Photos: Sergio Betancort
The American Jesse Thomas (08:42:33) and the Danish Tine Holst (10:02:35) conquered the twenty-fifth edition of the Club La Santa Ironman Lanzarote 2016, which brought together this Saturday 1,771 specialists from 50 nationalities, awarding 2,000 qualifying points for the world ranking and 40 places for the World Championship in Kona (Hawaii).
Thomas surpassed the German Jan Frodeno (08:44:38), current world champion and gold medalist in this discipline at the Beijing Olympic Games (2008), and the British David McNamee (08:46:36), who finished in second and third position, respectively.
Likewise, the Belgian Alexandra Tondeur (10:04:53) and the British Lucy Charles (10:10.13) accompanied Holst on the women's podium in the celebration of the silver anniversary of this long-distance triathlon, while the German Diana Riesler, winner of this event in 2015, had to settle for fourth place.
In the first 3.8-kilometer swimming segment arranged in Playa Grande, in the tourist area of Puerto del Carmen, Frodeno (07:25:07) took the lead in an intense and intense battle to be the fastest.
The British Stephen Bayliss (07:25:11), the Spanish Iván Raña (07:25:12), the Spanish Carlos López (07:25:12), the British David McNamee (07:25:13), the German Johann Ackermann (07:25:14), the German Timo Bracht (07:26:51), the Swedish Karl-Johan Danielsson (07:26:52), the Spanish Miquel Blanchart (07:26:53), the Spanish John Galindo (07:26:54) and the American Jesse Thomas (07:26:58) followed in the wake of the great favorite.
However, Frodeno lost almost three minutes in the transition due to a problem with the helmet visor, which led Bayliss, McNamee and Ackermann to anticipate the start of this 180.2 kilometer segment through the volcanic area of the Island.
McNamee imposed a high pace to take the lead in the race alone for more than 70 kilometers to Tinajo, where he placed +1:23 to Ackermann, +2:56 to Raña, +3:23 to Frodeno, +4:37 to López, +5:18 to Bracht and +5:30 to Thomas. The British triathlete, eleventh in the last World Championship and current champion of the Wildflower Long Course Triathlon and the IRONMAN UK, could not maintain the advantage from kilometer 78 against an Ackermann who rode at breakneck speed to assault the first position.
After 90 kilometers completed, Raña and Frodeno joined forces in the third and fourth position, respectively, to try to reduce the more than two minutes of disadvantage with respect to Ackermann, European long distance champion in 2014.
Frodeno took third place on the climb from Teguise to the Mirador de Haría, while Bracht and Thomas also managed to beat the Galician runner on a day in which the conditions helped to enjoy a huge spectacle.
Ackermann (12:54:26) defended the lead to the highest point of the Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote at the Mirador del Río, starting with enthusiasm and excitement the descent to Puerto del Carmen, where Frodeno was already second to just over two minutes and multiplied his chances of being at the World Cup in Hawaii.
At the start of the foot race segment, the German stepped on the accelerator and, after the first five kilometers in which he showed his physical and mental potential, he caught up with his compatriot to place himself at the top of the classification.
Ackermann's dream went out at that moment, in which Thomas and Bracht, who won in the 2011 edition with the race record (08:30:34), relegated him in the privileged positions.
Frodeno was determined not to let the opportunity to triumph in Lanzarote escape, but Thomas flew to star in a final stretch to frame, with both athletes together in kilometer 25, while Raña, a triathlon diploma at the Sydney Olympic Games (2000) and Beijing (2008), reached third place - just over two minutes behind - after an epic comeback.
In kilometer 30, Thomas grabbed the first place and did not stop extending the advantage to sign a colossal race, going from having a 52-second lead to two minutes to write his name at the top of a special edition.
In addition, McNamee made his best effort in the last kilometers to snatch third position from Raña (08:50:09), who finished fifth, and the American Chris Baird (08:48:35) was fourth.
Jesse Thomas: "This is wonderful, I dedicate it to my wife and son"
After crossing the finish line, the American Jesse Thomas defined as "wonderful" having obtained the triumph in Lanzarote, dedicating it to his wife and son "for their love and understanding during the last six months of preparation."
"I enjoyed it very much and I can say that it is an extraordinary feeling because everything has gone wonderfully. What do I think of Lanzarote? It is incredible that in all the towns there are people encouraging you and that gives you an extra strength and motivation," he says.
For his part, Frodeno admitted that the fact of finishing in second place "is never to be happy, but I really can't complain."
"After a long injury, it has been a pleasure to come second and do it in good condition. Also, now I will go to Kona for sure," he added.
Likewise, Raña, the best Spaniard in the race, was "happy to have finished, since, when there are ten kilometers left, it seems that the race will never end."
"I just had a slump in kilometer 31 or 32 and it was already difficult for me to keep running. The fact of reaching the finish line is a triumph because on the bicycle I was worse than I expected, since a problem with the saddle made me finish loaded. In the muscular aspect, it has cost me a lot and it has been almost an odyssey," he declared.
In the women's event, Lucy Charles (47:11), who was taking part in this race for the first time, surprised Saleta Castro (54:48) and Diana Riesler (56:51) from the first moment, where she emerged as the leader of the group from the swimming segment, starting the bicycle route with more than seven minutes ahead of Castro and more than ten over Riesler.
Despite the disadvantage, the current winner of the Club La Santa Ironman Lanzarote, Riesler, recovered the good sensations on the bicycle, where she offered an exhibition in the past edition, to surpass the favorite of the Canarian public, Castro, who was third in 2013, and take second place.
Riesler tightened hard to try to hunt down an intractable Charles, who remained at the top until the end of this second part in Puerto del Carmen, although she failed to detach herself from the Danish Tine Holst and the German Riesler.
In fact, Holst cut back on the descent on the bicycle and, after passing through kilometer 10 in the race, took the lead and put three minutes on Charles and Riesler.
In her first Ironman, Charles, 22, did not give up despite dropping to third place after also being overtaken by Riesler in kilometer 15.
Holst took advantage of her moment to certify the most important victory of her career after improving the second position in the IRONMAN of Vichy (France) and the fourth place in Wales, while the Belgian Alexandra Tondeur and Charles completed the podium, after Riesler's muscular problems in the last kilometers.
Tine Holst: "It's a dream come true"
The Danish Tine Holst assured that "it is a dream come true" to have achieved her first Ironman.
"You always have to believe that you can and that is what I did until the end. I tried to go as fast as possible in each segment. I would like to thank the support of my family and the people of Lanzarote, who have given us strength throughout the course," she said.
For her part, the Belgian Alexandra Tondeur was happy for her "fantastic" result in her second IRONMAN and acknowledged that, although she did not expect to be on the podium, in kilometer 25 she saw herself with options. "I didn't start very well in the swimming segment, but I was able to recover to sign a fantastic result. It has been very hard, but this reward is worth everything," she said
Likewise, the British Lucy Charles, who competed in her first Ironman as a professional, dazzled in the swimming segment and, although she acknowledged that she did not know how she was going to respond in the bicycle and running part, she remained very well. "I overcame a few small discomforts and was able to stay well in the race. I am satisfied because I have responded very well," she concluded.
