ALEX YEE DOMINATES 2023 SUPER LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES LONDON IN DOMINANT DAY FOR RTP SHARKS

Alex Yee began the 2023 Super League Triathlon Championship Series in style, striding to victory for the all-British RTP Sharks on the final running leg of the day to break the resolve of teammate Jonny Brownlee and Bahrain Victorious Scorpions’ Tayler Reid.

Fresh from winning the Olympic Test event in Paris earlier in August, Yee looks to be in the form of his career, and the 25-year-old once again delivered a running showcase that was too hot for the storied field to handle.

“I’m really happy with that result,” said Yee at the finish. “You can’t beat racing in London in front of a home crowd and I really felt that advantage. I’m really thankful for everyone showing up to support as I felt their presence during the race.”

Yee delivered the decisive move of the day at the start of the final 1.6km run leg, instantly dropping Reid and then Brownlee to create clear daylight by the time the finishing chute arrived and lifting the Sharks to a dominant first day where they moved well clear at the top of the table.

“I wanted to show my appreciation on the finishing straight as this was one of the best crowds I’ve raced in front of,” Yee continued. “I wanted to use my momentum from the Paris test event and it’s set up an exciting Championship Series to come.”

The fifth edition of the Super League Championship Series aptly took place in London, a city that’s hosted more SLT Championship and Arena Games Triathlon Powered by Zwift events than any other metropolis in the world. The route mirrored the same course as the 2022 event, which saw eventual series champion Hayden Wilde taking the first victory of the Series.

A $20,000 winner’s prize cheque was on offer, with Team points also in the balance between the opposing Eagles, Scorpions, Sharks, and Warriors squads.

The classic Enduro format was utilised, basically a non-stop burst of nine back-to-back triathlon disciplines without any breaks (or a 300m swim/4km bike/1.6km run repeated continuously three times in a row).

The 90-second rule was also in place where any athlete that falls 90 seconds or more off the leader’s pace at the end of any individual lap being shown the Elimination Flag and stopped from continuing the race.

The key pre-race talk was on UK triathlon stars Jonny Brownlee, 33, and Alex Yee, 25, doing battle in east London in front of a huge home crowd, and so it proved during the race.

STAGE 1

The first 300m swim began with a dive into West India Quay, the pace instantly frenetic as Sharks star Max Stapley was first out of the water ahead of fellow UK youngster and Eagles athlete Marcus Dey, 21, and New Zealand’s Super League stalwart Tayler Reid (Bahrain Victorious Scorpions) to take the day’s first Short Chute. Jonny Brownlee and South Africa’s Henri Schoeman were 13secs in arrears but still in the first five out of the water.

The twisting 4km bike leg saw young stars Dey and Stapley dominate the pace on home soil, with Dey of the Eagles edging his compatriot across the T2 line to take the second Short Chute.

Onto the race’s debut 1.6km run leg and Stapley was quick to surge into the lead, dropping Dey as a group led by Brownlee and Yee formed the first chase pack. Onto the cobbles of the run and, like the women’s event earlier in the afternoon, the Brit-dominated Sharks coached by Michelle Dillon were in control, with Stapley, Brownlee and Yee completing Stage 1 first, and triathletes already being shown the eliminator flag at the rear.

STAGE 2

Once again, Stapley led the 300m swim ahead of Brownlee and Yee. The 4km bike was dominated by the Sharks in the form of Brownlee, Yee, Stapley and Dan Dixon, with only Reid of the Scorpions battling in a sea of blue Sharks tri-suits. At T2, the group of five had a 10sec advantage over the chasing Schoeman and Spain’s Roberto Sanchez, both of the Scorpions.

The 1.6km run leg began with the familiar sight of Jonny Brownlee pushing the pace at the front, with Reid and Yee neck-and-neck with the Yorkshireman at the bell. The gap expanded swiftly, with Dixon and Stapley dropping back and Schoeman unable to reduce the deficit. The winner looked set to come from Brownlee, Reid or Yee.

STAGE 3

Onto the final 300m swim leg of the day and the leaders remained inseparable, with Reid exiting the water narrowly ahead of Yee and Brownlee.

Reid began the final 4km bike 2secs ahead of Yee and Brownlee, but the lead group of three swiftly came together to maintain a 9sec advantage over the chasers. That lead had extended to 13secs by the halfway stage, with Brownlee looking in fine fettle at the pointy end of the pack. With the three inseparable, a swift transition could decide the day.

The deciding 1.6km run began with fireworks, with Yee taking the race by the scruff of the neck to instantly create a sizeable advantage over Brownlee and dropping Reid into the far distance. Following his heroics in Paris two weeks previously, Yee looked unbeatable on the run leg, the 25-year-old romping to victory and relishing the finishing straight in his home city to cap a memorable month for the Brit.

Brownlee would come home second 3.7secs back, with Reid completing the podium. Sanchez and Stapley rounded out the top five.