Alex Yee edges Hayden Wilde at supertri Boston
Tri superstars renew their rivalry in America, with the Brit again striding to a dramatic victory
Different continent. Different triathlon format. The same result for Britain’s Alex Yee as he powered to a dramatic victory over New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde in the debut supertri League race of 2024, again breaking Kiwi hearts late on the run.
Having delivered one of the battles of the recent Olympic Games in Paris, Yee and Wilde renewed their rivalry in a rainy Boston, Massachusetts, for supertri’s debut in the famous American city. The supertri format, formerly known as the Enduro, saw athletes face a 300m sea swim, a flat 4km bike before a 1.6km run three times in a row, all without a break between stages.
Yee of the new Brownlee Racing squad managed by Non Stanford and Wilde of Chris McCormack’s Crown Racing would be inseparable throughout. Joining them were French ITU world champs Vincent Luis and Dorian Coninx and Germany’s Tim Hellwig as the race reached its conclusion.
Yee and Wilde would trade the lead until Yee, like he did so memorably in Paris, made the decisive move with the finish line in sight, breaking the tape with a swagger a second ahead of Wilde to start the series with a win for Brownlee Racing. Coninx would take third for Tim Don’s Podium Racing squad.
“I got it wrong big style in [the final] transition and I’m a bit rusty after the Olympics only 10 days ago. But we want supertri to be exciting and I hope we put on a show for you,” said Yee at the finish.
Wilde once again had to watch as Yee sprinted away from him just ahead of the finishing chute, and the Kiwi’s annoyance was clear at the finish line. “Close isn’t good enough. It was nice having Vincent [Luis] up there on the bike, but it’s a shame the other boys didn’t do some work and were waiting for the run,” a frustrated Wilde said at the finish. “I don’t call that racing and it’s a bit of a shame. I’ve been seeing too many silvers during the last couple of weeks, so it’d be nice to get a gold in Chicago.”
The Yee/Wilde rivalry will resume next week in Chicago on Sunday 25 August in another new US city for supertri racing. Will Yee make it three in a row or is it time for Wilde’s revenge?
STAGE BREAKDOWN
STAGE 1
Into the waters of DCR Carson Beach for the first 300m men’s swim of the 2024 supertri season and rivalries from the 2023 season would be reestablished, with Matt Hauser scoring the Short Chute for Podium Racing narrowly ahead of Crown Racing’s Max Stapley, Alex Yee of Brownlee Racing and fellow Podium Racing star Dorian Coninx.
The first four-lap 4km bike leg saw the triathletes bunch into a main group, with USA star Seth Rider the first to exit transition to secure a Short Chute for the Stars & Stripes. After doing battle so memorably at the Olympic Games, Yee and Crown Racing’s Hayden Wilde would return to battling at the front of the run, the Kiwi hoping to gain revenge after seeing his gold medal dreams shattered at the death. The two couldn’t be separated on the run, with Crown Racing’s supertri veteran Vincent Luis joining them at the front.
STAGE 2
The second 300m swim saw Luis roll back the years, the 35-year-old having missed out on Olympic Games selection on home soil. The Frenchman would lead out the swim, closely followed by compatriot and 2023 ITU World champ Coninx and Wilde. Onto the 4km bike and Wilde produced a stellar transition to move into the lead, before Luis again pushed the power to take the lead. Yee and Germany’s Tim Hellwig of Stars & Stripes would join the trio at the front, however, much to the annoyance of Wilde, who shared some words with Coninx about letting Yee back into the mix.
With the rain falling heavier in Massachusetts, Crown Racing’s Wilde and Luis led until Yee closed the gap at the front, with news arriving that Yee would be taking Brownlee Racing’s Short Chute on the final stage of the day. Coninx would also have a Short Chute on the day’s final stage.
STAGE 3
Onto the last 300m swim in Boston and Brownlee Racing’s Spanish athlete Sergio Baxter Cabrera would join the contenders at the front, the 18-second advantage ahead of the chasers meaning the winner would almost certainly come from this lead pack. Coninx would pick up a 5sec penalty for failing to put his googles in the transition box, while the USA’s supertri force Chase McQueen would be eliminated for falling over 90secs behind.
The 4km bike this time would see Wilde let Yee take a turn at the front, before leading the charge at the front with teammate Luis in a bid to drop Yee. The six would stay inseparable for the remainder, however, with all to play for on the final run.
Yee would blow a 5sec advantage with a sloppy transition, using his Short Chute to get back into the race reckoning. While eyes would be on Wilde and Yee, Coninx took the lead, knowing a 5sec penalty was coming his way. The penalty would see him drop to fifth, with Wilde taking advantage.
Yee would make a move over Wilde with 800m to go, but Wilde hit back with 600m left. It wasn’t enough, however, with Yee turning on the afterburners ahead of the finishing chute and crossing the line with a nonchalant folded arms celebration. An unimpressed Wilde would finish just a second back, ahead of Coninx, Hellwig and Luis.
