Lisa Tertsch started the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series with a victory back in February, and she finished the season in dramatic fashion with a win at the Grand Final in Australia. The German unleashed a devastating run to snatch the Elite Women’s WTCS title, edging out Leonie Periault of France (second overall) and her fellow CADEX triathlete Beth Potter of Great Britain (third overall) in the WTCS standings.
In men’s racing, CADEX put two more athletes on the WTCS series podium, with Miguel Hidalgo and Vasco Vilaca turning in strong performances in Australia to finish second and third in the WTCS.
Women: Tertsch Finishes With a Bang
The 26-year-old Tertsch had her best season yet, taking three WTCS wins—at the series opener in Abu Dhabi; at the penultimate round in Weihai, China; and at the Grand Final in Wollongong, Australia. She came into the last round ranked fourth overall and then turned in a masterpiece to earn the emotional come-from-behind victory.
“I’m quite overwhelmed to be honest,” Tertsch said after her win. “I just focused on what I could do every day [in the build-up], and I was playing around with the points to see what everyone needed. But I never expected it to play out like that. It feels surreal.”
At the Olympic distance Grand Final race, the CADEX trio of Tertsch, Potter and Emma Lombardi finished the swim in striking distance of early race leader Tilly Anema. The three CADEX athletes, all riding with CADEX Ultra 50 WheelSystems, then joined a strong lead group of seven on the 40km bike circuit. That group was whittled down to six by the second transition, setting up a battle for the 10km run.
The hilly terrain suited Tertsch well, and when series leader Cassandre Beaugrand began struggling Tertsch knew she had a shot at the title. The hot, windy conditions were taking a toll. Potter also began to fade, with the leaders becoming just three: Tertsch, Lombardi and Italian Bianca Seregni. With Tertsch pushing the pace, Lombardi also lost contact.
The race-winning move came on the last climb, with Tertsch powering away from Seregni to earn the title by 46 seconds. Lombardi hung on for the final podium placing, while Potter, who had been consistent all year long with four podiums including a win in the Czech Republic, held on to score enough points to finish third overall in the WTCS.
Men: WTCS Podiums for Hidalgo and Vilaca
Miguel Hidalgo of the CADEX-sponsored BMC Pro Triathlon Team capped a strong season that saw him make history as the first Brazilian to win a WTCS event when he scored gold at the third round in Alghero, Italy. The 25-year-old had a consistent year, collecting five WTCS podiums en route to his second-place overall series placing.
Hidalgo and Vilaca—both riding with their CADEX Ultra 50 WheelSystems—came into the Grand Final ranked second and third respectively behind series winner Matt Hauser of Australia. Both hung in to finish in the top-5, with Hidalgo fourth and Vilaca fifth to preserve their final podium placings. A third CADEX triathlete, Canadian Tyler Mislawchuk, also had a strong showing, finishing ninth to end up 14th overall.