Zaferes And Beaugrand Set Up Thrilling Final As Juniors Qualify

Cassandre Beaugrand and Katie Zaferes will resume battle in what looks set to be a thrilling Final at Super League Malta after both won their Semi-Final groups.

Beaugrand cruised to victory to ensure a Short Chute in the Final in Group A before Zaferes had a real battle with Klamer but kicked late on to match her French rival in Group B.

Two qualifiers from the Junior girl’s race will also step up to the Final with Beatrice Mallozi and Bianca Seregni making the cut after a day they could only have dreamed of.

Beaugrand cruised to victory in Group A with Yuko Takahashi sticking with the Frenchwoman for most of the race to come in second.

Beaugrand and Takahashi broke away in the first swim and never let their advantage slip as they edged further ahead of the rest throughout.

There was a brief moment in the first run where Beaugrand looked as though she might go solo, but Takahashi bridged in the second swim and then was only broken in the last run which the pink jersey holder walked home while high fiving the crowd.

Leonie Periault and Summer Rappaport broke away from the group and gave themselves enough of a cushion to secure third and fourth respectively, while Felicity Sheedy-Ryan provided the big shock by grabbing the last automatic qualification spot in fifth.

Katie Zaferes set-up a thrilling head-to-head Final with Beaugrand by taking the win in the second Semi-Final.

Zaferes, Sophie Coldwell, Rachel Klamer, Taylor Spivey and Ilaria Zane formed a group of five at the front that drifted apart and came back together during the course of the race.

Zaferes and Klamer looked strongest at the front and in the end the American made a break on the final climb to ensure another win.

Klamer came in with a strong second while Coldwell was third with Spivey in fourth and the final automatic spot going to Zane.

Perhaps the most remarkable story of the Semi-Finals was the performance of Beatrice Mallozzi, who qualified via the Junior race in the morning and made the cut for the Final, just dodging the 90 second rule and surviving potential elimination.

Though fellow Junior qualifier Bianca Seregni did fall foul of the 90 second rule, it was late enough in the race to book her place in the final 15.

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