Image: Sergio Betancort
More than 500 triathletes participated on Saturday morning in the second edition of the Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote, a race that was dominated by the Spaniard Víctor del Corral and the Polish Agniezka Jerzyk. The facilities of Club La Santa in Tinajo hosted the start and finish of a race that many described as tough and that had heat as an added factor.
The first to start was the group of professional triathletes composed of by 15 men and 10 women. Five minutes later it was the turn of the 488 amateur triathletes. The swimming segment consisted of a route of 1.9 kilometers in the lake of La Santa. The Russian Alexander Bryukhankov was the first to complete the swimming segment with a time of 22 minutes and 23 seconds, followed closely by Peru Alfaro. In the women's category, the British Holly Lawrence was the first to leave the water.
Next, the triathletes had to face a 50-kilometer route on bicycle, with a route that ran through the northern area of Lanzarote. Victor del Corral managed to recover the three-minute disadvantage he had with respect to Will Clarke, being on the ascent to Tabayesco where he recovered a good part of the route. In the women's category, the ascent to Tabayesco was made by a group formed by Boterenbrood, Jerzyk, Hignett and Lawrence.
The bicycle segment concluded at Club La Santa, and then the participants had to face a 21-kilometer run. Victor del Corral had a five-minute advantage, which allowed him to face this route with great tranquility and pacing himself.
Víctor del Corral showed no signs of weakness and managed to cross the finish line in first place with a time of 4 hours, 6 minutes and 42 seconds. The British Clarke (04:10:53) and the Italian Pasuello (04:12:46) completed the first two positions of the Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote podium.
The women's category had to be decided in a sprint. The Polish Jerzyk crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 4 hours, 39 minutes and 48 seconds. The Dutch Danne Boterenbrood (04:40:44) was the second classified and the third would be the British Hignett (04:43:33).
The Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote had stories of overcoming. In the wheelchair mode wheels, Rafa Botello took the victory with a time of 6 hours, 20 minutes and 11 seconds. A category in which the second place went to Francesc Sola (06:32:19). The Lanzarote native Lionel Morales also participated in this event, who competed with a prosthesis on his left leg and reached the finish line with a time of 6:31:53. An Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote full of personal stories, with many triathletes fulfilling the dream of crossing the finish line.
