Matt Hauser will head home for the world triathlon championship series finals in Wollongong next month as the top-ranked racer after winning the French Riviera round.
Hauser capped a successful weekend for Australia's triathletes, with veteran Ashleigh Gentle winning the women's T100 Pro Race.
After five races this year, Hauser, 27, has collected the maximum 3000 points for the season with five podium finishes.
Renowned for his powerful swim, Hauser got off to a flying start before breaking away from a 10-deep bike pack to put himself in a strong position for what he knew was going to be a fast and furious run finish.
Battling the heat in the south of France, he was able to hold off rivals Vasco Vilaca of Portugal and Brazilian Miguel Hidalgo to take the trophy.
Callum McClusky fnished 11th to put himself in contention for an Australian team spot for the finals.
"It was tough today, the heat was a factor," said Hauser, who finished seventh in Paris last year, his second Olympics.
"I wasn't expecting a breakaway but 10 or 12 of us got working. Henry (Graf) and Mark (Devay) did almost all the work and managed to keep us away.
"And then on the run I was confident but the heat had an impact and at some point I thought that I almost blew it cause I went too early, but as soon as I hit the blue carpet I knew I had it."
The next round will be held at Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, which Hauser felt would be ideal preparation for racing on the Wollongong shores.
"With a maximum score leading into Wollongong now I'm filled with a lot of confidence and belief that hopefully I can get the job done on home soil," he said.
Hauser's victory came 24 hours after Gentle produced a stunning performance to come from eighth off the bike and win her first T100 of the year.
"It'll take a little bit to sink in, to be honest, I've been doing triathlon for 20 years now and I'm well aware there's highs and lows and it doesn't always go perfectly," she said.
"The first part of the ride was so fast and I knew there were challenging sections ahead so I tried to not panic and make sure I paced it really well.
"In London, the wheels fell off the last part and I really paid for it big time. I'm really glad I could pace it a little bit better today."
