Transition Challenge For Beth Potter's Rivals In Rotterdam

It is Beth Potter’s transitions rather than just her running that all those lining up against her at the SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift in Rotterdam will need to better to steal her crown.

Triathlon’s fourth discipline was a deciding factor in the women’s race at the Aquatics Centre, though interestingly less relevant in the men’s.

Lucy Charles-Barclay was the fastest on the day across the headline disciplines, beating Potter by 19 seconds across all the individual swim, bikes and runs. However, Potter was 27 seconds faster over the transitions than Charles-Barclay, making up more than enough time to win the races she needed to.

Potter was actually the fastest transitioner of the day, across men and women, beating Jonny Brownlee’s 3:40 for all transitions in the men, and comfortably faster than the second best female Anna Godoy.

The men’s field was won by the best athletic performance as transitions were broadly similar.

The top five men were separated by only six seconds or so in their cumulative transition, and Van Riel’s athletic performance and ‘race craft’ was therefore the deciding factor.

It is noticeable the difference in athletes that have raced Super League events before (top 7) and those that haven’t (bottom 3) in the difference in their transition times.