Paul Amey of Great Britain and and Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal both took home the top honors at this weekend's Duathlon Championships in Rimini Italy.
The ITU duathlon consists of a 10km run, 40km bike, followed by a 5k run.
According to SportingLife.com:
"Great Britain's Paul Amey won gold at the ITU Duathlon World Championship in Italy on Saturday despite finishing second.
Belgian Rob Woestenborghs crossed the finish line first after the event which comprises a 10-kilometre run, 40km cycle and concluding 5km run - but team-mate Jurgen Dereere complained that his cycling had been dangerous and filed a protest following the race.
Race officials disqualified both Woestenborghs and Dereere for "unsportsmanlike and dangerous behaviour on the first lap of the bike segment which risked the safety of the competitors around them'', leaving second-placed finisher Amey to be awarded the gold medal.
Amey said: "It's pretty disappointing to win the World Championships in this way. (Rob) definitely deserved to win today."
On the women's side Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal successfully defended her world title in Italy.
From Duathlon.com:
"Fernandes opened the race with the fastest 10-kilometer run among the women, taking a 44-second lead heading out onto the 40-kilometer bike course. One of the most powerful cyclists in the sport, the defending champion extended her lead with the fastest bike split. Glasgow's Catriona Morrison cut the deficit to put herself in medal contention but no one challenged Fernandes who coasted to victory and won by more than 90 seconds.
"Today I could do a good run and a good bike, it was a surprise for me but I think it was a good way to finish the season so I'm happy," said Fernandes. Since taking silver at the Beijing Olympic Games, Fernandes won her 9th European title with the under23 championship and now her second Duathlon world title.
Morrison, who only started her season last month due to knee surgery in April, adds to her long distance world championship won in August with today's silver. Beijing Olympian Ana Burgos of Spain took the bronze."
In ITU Triathlon News from the women's race in France:
"On a sunny and crisp morning in northwestern France, Lisa Norden of Sweden cruised to victory in the first BG Triathlon World Cup race since the Olympic Games. Norden’s finishing time of 2 hours 2 minutes 5 seconds was enough to handily take home the first world cup victory of her career and the first for Sweden in ITU history. In second place was New Zealand’s Samantha Warriner, 34 seconds back, who, with silver, makes a bold jump in the world rankings and is a threat for the 2008 world cup title with one event to go. To the cheers of the home crowd, in third with her first world cup medal, only another 4 seconds back, was 2008 Olympian Jessica Harrison of France."
In ITU Triathlon News from the men's race in France:
Thrilling the French crowds with a victory on home soil, France’s Cedric Fleureton took home the gold in today’s Lorient BG Triathlon World Cup. Fleureton’s winning time of 1 hour 49 minutes 53 seconds was the result of a well-executed game plan by the French team which rendered two French medals. In second was 2008 Olympian Tony Moulai, 68 seconds back. Coming back from over two and half minutes down was another Olympian, Ivan Rana of Spain, only another nine seconds down.