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The consistent Jess Learmonth also fought off a strong challenge from Italian Alice Betto to cling on for her fourth consecutive podium, while third Brit, Jodie Stimpson – in her second WTS race back after injury – was 13th.

“I think I’m at my best having to run with Georgia, and as soon as we got on the bike, I was telling myself to be ready,” Zafares said, having only carved out her 11sec winning margin in the closing metres of the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

Taylor-Brown moved up to third in the overall series and retained her chance of being in contention come the Grand Final in Lausanne should Zafares slip up.

“I just didn’t have the legs today and Katie was incredible,” the 25-year-old said. “I think I’m getting into this triathlon thing now and each race is getting better.”

A further 23sec behind was Learmonth who admitted to “a bit of a struggle” as she searches for her maiden WTS triumph.

Learmonth, Taylor-Brown and Stimpson were the only British representatives, with the most notable absentee being Vicky Holland. The Olympic bronze medallist from Rio 2016 won in Montreal last year as she hit a run of form that would land her the world title.

But after failing to make a podium this season, her decision to stay away looked a concession that she won’t catch Zafares at the top of WTS leaderboard and that the Tokyo 2020 test event in August will now become her sole focus – with a top three place guaranteeing her a third Olympic shot.

The race started with a non-wetsuit swim and Brazil’s Victoria Lopes, who had finished eighth in Leeds, led Learmonth out of the water, with Zafares in close attendance and Taylor-Brown emerging in 10th.

A quick transition led to a quartet of Lopes, Learmonth, Zafares and Holland’s May Kingma opening an immediate gap with Taylor-Brown, Italy’s Alice Betto and USA’s Taylor Knibb forming a second group.

The chasing trio managed to close the gap midway through a flat and twisting bike leg as they built a 30sec advantage over the field, where Stimpson was often the lone driving force.

By the time the leaders reached T2, Lopes had been jettisoned and the podium chances rested with the front six as the gap to the rest widened to 63sec.

In a repeat of the Leeds clash three weeks earlier, Zafares and Taylor-Brown took charge, shoulder-to-shoulder on the run, with Learmonth establishing herself in third.

There was never more than a metre or so between the front two as they entered the final mile before Zafares struck decisively for home with just over 400m to go.

“I went early and ran as fast as I could,” Zafares said. “The only time I looked back to see where she was, was when I got to the finish.”

Zafares increases her lead at the top of the standings over Learmonth and Taylor-Brown, with USA’s Taylor Spivey in fourth and Non Stanford in fifth.

There is little time for the athletes to recover as they head to Hamburg next weekend for another sprint distance contest on Saturday.

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The World Mixed Relay championship takes place the following day, where France will be looking to defend its crown and Britain make the podium for the first time in four years.

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The 26-year-old became the fifth different winner in five WTS races in 2019 and increased the chances of the world title coming down to a straight shootout in the Grand Final in Lausanne.

Spaniard Mola was thankful to return to the podium after three disappointing races, and home favourite Tyler Mislawchuk was delighted with third for his first WTS medal.

The only British competitor was Tom Bishop, who finished 29th, as WTS leader Vincent Luis opted to sit out ahead of another sprint race in Hamburg next weekend, with the World Mixed Relay title on the line the following day.

The race was brought forward due to an impending electrical storm, and it proved a highly-charged contest, with the top 10 peppered with talent including South Africa’s Richard Murray in fourth, Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt in fifth, Spain’s Javier Gomez in ninth and Leeds WTS winner, Australian Jake Birtwhistle, in 10th.

“It was the first winter in two or three years that I wasn’t injured, and I was very motivated,” Geens said. “At the Europeans but I was third and at Leeds I had one of the fastest runs but was coming from the second pack. Everything just clicked and came together today.”

Asked whether it was the greatest day in his triathlon career, he replied: “By far, by far.”

Mola, who has won the past three world titles was gracious in defeat after putting an end to an unprecedented poor run of results that has seen him finish 25th and 29th twice.

“I pushed from the beginning to the end, but I’m really happy for him,” Mola said. “He deserved a race like this. You always have doubts when you don’t perform at your best, but luckily the last couple of weeks have gone well and I put in a good performance today.

As for retaining his title. “It’s a very open world championship and I’ve got to focus on Hamburg and Edmonton and see what happens from there,” he added.

Mislawchuk, who proved his form by winning a second tier World Cup event in Mexico at the start of June, was almost as elated as the winner.

“It was crazy, on every corner there were Tyler chants,” he said. “I’m sure the other dudes were praying their name was Tyler. For no reason I just believed I could win, but I think the crazier part was at 2.5km [on the run] I thought I had the race won.

“My legs kind of came off in the last kilometre, but racing the best in the world that’s not a surprise. I’m over the moon and will have a beer tonight and celebrate.”

