Portugal's Vanessa Fernandes won the European women's triathlon title for the fifth consecutive year in front of her home crowd to underline her position as favourite for the Olympic gold in Beijing.

Frederic Belaubre, the 2005 and 2006 champion from France, won the men's race by 20 seconds from compatriot Tony Moulai in second place. Olivier Marceau of Switzerland was third.

Javier Gomez, the defending champion, finished in seventh place, the first time in 16 races the Spaniard has finished off the podium.

In the women's race, Germany's Joelle Franzmann led after the swim leg but was caught quickly during the cycle leg by a pack of riders led by Fernandes.

The Portuguese world champion took charge after the transition to running and built a big lead after two of the 10 kms. She won in two hours, five minutes and 46 seconds, 39 seconds ahead of Nadia Cortassa of Italy. Lisa Norden of Sweden took bronze.

Olympic champion Kate Allen of Austria, who suffered serious facial injuries in a fall four weeks ago, struggled throughout and finished 30th.

The winners of the two races earned their countries automatic places in the Olympic Games in Beijing in August.

There will be 55 men and 55 women in Beijing. Eight top-ranking countries will be allowed three athletes per event and the others will be allowed a maximum of two.

The 2008 world championships in Vancouver in June are the last major qualifying races. Thirty eight places will be handed to the highest-ranked athletes as of these world championships.

Reuters