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14 seconds is all it took - One of the closest Aquabike World Championship battles we’ve seen.

Saturday saw over 440 aquabikers from 29 countries take to the start line in Pontevedra for the Aquabike Standard Distance World Championships.

There appears to have been very little to complain about regarding the event itself, so let’s get into the racing.

Men’s race

Ivan RUBIO RUBIRA came out of the water first in 19:13, followed by Brit Ross HOSKING and eventual winner, Spaniard Victor GUTIERREZ GARCIA.

Victor competed the bike course in an incredible 55:59, the fastest split of the field, allowing him to take the win. Ross came in second, clocking a bike split of 56:09, meaning only 14 seconds separated the top two male finishers.

This was Victor’s aquabike debut, and Ross has only completed one event previously - quite the debut World Champs appearances.

Britain’s Sam HOLWILL came out of the water a couple of minutes behind the lead men, but with a 57:48 bike split, rode himself into 3rd place. He finished just 10 seconds ahead of Frank ERK who himself put down an incredible 56:03 bike split.

Women’s Race

Dominated by Kerry HICKSON. The Aquabike.World number 1 produced the fastest swim (21:04) and bike (1:02:39) splits in the women’s field to take the win in a convincing fashion.

In the swim, Kerry was closely followed by Hayley DAVIS who was just 1 second behind her, and Andrea DAMIANI.

Stephanie OECHSNER rode a 1:03:31 bike split to get herself into second place overall, and Andrea DAMIANI took third place.

More incredible performances

Andrea NIGHTINGALE took the title in the 65-69 AG, equalling the record for World Championship titles at 6, and the International Championship titles at 12.

Blair SAUNDERS won the 60-64 AG, equalling the men’s World Championship title record of 5.

Tommy NIELSEN took his 14th international medal, and Frank ERK his 8th international title - a male athlete record.

FIRST MEDALS

For Malta and Greece in Ryan MUSCAT and Christos GAREFIS.

OVERALL TABLE

GB dominate, followed by the US and Spain.

Full report link in bio.

#aquabike #aquabikeworld #swimbike #swimbikedone #worldagegroupchampionships

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The 2026 World Standard Aquabike Championship is (nearly) here. 🌍 🏊 🚴

It was September 2023 when Pontevedra held the second ever World Standard Aquabike Championship, following the event’s debut in Abu Dhabi. Three years ago, 340 athletes took to the start line. This year, almost 500 athletes are on the start list.

With a swim in the tidal Lérez River and hilly (and most likely busy) out-and-back bike course, the route is sure to be an interesting one.

Weather looks promising for Saturday - 26°C and a light wind - but heavy thunderstorms and rain on Sunday. We’ll keep our fingers crossed the rain doesn’t come sooner than expected.

On to the pre-race favourites.

All top 5 men in the current Aquabike World Ranking will be competing in Pontevedra. Tommy NIELSEN finished 3rd - exactly 2 minutes behind the winner, after serving a 2 minute penalty - in Banyoles. The winner of that race, Paul VANOTTI is also competing.

Last year’s world long distance winner - crowned on these streets - Igor FRANKO and long-time rankings leader Frank ERK are also likely to be near the front.

There are several names you may not be so familiar with looking to get on the podium, the likes of Irishman Martin MIZGAJSKI and Brit Ross HOSKING. These men will be making their international debut, but have had strong national performances, as have American Tiago DEPAULA SOUZA and Canadian William THRIFT.

Who’ll win? Don’t know. But we’re pretty sure it will be a close men’s race.

The women’s race is likely to be shaped by the Brits and, somewhat surprisingly, Canadians, according to our pre-race analysis. Kerry HICKSON has a comfortable lead in the rankings, and will be making her international debut.

American Stephanie OECHSNER has won all the championship events she has entered, so will be a tough woman to beat.

Canada’s leading contender is Andrea DAMIANI, followed by the likes of Alicia SLADE. Back to the Brits, and expect to see Hayley DAVIS, Victoria ROTHWELL, Catherine SEN, Ella CARTER and Pascale WEHR all in contention.

Link to full race preview in bio.

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OECHSNER wins big at US Long Course Nationals, but participation numbers stay low.

The US long distance - or ultra, as the Americans tend to call it - aquabike championships took place at the Peasantman in Penn Yan, NY last weekend.

