Mario mola leads the international triathlon ranking

The Mallorcan repeated triumph in Abu Dhabi  

 

The 2016 World Triathlon Series triathlon season started in the same way that it concluded its series in 2015: Mario Mola. The double world runner-up of the specialty made it clear again in Abu Dhabi that he is currently the best runner in the discipline that closes each of the tests and none of his rivals was able to keep up with him in the 10 km of the race with the that ended the competition.

In fact, this time Mola had to face not only the rivals, but also a penalty of 15 seconds incurred in the first transition. One of the hats of the swimming sector fell outside the area enabled for the material, without him noticing, and therefore the organization applied the regulatory sanction. Mario had to decide at what point of his running race he was going to stand in the side box where he must wait 15 seconds next to a referee in the event.

After a cycling sector in which finally only the Italian Alessandro Fabian escaped, soon in the race on foot the great favorites took the reins of the race leader forming a group that included the South African Richard Murray, the Portuguese Joao Pereira and also Spanish Fernando Alarza.

Mario, after the first two kilometers, was gradually raising the pace of his career, distancing himself little by little from his adversaries to undertake a solo adventure. When he was about to finish the second of the four laps that included the 10 km course, the Mallorcan decided to stop 15 seconds. "I had not planned a strategy on when to stop, but when calculating that I was already 15 seconds ahead, I decided to do it by going through the box for the second time". Mario remained stopped, controlled by a referee, and just fulfilled the established time when his rivals passed in front of him.

Mario managed to place himself behind those who were hitherto his pursuers, but soon the tables would change again. In just one kilometer the front of the quartet returned and the rhythm of the same increased, what caused Alarza first to be off the hook and shortly afterwards Silva did it. Only Murray held his pace and even before the last of the refreshments it seemed that he could hit Mario from behind with two kilometers to go.

In a gesture of absolute sportsmanship, Mario, knowing that his rival was only a meter behind him, even offered water to the only triathlete who could snatch the victory, offer that Murray rejected.

But the final blow, very similar to the same attack last year in Chicago starred nothing less than world champion Javier Gomez Noya, was yet to come. In a hellish new change of pace, Mario began little by little to gain meters with respect to Murray, something that demoralized the South African who finally entered in goal 15 seconds behind the Spaniard.

"It could not have been harderMola confessed as soon as he finished the race. "It has been a very demanding race due to the heat, but to start with this victory is a motivation for the rest of the season, although this one is long and I know I have to keep working".

Mario fulfilled in this way with his condition of great favorite, something that was reflected with the number two number with which he ran. The number one was assigned, in the form of a posthumous tribute, to the French triathlete Laurent Vidal, who died at the end of last year at 31 years of age.

The second round of the World Triathlon Series 2016 will take place in the Australian city of Gold Coast on the weekend of 9 and 10 in April.

 

WTS ADU DHABI CLASSIFICATION

1. Mario Mola (ESP) - 1:46:39

2. Richard Murray (RSA) - 1:46:54

3. Joao Silva (POR) - 1:47:08

 

WORLD RANKING

1. Mario Mola (ESP) - 800 points

2. Richard Murray (RSA) - 740 points

3. Joao Silva (POR) - 685 points