María Varo, European silver medalist, and under-23 gold medals for Lucía Gracia and Jarno Pousada in Banyoles
María Varo won the elite silver medal, while Lucía Gracia and Jarno Pousada were crowned European Under-23 champions at the 2026 European Duathlon Championships held in Banyoles.
The first day of the Banyoles 2026 European Multisport Triathlon Championship It left a large medal tally for the Spanish team. In addition to the three podium finishes in the elite and under-23 events, there were two junior titles, two more medals in this category, a gold in the Paralympic duathlon, and 24 age-group medals.
María Varo falls three seconds short of the European title
The elite women's race was marked by high temperatures and a very close finish. The Dutchwoman Jasmine Bakker She was crowned European champion with a time of 56:32, just three seconds ahead of Maria Varo.
The French Louise Bailly She had taken the lead in the first five kilometers, which she completed in 16:20. Maria Varo reached the first transition four seconds later, within the group that controlled the race from its early stages.
During the 20-kilometer cycling leg, a lead group of six athletes initially formed. A second group, in which I was traveling Lucia GraciaShe managed to close the gap thanks to the work of the Dutch representatives and left 14 duathletes together before the final segment.
María Varo got off her bike at the front of the race and maintained the lead until the last kilometer. Bakker then launched her attack, overtaking the Frenchwoman Emma Wasser and eventually passing the Spaniard as well.
Varo crossed the finish line in 56:35 She won the silver medal, coming very close to retaining her continental title. Emma Wasser completed the podium with a time of 56:40.
Lucía Gracia, European Under-23 Champion
Lucía Gracia was crowned European Under-23 Champion after finishing seventh in the overall standings with a time of 57:05.
The Spaniard completed the first five kilometers in 17:11, linked up with the leading group during the cycling and consolidated the title in the final running race.
Gracia finished 20 seconds ahead of the Polish rider Hanna FoltyniewiczSecond under-23 with 57:25. The Italian Noemi Bogiatto He won the bronze medal with a time of 57:43.
Arnaud Dely regains the European title
In the men's race, the Belgian Arnaud Dely Dely reclaimed the continental title he had already won in Coimbra in 2024. He triumphed with a time of 49:11 after being part of the small group that controlled the cycling segment.
The Belgian duathlete made the difference in the final running leg and withstood the French comeback attempt. Emile Blondel Hermant y Adrien Pilleux, second and third respectively.
Belgian De Smet finished fourth, ahead of Frenchman Benoit Nicolas Choquert, one of the most established figures in international duathlon.
Jarno Pousada wins the European Under-23 Championship
The first Spaniard in the men's ranking was Jarno Pousada, sixth overall with a time of 50:02.
That result allowed the Galician duathlete to be crowned European Under-23 ChampionSpain also achieved a double in the category thanks to the silver medal of Paco Martiwhile Briton Charlie Harding won the bronze.
Andrew Hilary, ninth, and Roc Bellostas, tenth, were the next Spaniards to reach the finish line within the absolute top 10.
Elite Women's Podium
| Position | Duathlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasmine Bakker | Netherlands | 56:32 |
| 2 | María Varo | Spain | 56:35 |
| 3 | Emma Wasser | France | 56:40 |
Elite Men's Podium
| Position | Duathlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnaud Dely | Belgium | 49:11 |
| 2 | Emile Blondel Hermant | France | |
| 3 | Adrien Pilleux | France |
Under-23 podium finishes for Spain
| Category | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under-23 girls | Lucia Gracia | Hanna Foltyniewicz | Noemi Bogiatto |
| Under-23 men | Jarno Pousada | Paco Marti | Charlie harding |
Alba Núñez and Arcadi Sala, Junior European Champions
The junior competition also yielded two titles for Spain. In the women's category, Alba Nunez She was crowned European champion with a time of 1:01:10.
Núñez gained a few meters' advantage in the decisive stretch and held on to the finish line. Slovakian Natália Betáková finished second, while Maria Tenorio She won the bronze medal. Julia Tenorio finished fourth.
In the men's event there was All-Spanish podiumArcadi Sala launched a solo attack during the final cycling lap and maintained his lead in the final sprint to win by 52:30.
Jonay Álvarez She won the silver medal, 16 seconds behind the winner, and Manuel Prada He completed the podium in third place.
Emilio Agüera, gold medalist in Paralympic duathlon
Spain added another continental title in the category PTWCEmilio Agüera was crowned European Paralympic Duathlon Champion with a time of 1:10:05.
24 Spanish medals in age groups
Spanish age group athletes achieved a total of 24 medals in the sprint event: eight golds, eleven silvers and five bronzes.
Among the European champions were Marina Casals, Zahira Alegre, Emma Carreras, Ernest López, Sergio Garrido, Francisco Javier de León, Daniel Aguirre and Juan Carlos.
The age group competition will continue on Sunday with the standard distance duathlon, as part of a nine-day program of events around l'Estany de Banyoles.
The first day of the European Multisport Championships thus ends five individual continental titles for Spain: Lucía Gracia and Jarno Pousada in under-23, Alba Núñez and Arcadi Sala in junior category and Emilio Agüera in PTWC.
This content has been created with the support of AI tools and reviewed by the Triathlon News editorial team.
