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  • WhatsApp developing ‘Search for Draft Messages’ feature

    WhatsApp developing ‘Search for Draft Messages’ feature

    WhatsApp is working on a brand-new feature for iPhone users that will make it easier to find and manage unsent messages, according to a report by WhatsApp Beta Info.

    The upcoming feature, titled ‘Search for Draft Messages’, will allow users to quickly locate messages they started typing but never sent, eliminating the need to scroll through long chat lists.

    Once rolled out, the feature will introduce a dedicated draft message filter within the Chats tab, giving users a clear view of all their incomplete conversations in one place. The move is aimed at improving usability and ensuring users can easily resume half-written thoughts or unsent replies without digging through old threads.

    While there’s no official release date yet, sources suggest the feature is already under active development and will be part of a future iOS update.

    Earlier on June 10, 2025, reports indicated that a similar feature was in the works for Android users, and iPhone users will soon enjoy the same convenience once the feature is finalised.

    With this update, WhatsApp continues its push to enhance the user experience by making communication more seamless and accessible, especially for those who live in the land of half-typed, never-sent messages.


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  • Trifluridine/Tipiracil Numerically Improves DFS After Curative Resection in ctDNA+ CRC

    Trifluridine/Tipiracil Numerically Improves DFS After Curative Resection in ctDNA+ CRC

    Trifluridine/Tipiracil in ctDNA+ CRC |
    Image Credit: © Ashling Wahner & MJH
    Life Sciences Using AI

    The use of trifluridine/tipiracil (Lonsurf) led to a numerical but not statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) compared with placebo following curative resection in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who were positive for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), according to data from the phase 3 ALTAIR trial (NCT04457297).

    Findings presented at the 2025 ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress revealed that in the overall population, patients treated with trifluridine/tipiracil (n = 122) achieved a median DFS of 9.30 months (7.92-10.84) compared with 5.55 months (95% CI, 4.17-7.33) in those given placebo (n = 121; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.60-1.05; P = .107). In the trifluridine/tipiracil arm, the 12- and 24-month DFS rates were 31.8% (95% CI, 23.6%-40.2%) and 16.9% (95% CI, 10.4%-24.8%), respectively. These respective rates were 26.8% (95% CI, 19.16%-35%) and 14.5% (95% CI, 7.85%-23.1%) in the placebo arm.

    “A [forest plot] analysis showed that patients with stage IV disease or microsatellite stable [MSS] status derived significant benefit from trifluridine/tipiracil,” lead study author Masahito Kotaka, MD, PhD, of Sano Hospital in Hyogo, Japan, said in a presentation of the data.

    ALTAIR Overview

    ALTAIR was part of the CIRCULATE Japan trial schema, and it included patients from the GALAXY (UMIN000039205) and VEGA trials who underwent curative resection for CRC and tested positive for ctDNA after surgery. Patients needed to be at least 20 years of age with no radiographic evidence of disease, and they received standard perioperative therapy. ctDNA monitoring was done using the Signatera assay.

    Patients who tested positive for ctDNA were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive trifluridine/tipiracil or placebo for 6 cycles.

    DFS served as the primary end point of ALTAIR. Secondary end points included ctDNA clearance rate, overall survival, safety, treatment completion rate, and quality of life (QOL).

    Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 2 arms. In the overall population of ALTAIR (n = 243), most patients were under 70 years of age (64%), male (58%), had left-sided tumors (71%), were ctDNA positive at 1 month following surgery (53%), had BRAF wild-type disease (96%), had RAS wild-type disease (61%), and had MSS disease (98%).

    Disease stage at baseline comprised stage I (4.1%), stage II (24%), stage III (45%), and stage IV (27%). Thirty-six percent of patients received neoadjuvant therapy, and 46% underwent adjuvant treatment. Twenty-four percent of patients enrolled during the minimal residual disease window, defined as 2 to 10 weeks after surgery and prior to the start of adjuvant therapy; patients also enrolled while receiving adjuvant therapy (14%) and during surveillance (63%).

    Additional DFS and ctDNA Data

    In patients with stage IV disease, the median DFS was 9.76 months (95% CI, 7.62-11.76) in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm (n = 34) vs 3.96 months (95% CI, 3.71-7.98) for those in the placebo group (n = 32; HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.32-0.87; P = .012). In those with stage I to III disease, the median DFS was 9.27 months (95% CI, 7.62-10.97) and 6.05 months (95% CI, 4.63-9.23) for trifluridine/tipiracil (n = 88) and placebo (n = 89), respectively (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.61-1.2; P = .375).