Josh WOLF won the men’s event, but arguably it was Stephanie OECHSNER @stephoech615 who stole the show. She finished only 4 minutes behind the men’s winner, and had the fastest swim of the day. She broke the course record in a remarkable 6:34:37 for the 3.9km swim and 187km ride.

However, unfortunately, we have to mention the low participation numbers at this event. Only 11 athletes took part, which is just a slither of the numbers we’re used to seeing at the shorter distance US championships, or other national and international championships worldwide. Admittedly, this is 2 more athletes than last year, but still, these really aren’t numbers to shout about.

Why are numbers so low? Is it that people just don’t like the long stuff? Is it a confidence thing? Not having the time to do the training required?

It isn’t just the US, although this does seem to be a standout example. Numbers in the full distance races worldwide do tend to be significantly lower.

That said, last weekend also saw the biggest ever long distance race which didn’t serve as a major championship. The Nordschwarzwald Triathlon Full Distance Aquabike was taken on by 39 athletes which is good going for a non-championship long distance race.

It was a competitive one too, especially on the women’s side. Recent European Champion Kristina BÜHLER @chillylalilly , who struck gold over in the women’s race in Banyoles, had to settle for third at the Nordschwarzwald Triathlon. Finnja ERNSTBERGER and Carmen GANDER finished 10 minutes ahead of BÜHLER this time round.

What are your thoughts on long distance racing? Why are participation numbers so much lower? We’d love to hear your thoughts below. 👇

Image credits @stephoech615

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As technology continues to advance, athletes continue to get faster and faster.

When the highest level athletes strive for perfection, there is a certain criteria that must be met.

Stephanie has been striving for perfection for a while and continues to demand the absolute most out of her Cervélo P5. With the P5, fast just gets faster!

Remember everyone, it’s always a good day to ride a bike! Especially one of those Cervélo’s!

Want to be like Stephanie? Stop by our shop to see a showroom floor full of the latest and greatest from our friends at Cervélo!

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What’s IN for endurance athletes 👇

Training smarter—not just harder.
Fueling your work so it actually counts.
Strength, power, mobility, and recovery done with intention.

The goal isn’t more miles.
It’s better performance, longer consistency, and fewer setbacks.

Save this. Share it with a training partner.
Then start training like an athlete—
not someone guessing.

#OechsnerEndurance #TrainSmart #EnduranceTraining #TriathlonTraining #RunningCoach

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🏅Client Shoutout: Kelsey! 🏃‍♀️💥

Huge congratulations to Kelsey @kelseywebster for absolutely crushing the @mocowbellrun Half Marathon last weekend!

Over the past few months, we’ve focused on rebuilding consistency, getting her back into a strong training rhythm, and building a plan that worked around life — and she showed up every single week. The result? She didn’t just finish… she crushed her pace target and ran one of her strongest races yet.

So proud of the hard work, patience, and discipline that went into this block. The comeback momentum is real — and this is only the beginning 👏

Let’s keep building 💪
#OechsnerEndurance #HalfMarathon #MOCowbellHalf #RunStrong #ConsistencyWins #AthleteSpotlight #EnduranceTraining

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Snapshot of what we have been up to lately!!!

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What a great weekend for some racing! We raced in Kansas City, Saint Louis and Litchfield Illinois! Great job to athletes Stephanie, Shirley and Peyton!!!

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Good time. Good people. Good racing. What more can you ask for?

First local race of the year completed. Let the race season begin!

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🌸Blossom Bolt 5K/10K - Sat, April 19 at 8AM!🌸

We’re celebrating 8 years of racing with the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce, and we couldn’t be more excited! This race is the perfect way to kick off your race season! 🏅With a flat and fast course, you’ll be cruising to a PR. And we’ll be painting Chesterfield orange of course with our team’s energy and spirit 🍊Link to register in bio - use promo code OTFFRIENDS for $5 off.

(PS, get ready to warm up with Coach Stuey as he will be leading the pre race warm up!)

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Calling all Tri-Hards...It’s baaack! Time to conquer a triathlon, Orangetheory-style. DriTri season is here and better than ever. Full or the all-new Team option—pick your poison and let’s row, rep, and tread our way to tri-hard status. Because seriously, what’s better than giving it
your all? (Spoiler: nothing. You’re so in.) Sunday, April 27. Registration opens today and spots are limited. Ready to tri?

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