Mario Mola Wins Mooloolaba World Cup While Fisher And Sexton Go Top Ten

Spain’s rising star Mario Mola produced a magical move on the run leg to secure today’s ITU Mooloolaba World Cup and put the rest of the world on notice for 2014.

It was a race that featured six of the top 11 triathletes in the world and a host of young Australian boys vying for Commonwealth Games selection and they were determined to show they could mix it with some of the best.

And for much of the race they did just that with Ryan Fisher and Brendan Sexton putting their hands up in front of the selectors with stirring top ten finishes.

But the sun shone on the 24-year-old Palma de Mallorca born, American-based London Olympian Mola who produced a scintillating sub-14 minute five kilometre run around the Mooloolaba chicanes.

Happy to sit with South African training partner Richard Murray, Mola made a decisive move on the third 1.25km lap to skip way with the victory and kick-start his season in a big way.

The man who races in the shadow of Spain’s ITU World Champion Javier Gomez, faces a busy three weeks with the next ITU World Cup in New Plymouth on his way to the opening ITU World Championship Series race in Auckland on April 6 and 7.

But he is already in great form, saying: “The race was great for me. I was surprised with my swim today. I felt really good from the moment we hit the water so that gave me a lot of confidence to push all my energy and strength into the run.

“The energy just came on the run and I had that bit of power which gave me the win and I couldn’t be happier.

“I tried to give everything I had in my legs on the third lap so I knew I would find the gap which would be enough to give me first place.”

Noted runner Murray led Mola early through the opening two laps but the “Spanish fly” upped the ante on the third lap and even Murray was stopped in his tracks.

“Over the last four years Mario and I have often run within ten seconds of each other on every run and when I heard someone behind me I knew exactly who it was,” said Murray.

“We train quite a lot together and we’re very similar athletes and it was certainly a lot of fun today.

“It’s definitely an advantage training together. Everyone feeds off each other and we get stronger and stronger together.

“He surged me twice on the run and I was giving it everything. Today, he was quicker than me in the race so all the best to him.”

Third home was 33-year-old Athens Olympic bronze medallist Sven Riederer from Switzerland who showed he still had plenty of speed in his legs as he sets himself up to do battle with Great Britain’s Brownlee brothers and Gomez later in the season.

The next generation of Australians certainly gave a great sight as they stepped on the gas to put themselves forward for Commonwealth Games selection with rising star Fisher and London Olympian Sexton finishing eighth and ninth respectively.

Fisher, who made the move from Queensland to Melbourne to train at the VIS under Danielle Stefano to save his career, has not looked back.

“My career was at a crossroads and it has been the best move of my career,” said Fisher, who has admitted selection on the Australian team for Glasgow has always been in the back of his mind.

“It is always there in the back of your mind but I know what I have to do and that’s get the process right and get in and race as well and as hard as I can.”

Fisher has certainly done that, winning the OTU Oceania Sprint Championship in atrocious weather conditions at Elwood Beach last month before a close-up second to Australia’s number one ranked Aaron Royle at the OTU Oceania Standard Distance Championship in Devonport.

“I always knew when I came to Mooloolaba the field would be stronger and you want to race the best and to race the way I did today is certainly satisfying “I’m looking forward to a three-week preparation before Auckland,” said the 24-year-old.

Sexton, a member of the Wollongong Wizards international training group under Jamie Turner has had a rollercoaster ride since making the team for London and today’s performance was a break through for him as he fights tooth and nail to get his career back on track.

Another Wizard, 2013 second ranked Australian Ryan Bailie also put in a creditable performance, finishing 13th, and he will be better for his second start of the season, knowing that the Auckland WTS race in April will be more to his liking.

Royle, who has secured his Commonwealth Games spot, looked to be struggling on the run today to finish a disappointing 25th after Jess Featonby who was 21st.

Other Australians in the field were youngster Kenji Nener (30th) and the experienced Peter Kerr, who had to ride a borrowed bike after his was stolen from his Warnambool home during the week, was again disappointing finishing 36th.