    In the overall population, the rates of conversion to ctDNA negativity were 17.2% (95% CI, 11.0%-25.1%) in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm vs 12.4% (95% CI, 7.1%-19.6%) in the placebo group (odds ratio, 1.469; 95% CI, 0.718-3.008; P = .367). Conversion to ctDNA negativity was defined as a negative test at the first post-treatment assessment.

    Safety and QOL Data

    Any-grade adverse effects (AEs) occurred in 98.4% of patients in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm vs 57.0% of patients in the placebo group. The rates of grade 3 or higher AEs were 73.0% and 3.3%, respectively. Serious AEs and AEs leading to study discontinuation occurred in 4.9% and 6.6% of patients in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm, respectively. These rates were both 0% in the placebo arm. No patients in either group experienced AEs leading to death.

    Any-grade AEs of note consisted of decreased neutrophil count (trifluridine/tipiracil, 74.6%; placebo, 4.1%), decreased white blood cell count (63.9%; 3.3%), decreased platelet count (12.3%; 3.3%), and decreased lymphocyte count (8.2%; 0.8%). In the trifluridine/tipiracil arm, the rates of these AEs occurring at grade 3 or higher were 56.6%, 17.2%, 1.6%, and 4.1%, respectively. None of these AE were reported at grade 3 or higher in the placebo arm.

    AEs led to dose skipping in 95.1% of patients in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm vs 11.6% of patients in the placebo group. The rates of AEs leading to dose reductions were 37.7% and 0.8%, respectively. The median treatment duration was 174 days (range, 8-251) in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm vs 150 days (range, 40-187) in the control arm.

    Regarding QOL, Kotaka noted that EORTC QLQ-C30 scores dropped during treatment, and a significant decrease in global health status occurred at week 8 in the trifluridine/tipiracil group (P = .028). No significant differences were reported between the arms following treatment from week 24 and beyond.

    Disclosures: Kotaka reported receiving honoraria from Chugai Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly.

    Reference

    Kotaka M, Bando H, Watanabe J, et al. Association of ctDNA clearance with disease-free survival, safety, and quality of life from ctDNA-directed therapy: Findings from the ALTAIR study. Presented at: 2025 ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress; July 2-5, 2025; Barcelona, Spain. Abstract 3O.

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  • Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks – Reuters

    1. Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks  Reuters
    2. Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks, Channel 12 reports  Dawn
    3. Official says Israeli team to head to hostage talks as families decry emerging partial deal  The Times of Israel
    4. Hamas says it has given a ‘positive’ response to the latest ceasefire proposal in Gaza  MSN
    5. Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal talks  The Express Tribune

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  • How to return to Mexico in Death Stranding 2? | Esports News

    How to return to Mexico in Death Stranding 2? | Esports News

    In Death Stranding 2, your journey starts in Mexico, but with Australia being the next big destination, many players rush ahead and forget to explore everything the first region has to offer. Then the regret kicks in: Did I miss something? Can I even go back? Don’t worry. You absolutely can return to Mexico, and it’s easier than you think.

    When Can You Go Back to Mexico?

    The moment you reach Australia and gain access to the main traversal tools, Mexico becomes available again. It’s not locked off or time-sensitive. There’s no point of no return. So even if you’ve already spent hours on the Australian continent, you can still backtrack whenever you’re ready.

    How To Get Back To Mexico In Death Stranding 2

    Where’s the Portal Between Continents?

    To switch continents manually, look for the Plate Gate—this is your main bridge between Mexico and Australia. In Australia, you’ll find it in the southwest region, close to the zone you originally landed in.Walk into the Plate Gate and you’ll be transported straight to the Mexico Plate Gate, just like that. No long cutscene. No fuss. It’s a walk-in, walk-out portal—making continent-hopping a core part of your exploration rather than a one-time event.

    Death Stranding 2: How to Fast Travel between Australia and Mexico

    How to Unlock Fast Travel to Go to Mexico in Death Stranding 2?

