Triple Crown for Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) at Cross Triathlon World Championship

He was the hunter for the first part of the race, as he predicted, but his patience, experience and skill earned Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) a third ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship.

After exiting the water in 16th place he clawed his way to the front on lap two of the bike and ran away with it from there, winning an unprecedented third consecutive year. Earning his first ITU podium, Josiah Middaugh (USA) finished with the silver medal and Braden Currie of New Zealand with the bronze.

“I thought the race would be more hard because the cause was flat. In the swim I lose less than I thought maybe 1.20 and I caught the riders early in the beginning of the lap,” said Ruzafa.

“Every lap I try to increase my performance, on the last lap I push until the limit and I arrive first, I’m really happy because Maui was hard for me losing in the last 2km.”

Australia’s Ben Allen lead the two-lap 750m swim from the gun, predicting that to win this race you would need to nail the swim, Jen Roth (GER) kept right on his toes and the pair were first into transition with the wily Courtney Atkinson (AUS), Brice Daubord (FRA), Currie and Sam Osborne (NZL) all out in smart succession. The reigning world champion Ruben Ruzafa was 1min 15sec down in 16th position.

But the dual world champion quickly made up time with his superb bike handling skills, and on the second of the two …

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