In stark difference to the women’s race earlier in the afternoon, the wind whipped up, the sky darkened, and the thunderclaps could be heard ringing over the city.

Commonwealth champion Schoeman was first to emerge from the 750m swim, before undoing his good work by mounting his bike too early and picking up a 10sec penalty.

A large pack came together during the 20km cycle with no-one looking likely to force a breakaway. It included Bishop before he was involved in an incident towards the latter stages that left him over 45sec down into T2 and out of contention.

Who was in contention was anyone’s guess, and Murray, Geens and Blummenfelt set the early pace on the 5km run before Mola, Mislawchuk and Gomez joined them.

With the latter having come second in the Ironman 70.3 European Championship less than a week earlier, it wasn’t surprising that he was the first to crack.

The others couldn’t be separated until they entered the final kilometre and although the heavens opened, it was Mola who was pouring on the pressure.

Geens refused to wilt and as the lead changed hands several times in the closing yards, he eventually burst away on the blue carpet for the narrowest of wins.

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Alarza finished sixth to lead the world rankings ahead of Luis, Gomez and Birtwhistle. Yee is the best placed Brit in eighth, but has only contested three events and with the overall champion decided by the highest points total from the best five performances plus the Grand Final, he remains in contention.

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2. Men’s WTS racing has never been more unpredictable: Few would have picked Belgian Jelle Geens to take the tape ahead of world champion Mario Mola, but it’s symptomatic of how the season has played out. There have been five different winners in five races and 13 different names (but no Brownlees) sharing a possible 15 podium spots. Who will win in another sprint contest next weekend in Hamburg is anyone’s guess. Leading us on to our next point…

3. Men’s world title will be a straight shootout in Lausanne: It’s good news for those who have long-argued the world champion should be the one who performs best on a given day, because with just two events to go before the Grand Final, it looks likely that whoever crosses the line first in Switzerland – barring a Brownlee cameo – will have done enough to claim Mola’s title. And despite three poor races, this means not discounting the Spaniard himself.

4. ITU needs to green-up its schedule: There has no doubt been logistical challenges that we’re not privy to, but an eight-event World Triathlon Series that goes from the Middle East to North America, to the Far East, to Europe, back to North America, then back to Europe, then back to North America again, and then returning to Europe, cannot be good for either the athletes or their carbon footprints. And remember, while there’s some option to pick and choose, triathletes can only afford to miss two races before they are ruled out of contention for the world title.

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5. The Olympic test event damages the series: Choosing to prioritise between the Tokyo test event or maximising their chances in the WTS should not be a compromise that triathletes needed to make. Although confirmed after the WTS calendar was published, the test event should be part of the series, as it was in London 2011. Instead it has led to big names opting out of races such as Montreal because they don’t want to undermine their Olympic prep or qualification chances.

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To mark our 30th birthday (no, we can’t believe it either!) we have loads of celebrations planned! And it all kicks off online on 8 July, when, to countdown to our special celebratory issue, we will be running a competition a day for 30 days. From race entries to coaching packages, tri kit to nutrition bundles, it’s one big 30-day giveaway extravaganza. 

Each competition is open to all UK users and will go live at midnight and run for 24 hours, so keep checking our competition section so you don’t miss out!

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Then on 8 August, our special celebratory issue will go on sale (subscribers should receive it the week before). Don’t miss: 220 takes on the Windsor Tri… in original 80s kit (what could go wrong?!); The only 30 tips you will ever need to smash your swim, bike & run from the biggest names in the sport from the last 30 years; We ask, what will triathlon look like in the next 30 years?; Plus, a certain pair of brothers in party hats! 

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The issue will be available in all the UK’s major newsagents, or you can subscribe to either the print or digital edition of 220 Triathlon here , or reserve your copy here.

2017 and 2018 World Ironman Championship runner up Charles will be hoping for one place better than last year’s second place. In 2018, despite setting a swim record with a time of 00:46:48, she finished just 9 seconds behind the winner Daniela Bleymehl (formerly Saemler) from Germany, in a time of 08:43:51 after an emphatic battle that went right up to the finishing line.

“Last year I was unfortunately on the wrong side of nine seconds, which is why I’m back to put that right! But in my race last year some things went awry, and I hope to improve on them this time,” she says.

But Bleymehl is racing too and will do everything in her power to defend her title. Also hoping to beat Lucy will be Sarah Crowley from Australia, who finished 3rd at Kona 2017 – could we be in for another epic battle that sees it go to the wire?

Challenge Roth is Lucy Charles-Barclay’s last major race ahead of the Ironman World Championships that take place in Kona in October. 

This is McNamee’s first appearance at Challenge Roth, but with two Kona podiums under his belt he has quietly established himself as the greatest British male Ironman in history, and the third fastest ever Kona finisher with a time of  8:01:09, set last year. 