    Things get even smoother after you complete Order 12. This unlocks the DHV Magellan, your fast-travel airship.Here’s how to use it to get back to Mexico:

    1. Open the Map using the Options button.
    2. Hold X to chart your route with the Magellan.
    3. Tap L1 to switch to the Mexico map.
    4. Select any base that’s already part of the Chiral Network.

    The catch? You must be on the ship. If you try to send it somewhere while Sam isn’t aboard, the ship will go alone—and you’ll be stuck waving goodbye. Pro tip: Send the ship to a nearby Australian base first, board it, then fly out to your Mexico destination.

    Why Go Back to Mexico?

    Going back isn’t just for completionists. Mexico’s terrain shifts as the game progresses, opening up new Orders, Prepper requests, and environmental puzzles that weren’t accessible during the prologue. Whether you’re hunting lore, upgrading gear, or just vibing with that iconic DS atmosphere, Mexico’s worth the revisit.Don’t stress about missing anything. Death Stranding 2 is designed for freedom. The game wants you to go back, explore more, and connect every thread at your own pace.


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  • Yuki Bhambri progresses to third round of men’s doubles

    Yuki Bhambri progresses to third round of men’s doubles

    India’s Yuki Bhambri and his American partner Robert Galloway moved into the third round of the men’s doubles event at the Wimbledon 2025 Grand Slam after a convincing win in London on Saturday.

    Squaring off against Portugal’s Nuno Borges and America’s Marcos Giron at the All England Club, Yuki Bhambri and Robert Galloway, the 16th seeds, converted a break point in the eighth game of the first set to take the lead.

    The Indo-American tennis pair then lost serve in the second game of the next set but broke back when Nuno Borges and Marcos Giron were serving to win the second set.

    Bhambri and Galloway then went on to win the tie break to close out the match 6-3, 7(8)-6(6) and advanced to the next round.

    Yuki Bhambri is also in contention in the mixed doubles event. The Indian tennis player, partnering Jiang Xinyu of the People’s Republic of China, won their opening-round match and will be in action again on Sunday.

    Meanwhile, Rithvik Bollipalli and his Colombian partner, Nicolas Barrientos, bowed out of the men’s doubles event after losing to British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski in the second round.

    Up against the sixth seeds, Rithvik Bollipalli and Nicolas Barrientos dropped a service game early in the first set and squandered three set points in a tense second-set tiebreak, ultimately going down 6-4, 7(9)-6(7).

    India’s N Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela also bowed out in the second round after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat against fourth seeds Horacio Zeballos of Argentina and Marcel Granollers of Spain.

    India’s Rohan Bopanna suffered an early exit after he and his Belgian partner Sander Gillé crashed out in the first round of the men’s doubles.

    Yuki Bhambri is the only Indian player still alive in the penultimate Grand Slam of the year.

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  • Britain re-establishing relations with Syria, announces David Lammy | Syria

    Britain re-establishing relations with Syria, announces David Lammy | Syria

    Britain is re-establishing diplomatic relations with Syria after the country’s years-long civil war, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, has announced during a visit to the capital, Damascus.

    “There is renewed hope for the Syrian people,” Lammy said in a statement. “It is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians.”

    Lammy’s visit to Syria is the first by a British minister in 14 years and is accompanied by a pledge of £94.5m for urgent humanitarian aid and to support the country’s long-term recovery and help countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region.

    The west has been slowly resetting its approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December after more than 13 years of war.

    Just days ago, the US president, Donald Trump, signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, ending its isolation from the international financial system and helping it rebuild after the war.

    Britain also eased its sanctions in April, unfreezing the assets of Syria’s central bank and 23 other entities, including banks and oil companies to encourage investments, though it kept in place those targeting members of the former regime.

    A stable Syria will reduce the risk of “irregular migration”, ensure chemical weapons are destroyed, and tackle the threat of terrorism, Lammy said, after meeting his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, and the president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

    In those meetings, Lammy reiterated the importance of an “inclusive and representative political transition” in Syria and offered Britain’s continued support, the statement said.

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    Lammy is also due to travel to Kuwait, where regional security and strengthening bilateral relations will be top of the agenda. In addition, he is expected to announce a new partnership with the Gulf monarchy to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

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  • Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Says AI Is the ‘Blah Average of Things’

    Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Says AI Is the ‘Blah Average of Things’

    Not everyone believes AI spells the end for animators.

