Spain secures 2 top 10 finishes at the 2026 Monte Gordo European Cup
The 2026 Monte Gordo European Triathlon Cup saw a solid performance from the Spanish team, with two top 10 positions thanks to Noelia Juan, fifth in the female elite category, and Kevin Tarek Viñuela, tenth in the male elite category.
The Portuguese race, held on April 11 over a sprint distance, was marked by the dominance of France in the men's race and by the victory of the Hungarian Fanni Szalai in the women's race, but it also confirmed the depth of the Spanish team in both starts.
Noelia Juan narrowly missed the top 5 in a very competitive women's race
The best Spanish player of the day was Noelia Juan, which ended farm with a time of 58:46just 36 seconds behind the winner. The Spanish triathlete also secured the best running race among the Spanish women, with a partial score of 16:41and always remained in the fight for the leading positions.
It also came very close to the top 5 Maria Teresa Jimenez-Orta Guerrero, sixth with 58:59just 13 seconds behind Noelia. Her race once again provided some interesting details, with the best swimming split among Spanish women in 9:35.
The Spanish women's representation was broad and competitive, with Natalia Castro-Santos in the 13ª plaza, Alejandra Seguí Soria in the ª 17, Ana Carballo Gomez in the ª 28, Iratxe Arenal Arribas in the ª 37 y Marina Munoz Hernando in the ª 51.
Prominent Spanish women at Monte Gordo 2026
| Job title | Athlete | Time |
| ª 5 | Noelia Juan | 58:46 |
| ª 6 | Maria Teresa Jimenez-Orta Guerrero | 58:59 |
| ª 13 | Natalia Castro-Santos | 59:22 |
| ª 17 | Alejandra Seguí Soria | 59:33 |
| ª 28 | Ana Carballo Gomez | 1:00:11 |
| ª 37 | Iratxe Arenal Arribas | 1:00:39 |
| ª 51 | Marina Munoz Hernando | 1:02:14 |
Kevin Tarek Viñuela, tenth among the men
In the men's event, the best Spanish was Kevin Tarek Viñuela, which achieved the tenth position with a time of 52:04His performance once again showcased one of his defining characteristics: he signed the best running split of the entire race, with 15:00, to finish within the top 10 in a very close race.
They also moved near those positions jesus candle, 15 º with 52:19; Eneko de Castro Cativiela, 27 º with 52:49; Hector Tolsa Garcia, 37 º with 53:05, and Eduardo Blanco Molla, 39 º with 53:15.
Beyond the final result, several Spaniards delivered very competitive splits. jesus candle He was the fastest swimmer among our team. 8:34While Eneko de Castro He recorded the best Spanish cycling segment in 26:02. Hector TolsaFor its part, it marked the fastest transition in the group with a T2 of 24 seconds.
Prominent Spaniards in Monte Gordo 2026
| Job title | Athlete | Time |
| 10 º | Kevin Tarek Viñuela | 52:04 |
| 15 º | jesus candle | 52:19 |
| 27 º | Eneko de Castro Cativiela | 52:49 |
| 37 º | Hector Tolsa Garcia | 53:05 |
| 39 º | Eduardo Blanco Molla | 53:15 |
Fancia dominated the men's competition, and Fanni Szalai won the women's.
The men's race was clearly dominated by France. louis vitello took the victory with 51:35, ahead of his compatriots Milan Lariviere, second with 51:44, and Yanis Seguín, third with 51:49The Belgian Jens Smolders He was fourth with 51:52, just three seconds from the podium.
In the women's category, the victory went to the Hungarian. Fanni Szalai, who won in 58:10The Italian woman Carlotta Missaglia was second with 58:31 and the British Eve Whitaker completed the podium with 58:37.
Monte Gordo thus delivered a day of high-level competition with minimal differences, but also a positive takeaway for Spain: there was a competitive presence in both races, two places within the top 10 and several splits that invite us to look with interest at the next events on the European calendar.