 He says: “I always wanted to start in Roth. Every triathlete in the world wants to come here. I like to compete against strong opponents and here I meet probably the strongest field outside of Hawaii.”

This field includes 2018 Hawaii runner up Bart Aernouts from Belgium and Australian Cameron Wurf, who set a new bike course record of 4:09:06 at Kona 2018.  

The German TV channel, BR TV, will broadcast DATEV Challenge Roth for nine hours live in Germany, while those outside Germany will be able to watch it online via Challenge Roth’s  live stream available atwww.challenge-roth.com

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Did you know…? 7 quirky facts about Challenge Roth

The 2013 ITU world champion was in imperious form over the sprint distance in Hamburg as she broke clear on the 5km run to confidently defeat France’s much-heralded Cassandre Beaugrand, who won here last year, with USA’s Summer Rappaport in third.

In wet and slippery conditions, series leaders Katie Zafares of the USA crashed out of contention on the bike, but her nearest challenger, Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown was unable to secure the win she needed to capitalise fully and finished in fifth.

World champion Vicky Holland was ninth and Sophie Coldwell rounded out strong performances by the British contingent in 13th.

“I really didn’t expect to do that today,” Stanford said. “Everything has been going well and training has been really consistent, but I’ve been off the podium quite a bit in recent years and I was trying to edge my way back.

“To come away with a win today is fantastic and credit to all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and not just from myself.”

Asked about the challenging conditions, she continued: “It was really nasty. My saddle went down at one point, so I felt as if I was riding a clown bike and my wheels kept sliding everywhere. We were trying to be cautious and I think most of the girls were being sensible, but my aim was just to get off the bike in one piece.”

With no chance of another world title tilt, Stanford ruled out competing in the penultimate round of the WTS in Edmonton, Canada in a fortnight.

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“I’m going to skip Edmonton and fully focus on preparing for Tokyo,” she added. “It’s quite a key event to demonstrate how well we can compete on that course and deal with the heat and humidity that’s going to be the major factor for the Games. I want to go there and show the selectors I’m a genuine contender for that team.”

If she does make Tokyo 2020 selection, it’s likely she will run up against London 2012 champion and Rio 2016 silver medallist Nicola Spirig once more. The Swiss regained fitness after the birth of her third child to be one of a few returning faces to the starting pontoon in Hamburg and would eventually finish eighth.

Also present for a first WTS appearance of the season was last year’s fourth-place overall finisher USA’s Kirsten Kasper, while the Czech Republic veteran Vendula Frintova was making her 200th ITU start.

With Jessica Learmonth and Holland’s Maya Kingma absent, the swim was led out by Beaugrand, who has had a disappointing WTS season so far with just one top 10 finish, but seems to relish Hamburg’s city centre course and large crowd support. Holland received a 10sec penalty for a false start, but served it in T1 and forced her way quickly back into the race.

Although Coldwell make an early break on the bike, the slick roads made for cautious riding and the field soon came together before the biggest twist came 6km in when Belgium’s Claire Michel lost control on a left hand bend and crashed in front of Zafares, who was also brought to the tarmac.

Although there was no physical damage, the American, who has won four of the opening five rounds of the series, took time re-setting her bike and the incident effectively ended her chances of victory.

It meant a lead pack of 18, including all four British triathletes, entered T2 over a minute ahead of the chasers and instantly Stanford broke for the front and was never headed as she took the tape 7sec clear of Beaugrand, with Rappaport holding off Holland’s Rachel Klamer in a sprint for third.

Having last won a WTS race in Cape Town in 2016, with the 2013 Grand Final in London being her previous triumph at elite level, it was a welcome victory for the 30-year-old, who had even considered quitting the sport two years ago.

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With the Tokyo test event taking place in mid-August it is also a confidence-boosting victory to bolster hopes of selection for another shot at winning an Olympic medal having finished an agonising fourth in Rio.

Jonathan Brownlee, Tom Bishop and Alex Yee were all caught up in crashes during the 20km bike leg of the sprint distance contest leading to Bishop finishing 38th, Yee, 43rd and Brownlee being unable to continue.

None of the trio were seriously injured in the collisions, for which Yee will be particularly grateful, having suffered broken ribs, vertebrae and a collapsed lung in a high-speed bike crash when racing in 2017.

Birtwhistle managed to avoid the main pile-up which took out not only Brownlee and Bishop, but series leader Fernando Alarza and Commonwealth champion Henri Schoeman.

It allowed him to help forge a six-man breakaway on the run that also included Luis, reigning world champion Mario Mola, Jelle Geens, who won last weekend in Montreal, France’s Leo Bergere and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde.

There was little to choose between them until the finishing straight, where the former Australian track runner nudged ahead of Luis, with Geens pipping Mola as he had done seven days earlier to take the final podium spot.

