Cassandre Beaugrand delivers Supertri masterclass in Jersey

Cassandre Beaugrand romped to victory at the Supertri Pro Series Final in Jersey, with the French star delivering a masterclass on the final stage to add another title to her vast trophy cabinet.

Following Beaugrand home was Georgia Taylor-Brown 19-seconds in arrears, with Jeanne Lehair of Luxembourg completing the podium places 27-seconds behind Beaugrand. 

If Beaugrand’s manner of victory looked effortless after she made the decisive move early on the final run leg, the chasers delivered plenty of dramatic moments. These included GB's Eve Whitaker crashing not once but twice on the bike course, Jess Fullagar crashing into her teammate Taylor-Brown on the final bike and Lehair running with her bike helmet on the last run of the day.

“It was a good choice to race. I could stop my season right now as I’ve done everything I wanted. It’s been a pretty special season,” said the French racer at the finish, having also won four consecutive World Triathlon Series races. 

The French superstar and reigning Olympic champ would take home $100,000 courtesy of her Jersey victory.

SUPERTRI RETURNS TO JERSEY

Arguably Supertri’s spiritual home is Jersey in the Channel Islands, where the first full Supertri event was held in 2017. It’s since been back four times, with 2026’s sixth edition hosting the Pro Series Final 2026.

The sixth edition had one of its strongest fields yet, with Paris 2024 Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA), Olympic medallist Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), reigning Supertri champion Jeanne Lehair (LUX) and former European triathlon champion Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) all on the starting pontoon.

And with it a prize purse of more than $800,000, the richest single day in triathlon this year, with the winner alone taking home $100,000.

The format was Supertri's signature race: three back-to-back rounds of 300m swims, 4km bikes and 1.6km runs, with eliminations and the Short Chute – the race-changing shortcut earned during the racing – adding jeopardy all the way to the line.

STAGE 1

300m swim

The chilly 19°C waters of Jersey’s historic Elizabeth Marina was the setting, with Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) straight to the fore of the first of the day’s 300m swims. A gap had emerged by the end of the swim, with Beaugrand, Eve Whitaker (GB) and Olivia Mathias (GB) first into transition, and Beaugrand the first to emerge onto the bike course (scooping a Short Chute in the process). 

4km bike

The four-lap, 4km bike course through St Helier was tight and technical, and made tougher by the morning’s rain. Jersey’s rising tri star Whitaker, who qualified via Supertri Blenheim, was quick to the fore, gaining a 4sec lead after the first lap. That gap was instantly wiped out after Whitaker overcooked a roundabout and hit the deck, handing the initiative back to Beaugrand. Supertri stalwarts Georgia Taylor-Brown (GB), Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) and Jessica Fullagar (GB) then emerged to the front, before Whitaker crashed once again, this time into the hoardings ahead of a hairpin turn. Fullager and Taylor-Brown were the first into T2, with Fullager the recipient of the Short Chute.

1.6km run

Onto the mile run and Fullagar and Taylor-Brown's advantage was swiftly erased by Beaugrand, with Léonie Périault (FRA) and Jeanne Lehair (LUX) now emerging into the mix as well. Beaugrand was at the fore by the end of the first lap, her unrivalled run prowess creating a 4sec lead by the end of Stage 1.

STAGE 2

After the lengthy stretch from transition into the harbour waters, Beaugrand was first onto the second 300m swim, with Taylor-Brown pushing to get onto her feet. The frenetic pace at the fore was already leading to athletes being eliminated at the rear having fallen 90secs behind the frontrunners. Beaugrand would exit the water with a 2sec advantage over Taylor-Brown, 3secs over Fullagar and 5secs over Lehair.

4km bike

Brit racers and training partners Taylor-Brown and Fullagar shot into the lead early in the second bike of the day, knowing that any path to victory over the French Olympic champ would likely come on the second discipline. That lead was up to 4secs over Beaugrand and Lehair by the end of the second lap, with Périault now 14secs adrift. Also adrift and eliminated was early pacesetter Whitaker. 

1.6km run

The second run of the day began with Taylor-Brown and Fullagar exiting 6secs ahead of Lehair and 9secs over Beaugrand, the latter having a slow transition. That lead had been reduced down to 4secs by the end of lap one, with all four athletes soon tied together ahead of the day’s final stage.

STAGE 3

The four athletes vying for the three podium spots entered the final 300m swim together, but it would be Lehair who was first out of the water ahead of Beaugrand, Taylor-Brown and Fullagar. 

4km bike

The drama continued at the start of the final bike leg, with Fullagar riding into the back of Taylor-Brown, and Fullagar falling 9secs behind the leaders. Taylor-Brown would need to do it alone, and she’d move into the lead by the halfway stage. The Brit couldn’t shake Beaugrand from her slipstream, however, with the lead going into T2 just 1secs (Lehair was 2secs back), and with Beaugrand having a Short Chute to boot.

1.6km run

Beaugrand was the first out of transition but Lehair was snatching the attention after her helmet caught in her hair, meaning she’d have to carry it for the first lap. At the front, Beaugrand had made the decisive move to make victory a formality, with Lehair having more helmet issues after it tumbled out of the box in transition. But it would be Beaugrand’s race, with the French star looking effortless as she high-fived the packed ranks of spectators on the finishing chute. Beaugrand would finish after 56:44mins, 19secs ahead of Taylor-Brown and 27secs before Lehair. Fullagar would place 4^th, Léonie Périault (FRA) in 5^th.