    Pixar’s chief creative officer, Pete Docter, recently said on comedian Mike Birbiglia’s “Working It Out” podcast that he was unimpressed with AI so far, calling it “bland.”

    “AI seems like it is the least impressive blah average of things,” he said.

    AI is an anxiety-inducing topic in Hollywood. Critics of the technology are concerned that it could eliminate jobs across the entertainment industry. It was one of the reasons unionized writers went on strike for nearly five months in 2023. Those in support of integrating AI, on the other hand, like director James Cameron, believe it could make the filmmaking process more cost-effective.

    From Docter’s perspective, while he said everyone is “troubled” by AI, he doesn’t think it will erase humans from the animated filmmaking process. Pixar’s 29th animated feature, “Elio,” hit theaters on June 20.

    “If you look back in time, the number of hand-drawn animators that were really brilliant was in the dozens,” Docter said. “A very small number of people who could draw well enough. Understood the dynamic of movement. Character acting. Had the right sensibilities.”

    Computers, he said, made animation more accessible, meaning people don’t have to be a “brilliant draft person” to be an animator. “I still have to have performance and timing, but one of the heavy lifts has been done by the computer,” he said.

    Docter said AI, like computers, could alleviate some of the more cumbersome tasks associated with animation.

    “I was wondering whether AI will continue to help us lift some of the heavy burdens that we have to carry as an animator and maybe put the focus more on the performance,” he said.

    Representatives for Disney did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.


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  • Iran hit five Israeli bases during 12-day war, radar data reveals

    Iran hit five Israeli bases during 12-day war, radar data reveals

    Listen to article

    Iranian missiles struck five Israeli military bases during the recent 12-day war, according to radar data analyzed by researchers at Oregon State University and shared with The Telegraph.

    The hits — which reportedly include a major air base, an intelligence centre, and a logistics hub — have not been disclosed by Israeli authorities due to strict military censorship.

    The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) declined to confirm the reported strikes but stated:“What we can say is that all relevant units maintained functional continuity throughout the operation.”

    Read More: Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 35 Palestinians since dawn

    The radar-based findings suggest that six Iranian missiles reached targets in Israel’s north, south, and centre, contradicting public claims of minimal damage to military infrastructure.

    In addition to the newly revealed hits, 36 other Iranian projectiles are already known to have caused widespread damage to civilian and industrial areas. Though only 28 people were killed, over 15,000 were left homeless — a testament to the country’s civil preparedness and alert systems.

    Israel admits that 50 Iranian missiles hit amid strict censorship. Photo: Reuters

    The new evidence paints a more complex picture of Israel’s air-defence performance. While the IDF and US-backed systems — including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow, and the US THAAD system — intercepted the majority of incoming missiles, about 16% were breaking through by day seven, The Telegraph’s analysis shows.

    This aligns with an IDF statement citing an overall success rate of 87%.

    Despite that performance, journalist Raviv Drucker of Channel 13 warned: “There were a lot of [Iranian] missile hits in IDF bases, in strategic sites that we still don’t report about to this day… It created a situation where people don’t realise how precise the Iranians were and how much damage they caused in many places.”

    Also Read: Hamas gives ‘positive response’ to US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal

    Iranian officials and media have showcased videos of missiles breaching Israeli defences, often with revolutionary songs and satirical cartoons mocking the Iron Dome.

    One Iranian official told The Telegraph: “The main goal of firing [suicide drones] at Israel is always to keep their systems busy… Many don’t even get through – they’re intercepted – but they still cause confusion.”

    Maj Gen Ali Fazli, deputy commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, claimed on Iranian TV: “Never before have we been at such a level in terms of military readiness, operational cohesion, and fighter morale.”

    Israeli military sources countered, estimating that only half of Iran’s 400 missile launchers were destroyed, leaving substantial capacity intact.

    “We assessed that Iran had approximately 2,000 to 2,500 ballistic missiles at the beginning of this conflict… Their missile stockpile could grow to 8,000 or even 20,000 missiles in the next few years,” said one Israeli official.

    Maj Gen Fazli responded that much of Iran’s arsenal remains untouched: “We have not yet opened the doors of even one of our missile cities… only about 25 to 30 per cent of existing missile capability has been used.”

    Researchers from Oregon State say a fuller assessment of the war’s impact will be published in two weeks.