It was also another feather in the cap of leading tri coach Joel Filliol, whose training group includes the first four finishers and Hamburg’s women’s race winner Non Stanford.

“Today was one of those awesome races,” Birtwhistle said. “It was a bit sketchy on the wet roads but once we got on to the run I knew we were safe.

“It was almost like a training session for us guys out front, playing around knowing it could be a tri crew podium. I knew I had a bit left in the tank when Vince passed me, and I just had to stick with him for the last 100m or so.

“I think they didn’t want it to come down to the finish chute with me within reach, but I was sticking tough and happy to be there at the end. I hope this means I’m here to stay. I plan to hang around for another year or so until the Olympics where hopefully I’ll do something similar.”

After last week’s free-for-all in Montreal, it always looked like being another open encounter around the city centre streets of Hamburg, a venue that has become a popular staple of the WTS.

Most of leading contenders were present including Mola and Javier Gomez who have won the past six world titles between them.

Predictably, Slovakian Richard Varga led out the swim, but Bishop was the first to emerge of the Brits in 22nd, with Brownlee and Yee just seconds adrift in a large pack.

Yee’s wetsuit caught in his rear wheel as he tried to leave T1 at haste, but it was his next mistake, losing grip on a corner that would cost him vital seconds and effectively end any hopes of another top 10 finish.

Conditions were testing if not treacherous and Switzerland’s Adrien Briffod was next to hit the floor, before the real carnage ensued moments later when Denmark’s Andreas Schilling lost control when leading and as he skidded to the floor, around a dozen triathletes including Brownlee, Bishop, Alarza and Henri Schoeman all went with him.

Bishop managed to remount, but it was race over for Brownlee, who cut a disconsolate figure as he pushed his broken bike off the course. It continued a wretched season for the Yorkshireman whose only two finishes have been 11th in Bermuda and a disappointing 35th in Leeds.

It was worse still for Hungarian Bence Bicsak, though, who needed medical assistance for several minutes. Race marshals had to step in and slow the lapping riders amid early reports suggesting Bicsak may have broken his leg.

The surviving 40-man lead group made it to T2 with both Bishop and Yee jettisoned and while home favourite Jonas Schomburg briefly broke away, the leading contenders soon established themselves at the head of the race before Birtwhistle showed his turn of speed to win.

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Luis regained the lead in the overall standings, with Gomez’s eighth-place in Hamburg pushing him up to second ahead of Alarza, while Birtwhistle moved into fourth. To make a bad day for the Brits worth, there are now no GB triathletes in the top 10.

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Commonwealth champions Australia edged New Zealand for the final podium spot, with the highly-fancied USA team struggling in ninth and the Brits a distant 2min 29sec back, cut adrift in 10th.

Vincent Luis, runner-up in the men’s individual competition the previous afternoon, anchored the winning quartet of Emilie Morier, Leo Bergere and Cassandre Beaugrand over a 300m swim, 7km bike and 1.7km run course that was contested by 16 nations.

And the decisive break was started by Beaugrand’s stylish running on the penultimate leg, where she eked out a 5sec gap over the chasing pack to set Luis up for the swim.

While the time was all but clawed back in the water, a swift transition alongside Germany’s Justus Nieschlag gave the duo an advantage they built into an unassailable lead by the time they dismounted the bike.

From there Luis powered away to take the tape for the third time in five years for the French, marking him out as the most feared finisher in mixed relay competition.

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Britain’s deficit to the front was underlined by Alex Yee overtaking the pair to un-lap himself on the two-lap run as they approached the finish.

But the problems started for GB from the first hooter, when Learmonth, who did not race in the individual competition and usually leads the swim, looked to struggle from the first stroke and came out of the water second last.

From there she was dropped further on the bike and finished her leg over 70sec down, giving Jonathan Brownlee an improbable task of chasing solo to hunt down the main pack that had converged to contain all the leading nations.

The USA were the next to suffer, with Eli Hemming being unable to stick the pace on the bike. By the time he tagged Katie Zafares, even the WTS leader was unable to drag her country back into contention, despite clocking the fastest leg.

There were no such problems for the leading seven of Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and Spain, until the latter picked up a 10sec penalty for an infringement at the dismount line that would eventually cost them fifth place to Canada.

The competitors were of a higher calibre to Nottingham in June where Britain dominated, and the racing was also in stark contrast. By the time Georgia Taylor-Brown was ploughing another lone furrow on the third leg, her objective was to avoid the ignominy of being lapped out on the bike that befell Switzerland, Mexico and South Africa.

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On to the final leg and once Luis and Nieschlag had established the break, despite the vociferous support of the home crow, there only ever looked one winner as France became the first country to successfully defend the mixed relay title since Britain in 2012, and installed themselves as early favourites for Olympic gold next year in Tokyo.