Alex Yee has won the Paris 2024 triathlon men's test race by 13 seconds to give Britain the double following Beth Potter's victory in the women's race.

Yee was nowhere close to being the fastest after the 1.5 km swim and the 40 km bike legs, but he surged to the head of the pack on the final running leg to take victory, completing the 10 km leg in 29 minutes flat.

Portugal's Vasco Vilaca finished second while Dorian Coninx came in third after a three-way battle with fellow Frenchmen Pierre Le Corre and Leo Bergere for the final spot on the podium.

Australia's leading triathlete Matt Hauser had to pull out because of COVID-19.

A top-eight place in Friday's race would have secured an automatic nomination for Olympic selection.

"(I'm) gutted but health is the priority, next opportunity to qualify in five weeks," he had said in statement.

That will be at next month's world triathlon championship final in Pontevedra, Spain, where again a top-eight finish is needed under the TA selection policy.

Australians Jake Birtwhistle, Luke Willian and Brandon Copeland were among the 65 triathletes to start, but failed to complete the bike section Copeland among riders suffering a mechanical.

New Zealand's Hayden Wilde, who went into the race leading the world standings, was forced to quit early in the running section having required pre-race treatment to a hip injury suffered during a bike crash in the morning.

"Gutted. Had a crash heading down to the race in the morning. My hip wasn't able to handle running. Walked a lap and had to call it a day," he wrote later on Instagram.

Yee now leads the world triathlon championship series ahead of Wilde with just Pontevedra to go.

British triathlete Potter outgunned home hopeful Cassandre Beaugrand in a final sprint to win Thursday's women's test event with Natalie Van Coevorden the top Australian in 19th place.