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  • FIA post-Qualifying press conference – Great Britain

    FIA post-Qualifying press conference – Great Britain

    1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

    PARC FERMÉ INTERVIEWS
    (Conducted by Jolyon Palmer)

    Q: Lando Norris, home race, third on the grid but it’s such fine margins out there today?

    Lando NORRIS: Yes, good qualifying and you know I’m not going to be unhappy with third. Of course I’d love to be on top here in Silverstone, but Max did a good job, not quick enough for us today. But still, a fun qualifying. Qualifying here at Silverstone is pretty fast and it’s enjoytable and good fun. Yeah, not the top but still a good day.

    Q: I can only imagine it must have been hard to put laps together with the speed of these corners, the windy conditions, trying to find tiny margins all the time. What are you focusing on to nail the perfect lap?

    Lando NORRIS: Little things today. Little things today, put you ahead of behind. Like, you saw how close Q1 was, which was pretty shocking, and I guess good at the same time. But yeah, little margins, little mistakes, little things. You’re talking a couple of hundredths here and there can win or lose you the game today. So tough, especially with the wind and the conditions. A little bit of rain every now and then. But still, all good fun and still happy with the third.

    Q: You were third last year, you had a chance to win the Grand Prix on the Sunday. Surely there’s a chance coming tomorrow. Fifteen thousandths behind Oscar, you have Max in the fight as well. You’ve had some great battles with those two in the past, what are we thinking?

    LN: I think it’s going to be fun tomorrow. I think it’s going to be a good battle between the three of us. Probably more, you know, with Lewis, with Charles behind, with George as well. It’s going to be an interesting Sunday, so I’m looking forward to it.

    Q: Oscar, second, you were provisional pole after the first runs there of Q3 but couldn’t quite keep it there on the second run. Are you happy with your lap there?

    Oscar PIASTRI: I was happy with the first lap. The first time was mega, to be honest. I was trying to think of how I was going to go faster and I didn’t. So yeah, the last lap was a little bit messy, but it’s been tight all weekend. I think the first time was very good. I don’t know how much the track would have improved, but a little bit on the table, whatever it was, it wasn’t enough. The team’s done a great job. We’ve tried a lot of things this weekend, trying to get a bit more pace. The car’s felt mega all weekend, but there’s been a few points where we were scratching our heads as to why we’re not quicker. So yeah, the team doing a great job getting us back onto the form that we know. It’ll be an exciting race tomorrow.

    Q: Alright, take us under the helmet then. You’ve got provisional pole, you wheel back into the garage, you’ve got more than a tenth margin at this point as well. You said you didn’t know how you were going to find more time. You’re hoping that others aren’t, obviously. But the track’s evolving and somehow you’ve got to go back out there and wind it up. How tricky is that?

    OP: Yeah, it’s tough. Especially when you think it’s a good lap, you don’t want to overdo it and try and go over the limit. I think it was a couple of corners where maybe I was a bit safe on the way in and tried to make up for it on the way out and it didn’t quite work. So yeah, always little bits, it’s fine margins as we know, but ultimately pretty happy with second on the grid. So, I’m looking forward to a fun race.

    Q: And as well, you’ve had some great fights with Lando in the last race. It was a pleasure to watch. You’ve had some good scraps with Max. You’re going to start with them tomorrow. Can you get elbows out?

    OP: Yeah, I think so. It’s going to be a fun race. You know, it’s been very evenly matched between Max, the Ferraris, I saw even George being up there at the end. So I think it’s going to be a pretty evenly paced race tomorrow, and all of have us got slightly different strengths. Red Bull is very quick in a straight line, we’re going to be quick in the high speed. So yeah, it’s going to be a fun one. That’s all. We’re going to enjoy it.

    Q: Max Verstappen, what a lap there at the end. You just pinged them all in, all the sectors. How did you do it?

    Max VERSTAPPEN: It was tricky out there with the wind, through the whole qualifying Q1, Q2, Q3. It was all shifting around a bit. Yeah, a bit different. And around here with these cars, it’s extremely sensitive to it. So yeah, just trying to tidy it up throughout the whole qualifying and that final lap was good enough. But you know, I mean, this is a proper track, in qualifying when you have to go flat out in all these corners. It’s really, really committed and that’s really enjoyable.

