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Briffod wins first European Junior Cup title

Adrien Briffod

Adrien Briffod

Adrien Briffod delivered a superb performance to win gold at the ETU Junior European Cup in Tiszaujvaros.

Briffod was involved in an incredible sprint finish involving three athletes in which he just pipped Grant Sheldon (GBR) on the line to win his first European Junior Cup.

Adrien Briffod won a dramatic sprint finish on the line in a pulsating Junior Men’s European Cup final.

Kristof Anheuer and Mark Devay (both HUN) delighted the home crowd by emerging first from the water after a fast 500m swim.

The Hungarians maintained their good early pace and created a lead group of five, which included Delien Stateff (ITA), Gordon Benson (GBR) and Stefan Konrad (GER) after the first bike lap. Behind them, a large chase group of 14, including Grant Sheldon (GBR), Briffod (SUI) and Istvan Kiraly (HUN), and managed to eat into the lead by the end of the second lap.

By the end of the third lap these two groups had merged to become one big pack with riders jostling for position and working together to drive the pack forward.

As the pack disembarked into transition and onto the run it was anyone’s game. After Lap 1, Anheuer was ahead with Briffod and Stateff giving chase and the home crowd sensed a positive result for the Hungarian.

But an incredible second lap from Sheldon propelled him from 7th into the lead approaching the final lap, with the Hungarian duo of Kiraly and Anheuer giving chase.

However, in an astonishing final twist, Briffod, Sheldon and Kiraly were neck and neck sprinting hard on the final 300m stretch and it was Bifford who nicked the win on the line.

The Swiss athlete was delighted after the race. He said: “I attacked on the run and gave it everything I had. I run so fast, it was a good sprint – I have never had to sprint like that before and I’m really happy.”

Hungarian Kiraly was delighted to win a medal on home soil: “It’s a very good feeling, I’m very happy and the crowd really encouraged me and cheered for me the whole race.”

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