While we've come to count on the Spaniards and Brits scorching through the World Triathlon Series, sprint races always present the opportunity for a new mixture of faces on the podium. With the likes of Mario Mola (ESP), Alistair Brownlee (GBR), Jonathan Brownlee (GBR), Vincent Luis (FRA) and Richard Murray (RSA) all turning out for World Triathlon London, all bets are off in this splash and dash distance this Sunday.
Mola, who will wear No. 1 this weekend in the absence of compatriot Javier Gomez Noya, is tough to match in a sprint battle. He took the top spot over the sprint distance both here in 2014 and in Abu Dhabi earlier this year with an impressive final kick in each race.
However, Mola has raced every WTS event this season, while Jonathan Brownlee, whose speed is equally difficult to match over a sprint course, has sat out the last two races in lieu of training. The younger Brownlee brother proved he is on point this year when he won back to back titles in Auckland and the Gold Coast. In his absence, older brother Alistair took over the family duties on the podium with a win and silver in Cape Town and Yokohama, respectively.
While the Brownlees didn't fare as well at the home race last year, their records this year point to all systems are a go. Expect Richard Varga, the Brownlees, Dorian Coninx, Aurelien Raphael and Igor Polyanskiy out front early in the swim. While breakaways haven't been common in London, this combination could certainly change that.
The likes of Mola, Murray and Luis, all of whom made up the podium last year, will need to keep the hometown heroes in sight from the start. While Mola and Murray have been known to struggle on the swim, the rising Frenchman is strong enough to tuck himself just behind the lead pack of swimmers. Despite having raced just twice this year, Luis no longer appears to be the wild card, as he has took home a medal at each event. Assuming a train of men come into T2 together, this race will be a fight down to the final minute, making for some excellent viewing.
The men will get underway at 15:05 local time on Sunday, May 31. Click here to convert the start time to your time zone. Watch the races live on triathlonlive.tv and follow on @triathlonlive for play by play updates.
