German Frederic Funk and British Emma Pallant were proclaimed winners of the eighth edition of the Club La Santa IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote, held on Saturday morning in Playa Blanca, in the Lanzarote municipality of Yaiza. A lot of foreign and Spanish participation, about a thousand competitors (last year 660) who came to the event attracted by a test that is increasingly consolidated in the world calendar of IRONMAN 70.3.
Due to adverse sea conditions, the Canary Islands Government canceled all activities at sea on Friday afternoon, including the swimming section of IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote. For that reason, the participants only had to face 90 km of cycling and a 21 km run. Despite the cancellation, the 40 places of the IRONMAN 70.3 Wold Championship are still standing.
The start took place at eight o'clock in the morning with the male professional athletes, followed by the professional athletes five minutes later. The nearly 950 participants from age groups left the starting line in groups of ten separated by 45-second intervals. A sunny day but with strong winds forced the athletes to take a tough bike course that did not change during the foot race either.
The Spaniard Emilio Aguayo, who was among the favorites, had to abandon cycling at KM 13 due to digestive problems, followed by Alessandro Degaseperi later in the race. At KM 56, a quintet formed by the Belgian Kenneth Vandendriessche, compatriot Pieter Heemeryck, Kévin Mauret (FRA), Frederic Funk (GER) and George Goodwin (GBR) led the race separated by only a few seconds.
Just a few kilometers from reaching the second transition zone, Frederic Funk of Team Erdinger took the lead by more than a minute over Kenneth Vandendriessche, Heemeryck, Goodwin and Mauret, a time difference that increased throughout the foot race.
With a total time of 03:35:00, Frederic Funk took the victory, followed by Pieter Heemeryck (03:36:40) and Kenneth Vandendriessche (03:41:10)
Prominence in females
Lucy Hall (GBR), Emma Pallant (GBR) and Alexandra Tondeur (FRA) led the cycling segment separated by only a few seconds between them. Leaving the second transition zone together, Emma Pallant took the lead of the race at KM 17 and pushed the pace leaving Alexandra Tondeur and Jeanne Collonge more than three minutes behind.
With a total time of 04:08:14, Emma Pallant was first, followed by Alexandra Tondeur (04:10:36) and Jeanne Collonge (04:11:23).
