Gomez recovered from the spill and took control during the run to finish in 1 hour 50min 22sec.

But Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan's brother and the 2009 world champion, was less fortunate in recovering from a heavy fall sustained when he slipped rounding a corner in the rain during the run leg of the event and dropped off the pace.

Gomez, though, deserved his victory after riding the last 10 kilometres of the cycle leg by himself after falling off and then proved his class even further when he managed to catch the leading pack and powered clear in the run.

Jonathan Brownlee fought to match Gomez but he could not as the two-time world champion broke away.

Switzerland's Sven Riederer ran his way into third. 

"It was definitely one of the hardest ones [races]," Gomez said.

"It doesn't happen many times that you crash and then you get up again and catch the first group again and then be the fastest runner, I'm really proud.

"I will always remember this race."

He also said it helped him to realise just how good his form was.

"I realised that I was fitter than I thought," he said.

"I thought maybe I should give up after the crash, the time [gap] was a bit far and I wasn't sure if I would catch them or not and the rain and I realised I was really strong today."

Overall, the British men's team had a strong day with Jonathan Brownlee making the podium, Tim Don coming in sixth - 11 years after he competed in the Sydney Olympic Games triathlon - and Will Clarke finishing ninth.

Alistair Brownlee finished in 29th place, but if he had not fallen, Britain may have had four men within the top ten.

Last year's winner, New Zealand's Bevan Docherty finished 18th, Germany's 2008 Olympic champion Jan Frodeno finished 45th, while 2011 Mooloolaba winner and Australia's World Championship bronze medallist Brad Kahlefeldt did not finish.


Canadian Paula Findlay proved her 2010 form was no fluke when she outsprinted Chile's Barbara Riveros Diaz to win the women's race.

The win confirmed Findlay is a major rising star, after she won both the London and Kitzbuhel races in her first year on the circuit last year.

Findlay now has three titles, to put her just one behind reigning champion Emma Moffatt, who has a total of four race wins to lead the all-time winners list. 

"I find it really helps my confidence because after I have a good race I am even more motivated to go even harder," said Findlay.

"I'm excited to go home and do a few more months of training and I think that Madrid will be my next race and I am really looking forward to that."

The highly-favoured Australian's in the field, Moffatt and Emma Snowsill, both had off-days.

Reigning world champion Moffatt was in the lead-pack until halfway through the run but dropped-off while Snowsill had a tough swim leg and was in the last bunch from the start.

Moffatt finished-up in 13th place and Snowsill in 42nd.