    Q: You say the last lap was good enough. It looked pretty unbelievable from when I was watching it. You’ve also got a trimmed out car on downforce, a choice that you made overnight. I was thinking this is a set-up choice with the race in mind, but you’ve nailed it on pole for qualifying already.

    MV: Yeah, exactly. We’re quite quick on the straight, which of course is not that easy in the high speed corners to manage. But we did today, luckily. Of course, we have to wait and see what tomorrow will do, if there’s a bit of rain around and all. But I’m happy, of course, with our qualifying. It’s a big boost for the team as well. Just excited to go racing now tomorrow.

    Q: And you’ve had some great battles with those McLaren drivers already this season. You’re starting ahead of them. You’ve had some fantastic wins already this year. You have the race pace tomorrow. Do you need to keep them behind?

    MV: Difficult to say, but we’ll try. Now we’re going to go racing, we’re going to have fun, and we’re going to try to do the best we can.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Q: Many congratulations, Max. What a final lap from you. Just how good was it?

    MV: Pretty good. I mean, it was not easy out there to produce a consistent lap time just because of the wind, the gusts as well that you got out there. The car was moving around a lot even just on straights, so sometimes a bit unpredictable in places because of it. But luckily, that last lap came together quite nicely. Just had to commit a lot in the high speed with this low downforce that we have on the car, which we just tried to build up on. Luckily in Q3, that worked out.

    Q: You were fourth after those first runs of Q3. Just where did you find the time on that last lap?

    MV: Everywhere except the last sector. So, every single corner, a little bit. My first lap, I don’t know, it just felt really different to Q2. Just more oversteer, more understeer in places, and that then made the lap not amazing. But I never thought that I could find whatever it was, almost four tenths, I think. So yeah, it worked, so I’m happy with that.

    Q: Max, it’s been a bit of a recurring theme at Red Bull this year. Unhappy on Friday, big changes overnight, and you guys get it together for Saturday. Just how different does the car feel today compared to yesterday?

    MV: In some places, quite different. Yesterday, I was just understeering a lot but at the same time also having oversteer in places. It was very difficult to balance. I think today, we definitely improved the understeer and that just allowed me to push a bit more because understeer is slow, especially in F1. So, we just needed to try and minimise that.

    Q: So, let’s look ahead to tomorrow. You have good straight-line speed, we saw that today. Just how confident are you in the long run pace of the car?

    MV: Yeah. I mean, let’s see. We’ll just go in there and try to do the best we can. Normally in the race runs, we struggle a bit more on tyre life. I don’t know how that will be tomorrow. We have to wait and see a little bit also how the weather will be in general, if there is some rain or not. The straight-line speed is nice to have but you still need to manage the tyres around here. It’s very tough with all these high-speed corners. But I’m just looking forward to it. I’m not really in a battle, so I’ll just try to have fun and try to get the best possible result.

    Q: Oscar, let’s come to you now. You were fastest after those first runs of Q3. At the time, did you think it was going to be good enough for pole?

    OP: It was a good lap. I was very happy with it, but I kind of felt like every run, the track was improving a bit. So, I felt like I probably needed a bit more, which was correct. The second lap was a bit scruffy, couple of moments that caught me a bit by surprise. I mean, I always hate blaming wind, but I need to see if it was the wind. But also, maybe trying a bit too hard in a couple of places as well to make up for it. Overall, pretty happy. It’s been tight all weekend, especially through qualifying, so P2 is not a bad result.

    Q: Oscar, as you say, it is very tight. Just two tenths of a second separating the top five in qualifying. Have you been surprised by just how close it is?

    OP: Not necessarily. For me, what’s the biggest surprise is how each car is generating their lap time. You look at the speed traces and they all look completely different, but they end up basically at the same point at the end of the lap. So that’s been quite interesting to get our heads around. I’m not that surprised that Max is quick here. It’s quite similar to Suzuka, similar conditions to Suzuka. Clearly, they found some pace from yesterday. I think the big surprise was Ferrari yesterday, and even this morning. So not a huge surprise that it was so tight. Maybe how many teams were involved was a surprise, but it’s been tight in nine out of ten qualifyings this year.

