagliari in October 2022. Chengdu has also triggered a little inner aggression.
“I’m quietly confident for Italy. Like, I don’t think this was a true reflection of what I can do and it’s low key made me a little bit more hungry and yeah, I can’t wait to hand back some aggression in Italy and not give up any space or anything.
“I think in Oceania, we’re fortunate the swims are not so aggressive, people are, like, quite calm and respectful. You know as you start getting with the big boys, everyone wants a piece of that money. So, yeah, when I go over to Italy, I think I’ll go in with the attitude of, I want the cash, and you can come and get it off me.
“And if you try and bash me, I’m going to bash you back…”
