The Ironman Lanzarote 2010 already has its iron men and women. 1,405 participants became the main protagonists and the epicenter of world triathlon on Saturday. In the men's category, expectations were met and Eneko Llanos took the victory. In the women's category, the triumph went to Catrina Morrison, a triathlete who knew how to overcome mechanical difficulties and cross the finish line in first place.
Thousands of people came to Playa Grande in Puerto del Carmen to experience the start of the Ironman Lanzarote 2010. It is one of the most beautiful images of the toughest triathlon in the world, seeing how the participants enter the water and begin their odyssey. The Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Rita Martín, was in charge of firing the starting gun.
From the first moment, the favorites positioned themselves in the first positions. In the men's category, Stephen Bayliss was the first to come out of the water with a time of 47 minutes and 42 seconds. Eneko Llanos and Bert Jammar, great favorites for the final victory, maintained a beautiful fight in the leading positions. In women, the American Hillary Biscay was the first to come out of the water.
The triathletes then had to face the 180 kilometers by bicycle. The weather this time accompanied them and the strong wind that had prevailed in recent days gave a small respite. Maik Twelsick, Philips Graves, Bert Jammaer and Eneko Llanos were placed in the leading positions of the race. It was on the climb to the Mirador del Río, where the race began to break apart.
The German Maik Twelsick imposed a strong race pace which allowed him to gain an important advantage. The German arrived at the transition zone of Puerto del Carmen with more than 10 minutes ahead of Bert Jammaer and Eneko Llanos. The Englishman Philip Graves had already dropped out of the leading group. Maik Twelsick broke the cycling record with a time of 4 hours, 50 minutes and 58 seconds.
In the foot race, a test that this year presented novelties by reaching the town of Playa Honda, Eneko Llanos imposed a strong pace and little by little he was cutting differences. The Spaniard in the first lap reduced his difference with respect to the first classified by more than 10 minutes. The race would be decided in the final kilometers, with Eneko Llanos and Bert Jammaer maintaining a beautiful fight.
Eneko Llanos crossed the finish line as champion of the Ironman Lanzarote 2010, with a time of 8 hours, 37 minutes and 42 seconds, a time that was just a few minutes away from becoming the record for the Lanzarote race. Bert Jammaer was second and Maik Twelsick completed the podium of the race.
In the women's category, the Scottish Catrina Morrison was the great dominator of the race. On the bicycle route, the triathlete suffered a problem in Teguise. She suffered a puncture in one of the wheels of her bicycle and lost more than 40 minutes repairing it. That was not an impediment to continue competing. From that moment on, the Canadian Tara Norton took the first place in the classification.
The Canadian would deflate in the foot race and lost more than 50 minutes with respect to her pursuers. A circumstance that was taken advantage of by Catrina Morrison to assault the leadership and cross the finish line as the winner of the Ironman Lanzarote 2010. The Scottish woman used a time of 10 hours, three minutes and 52 seconds. The second place on the podium went to Louise Collins and the third place was occupied by Nicole Woysch.
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