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  • Top seeds make statements in Tiszy World Cup semis

    Top seeds make statements in Tiszy World Cup semis

    Message sent. The top overall seeds for this weekend’s Tiszaujvaros World Cup made no mistake as they sewed up their spots in tomorrow’s final. The women’s event saw two semi-finals whittle down the field, with the top-14 in each, plus the two fastest athletes thereafter, qualifying. From three men’s heats, the top-9 in each would qualify with three “lucky losers” being added on the basis of their times. Ahead of the finals – which will be live tomorrow on TriathlonLive from 15:45 (CEST) – find out how the semi-finals played out below. 

    Women 

    Semi-final 1

    Ilaria Zane (ITA) was a last minute withdrawal due to illness, clearing the path for others to potentially make the final, and when the starter’s horn sounded, it seemed like Anja Weber (SUI) had been fired out of a cannon. Lisa Tertsch (GER) and Jessica Fullagar (GBR) tailed her round the first lap as they tried to get back onto her feet. Under Weber’s pressure, the field broke up, particularly on the final third lap, however it was Tertsch who led out of the water. Weber, Fullagar and Tilda Månsson (SWE) followed, ensuring most of the first heat’s heavy-hitters were at the front.

    Månsson was the last of the trio to exit T1 within 10 seconds of Tertsch. Meanwhile, those outside the top-10 stared down the barrel of a 45 second deficit. During the bike, Månsson ran into difficulty to leave three at the front. Everyone else was over a minute back. The leaders would ultimately arrive in T2 with a lead of 1:23 over a chase pack that contained Lea Coninx (FRA), Costanza Arpinelli (ITA), Manami Hayashi (JPN), Carina Reicht (AUT) and more. Månsson was at the tail end of the chase group.

    Her task all but complete, Tertsch could afford to power down over the 5km run. Fullagar was still with her and the two had such a yawning lead they could share a laugh as they figured out how many laps remained. The German, however, is nothing if not ferociously competitive and sure enough she burned away from Tertsch on the final straight to take the win, which may not be her last of the weekend.

    Fullagar was next home while Månsson led the chase pack that had passed an also safe Weber. As all of the chase pack qualified, Mercedes Romero Orozco (MEX) took 14th place with the women directly behind hoping for one of the two lucky loser slots based on the overall times across the two semi-finals.

    Semi-final 2

    Tilly Anema (GBR) led from Erin McConnell (IRL) and Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) out of the water. The Brit promptly turned a 6 second lead into a 10 second advantage with a smart T1. Breakaways have been her weapon of choice this year and today she had a perfect trial run ahead of potentially setting one up in tomorrow’s final. Selina Klamt (GER), Sophie Alden (GBR) and Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) then grouped around Michalickova as the leaders remained closer together than in semi-final 1. Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP) and Beatrice Mallozzi (ITA) were among those perilously balanced around the 14th place cut-off. 

    A pack of seven at the end of the first bike with Barbara De Koning (NED) completing the group. A cohort of eleven were over 50 seconds back, adding real jeopardy to making the top-14. Alden led out of T2 as the lead group remained intact before Klamt took over at the front. With all seven safe leaders there was no need to over-exert themselves. Things were rather more fraught in the chase pack as Dominika Peszleg (HUN) led a group including Guerrero and Mallozzi, but eighteen had to squeeze into fourteen.

    In the end, Klamt won comfortably to give Germany a double semi-final success. Interestingly, she clocked a faster overall time than Tertsch too, although there is only so much one can read into that. McConnell was next home ahead of De Koning. Alden and Michalickova subsequently followed while having a chat during what resembled a leisurely afternoon stroll.

    Kelly Wetteland (USA) was the best of chasers with Guerrero and Peszleg in pursuit. Mallozzi arrived later but was also safe. Taking 14th was Ana Maria Valentina Torres Gomez (MEX) while Alessia Orla (ROU) and Zuzanna Sudak (POL) followed with fast enough times to claim the final two slots for the final.

    Men 

    Semi-final 1

    Márk Dévay (HUN) did Márk Dévay things as he led out of the water from Igor Dupuis (FRA) and overwhelming favourite Csongor Lehmann (HUN). Dévay and Dupuis exited T1 with the better part of 10 seconds over Lehmann and the rest having already stretched the field on their quest for position in the top-9. Lehmann hit the front on the bike as part of a breakaway of five (alongside Gregor Rasva (EST) and Gergő Dobi (HUN)) and by the midpoint they led by 69 seconds. The chase of twelve therefore faced a real scrap for the final slots.

