Image: LanzaroteDeportiva.com
The rain, wind and cold made the second edition of the Timanfaya Triathlon tougher. The triathlon event that opens the season in the Canary Islands was held on Saturday afternoon in the tourist town of Playa Blanca, Yaiza (Lanzarote). Nearly 200 triathletes participated in the second edition of a sporting event that is consolidating itself in the calendar of triathlon events and fought to add the first points of the season in the Canary Islands Triathlon Series. Aleix Domenech and Yvonne Van Vierken were the absolute winners of the II Timanfaya Triathlon.
The second edition of the Timanfaya Triathlon was held in the "sprint" mode, with a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike segment and a 5-kilometer run. The main novelty of this edition was in the bicycle segment, which was held outside the urban area and developed largely along the old Playa Blanca road, with the return point located in La Hoya.
The participating triathletes concentrated on the town's beach, the area where the Timanfaya Triathlon started. The mayor of Yaiza, Gladys Acuña, was in charge of firing the starting gun for the race, with the women starting first and the rest of the categories following minutes later. The swimming segment was dominated by Victor Manuel González from Valladolid, investing a time of 09:08 to complete the 750 meters of swimming. Behind Víctor Manuel came a large group of triathletes, with minimal differences.
The equality continued to be maintained in the cycling segment, with minimal differences between the triathletes. Stephen Bayliss, Per Bittner and Jim Thiss arrived at the transition area almost together. About twenty seconds behind them were Aleix Domenech and Genis Grau. From the first meters of the foot race, the two members of the Triathlon Team of Catalonia imposed a strong pace and only Jim Thiss could keep up with the pace of the young Catalans.
The explosive foot race starring Aleix Domenech and Genis Grau, served them to take the lead of the race and cross the finish line as first classified. The two triathletes crossed the finish line holding hands and satisfied with the great work they had done throughout the race. Aleix and Genis invested a time of 53 minutes and 44 seconds. The third place on the podium went to Jim Thiss (53:49), losing five seconds to the winning couple.
In the women's category, Yvonne Van Vierken and Anna Godoy, starred in a beautiful race that would end up leaning towards the first. Anna Godoy, a triathlete who belongs to the Triathlon Team of Catalonia and who currently occupies the fourth position in the national ranking, performed a good swimming segment, being on the bicycle in the area where she lost about four minutes with respect to Yvonne Van Vierken.
Yvonne Van Vierken administered the wide advantage she had obtained in the bicycle segment and ran very comfortably the 5 kilometers of the foot race. Van Vierken crossed the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 8 seconds. The second position of the general was for Anna Godoy (1:04:14) and third would be the Canary Delioma González (1:04:55).
The little ones also enjoyed the II Timanfaya Triathlon
The youngest were the main protagonists of the first hours of the II Timanfaya Triathlon, with nearly 70 boys and girls participating in the different tests adapted for their ages. The pre-beginners started participating, with a most exciting duathlon. Next, the beginners took the start on the town's beach, and it ended with the participation of children and infants. There were neither winners nor losers, the most important thing being the participation of all of them and receiving a diploma that accredited their participation.
The Timanfaya Triathlon was organized by the Yaiza City Council and the Association for the Promotion of Tourism and Sport without Barriers, in coordination with the companies Trimakina and Nutritraining, with the sponsorship of H10 Hotels and Acttiv leisure projects and the collaboration of AtlantiSegur, DeportClinic by Biolab, Papagayo Bike, Renner Bikes, Mapfre, Magmabikes and Autos Cabrera.
