On Saturday, Lanzarote became one of the most important points of adapted sports, with the celebration of the ninth edition of the Vuelta a Playa Blanca in Handbike. Nearly fifty "handbikers" participated in the two events that the event included, with a dozen nationalities represented. Many of the athletes come to Lanzarote to take advantage of the excellent weather conditions that occur at this time of year, making it impossible to train in their countries of origin.
The IX Vuelta a Playa Blanca in Handbike started at 11:00 am with the "Carrera de Las Salinas". An individual time trial in which the "handbikers" must cover the distance between the roundabout of La Hoya, in Las Salinas, and the one at the entrance to Playa Blanca. A morning in which the sun made an appearance, leaving aside the cold days before.
Jonas Van de Steene was the winner of the "Carrera de Las Salinas", completing the distance of 8.5 kilometers in a time of 10 minutes and 32 seconds. The podium of the time trial was completed with the second position of Wolfgang Almer (11:08) and the third place of Kim Klüiver Christiansen (11:10). In the women's category, Nadia Schumacher was the only participant and the winner of the race with a time of 14 minutes and 57 seconds.
The "handbikers" regained prominence at the conclusion of the sixth edition of the Timanfaya Triathlon, with the celebration of the classic Vuelta a Playa Blanca in Handbike. Unlike past editions, the race was held individually, with athletes having to complete the most laps of the urban circuit in a time of 45 minutes. Once again, the descent towards the Los Limones roundabout was one of the most spectacular areas, and where the "handbikers" reached high speeds.
The acting mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, and the Minister of Sports of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Patricia Pérez, were in charge of giving the starting signal to the Vuelta a Playa Blanca in Handbike. The visitors who were in the tourist area of Playa Blanca, did not lose sight of the spectacle they were enjoying and did not hesitate to ask about a new sports modality for many of them.
Jonas Van de Steene, Luis Miguel Marquina, Alexander Gritsch, Wolfgang Almer and Kim Klüiver Christiansen, were the "handbikers" who completed the most laps of the urban circuit of Playa Blanca. They completed a total of twelve laps. The only female in the race, Nadia Schumacher, completed a total of nine laps of the course.