    Come the end of the bike, the gap had grown to 1:55 and Lehmann and Dévay showed their WTCS class with textbook transitions. Such was their lead, they could have afforded to stop for an ice cream as would have been apt in the Tiszy heat. Like Tertsch, though, Lehmann was intent on asserting his status as favourite and pulled clear to win. It was all just too easy for him.

    Jayden Schofield (AUS) led into the run from the chase group but a fight was brewing. Aurelien Jem (FRA), Izan Edo Aguilar (ESP) and Takumi Hojo (JPN) took over, with Baptiste Passemard (FRA) holding 9th place, albeit tenuously. Jem floated along, Edo looked ice cool and Hojo was untroubled. However Passemard was struck by what looked like a stitch and fell behind Schofield, who in turn was under pressure.

    The top-5 were therefore safe, as were Jem, Edo and Hojo. At the last, Schofield fended off a surge from Britain’s Dominic Coy to hold onto 9th place.

    Semi-final 2

    Another Hungarian, Gyula Kovács, led the swim and was the first onto the bike in heat 2. Behind, eighteen men were within 20 seconds so all was up for grabs. One individual not in that cluster was the top seed of the semi-final (and second seed overall) Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger (FRA). The winner of the Samarkand World Cup was 24 seconds back. By the end of the first of the two bike laps, the front group of eighteen remained with no sign of Hueber-Moosbrugger. Indeed, he was a worrying 55 seconds back.

    Bence Bicsák (HUN) was an experienced face in a sea of youngsters at the front. Whizzing around him were Kovács, João Nuno Batista (POR), Andree Buc (CHI) and David Lang (LUX). With a neat attack, Fabian Schönke (GER) earned a slight 8 second gap into T2. Batista cut that to 5 seconds as he led the chasers onto the run.

    While Schönke faded, you could have thrown a net over the leading nine men at the end of the opening run lap. Buc, Batista and Lang were all there, as were Aoba Yasumatsu (JPN), Genis Grau (ESP) and Kovács. Bicsák hovered a few metres behind. The Hungarian athlete then made it ten at the front, but one of the leaders, Eduardo Nunez Gomez (MEX), faced a 10 second penalty for swim behaviour. Worse for him, with a lap to go the pace was not high enough compared to the first semi-final to secure a fastest loser slot.

    At the finish, Bicsák nabbed a second Hungarian semi-final win. Samuele Angelini (ITA) and Nathan Grayel (FRA) also crossed in the top-9 however Nunez’s final time was ultimately not enough to qualify.

    Semi-final 3

    Márton Kropkó (HUN) got one over Zalán Hóbor (HUN) in the three-lap swim but Hóbor overtook his countryman in transition. Japan’s Kyotaro Yoshikawa was the only man that could live with them at the start and the trio had over 15 seconds on the field to play with going into the bike. Top seed Jack Willis (GBR) was in the chase of nine men, as were Gergely Kiss (HUN) and Sylvain Fridelance (SUI), and halfway into the bike the gap was down to 8 seconds.

    By the time T2 was in sight, the leaders were back together as a dozen. This set up the most dramatic finale of any of the semi-finals.

    Kropkó hit the run first on a personal mission to complete the home sweep of men’s semi-final wins. Along with Willis, Fridelance, Seth Rider (USA) and Jonas Osterholt (GER), he led a top-5 that separated themselves from the rest. Kiss followed in a secure position with Hóbor and Zsombor Deváy (HUN) next. Yoshikawa, though, was in a struggle with teammate Koki Yamamoto for 9th place.

    With a lap to go, Thomas Windischbauer (AUT) passed both the duelling Japanese duo. Then came a flying Bradley Course (AUS) as he made his way past them too. Four men thus contested one slot, although Course – who had started the run behind – was moving fast enough to threaten the fastest losers from the first semi-final.

    Up ahead, Kropkó took the win after some cat-and-mouse antics with Osterholt. Behind, however, Hóbor faded and Course found himself up to 8th. And then from nowhere, there was Schofield. It had been a long day and it could have been a hallucination replaying semi-final 2, but in fact Luke Schofield (AUS) had produced a storming final lap to somehow appear in 9th and qualify for the final alongside his brother. The thwarted Windischbauer and Yamamoto had nonetheless done enough to get 10th and 11th and slots as lucky losers slot alongside Coy by mere seconds.

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