-
Subscribe via Email
-
Subscribe via RSS
Premium Sponsors
-
Tag Cloud
-
1/2 Ironman Astana Brad Kahlefeldt craig alexander Cycling davide rebellin emma snowsill International Road Ironman ITU Javier Gomez Levi Leipheimer Marathon new york city marathon Olympic Olympics Paris Nice Running Slipstream Chipotle Swimming Tour de France Training triathlon Uncategorized vanessa fernandes
May 19, 2008
Amey and Cave Win at Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida
from NASports…
Orlando, FL – The men’s and women’s titles both went to Great Britain today at the 2008 Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida held at Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando, Florida. Paul Amey took the men’s title and the women’s was won by Leanda Cave.
Amey, now based in the San Diego area, took the lead on the bike portion of the race and held off the field with a 1:17:18 half marathon time. This was Amey’s first win at the 70.3 distance with an overall time of 3:52:51. Brazilian Santiago Ascenco, who posted the second best run time on this course in 2007, finished in second in a time of 3:56:33. Third place was won by Spencer Smith of Palm Harbor, FL in 3:59:04.
The women’s race was dominated by Cave, Nina Kraft and Dede Griesbauer from the swim. Griesbauer led the race through the first two stages only to be overtaken on the run course by both Cave and Kraft. Cave finished in a time of 4:22:52 followed by Kraft in 4:24:15 and Griesbauer in 4:30:38. Lisa Bentley posted the second best run time of the day at 1:27:30 to move into fourth place, with last year’s winner Katja Schumacher rounding out the top five.
Top Ten Finishers
Men
1. Paul Amey, GBR 3:52:51
2. Santiago Ascenco, BRA 3:56:33
3. Spencer Smith, Palm Harbor, FL 3:59:04
4. Courtney Ogden, AUS 3:59:42
5. Kevin Lisska, Fletcher, NC 3:59:56
6. Bryan Rhodes, NZL 4:03:10
7. Brent Poulsen, CAN 4:05:18
8. Andrew Hodges, CAN 4:11:56
9. Brad Seng, Boulder, CO 4:17:30
10. Marcus Ornellas, BRA 4:18.45
Women
1. Leanda Cave, GBR 4:22:52
2. Nina Kraft, GER 4:24:15
3. Dede Griesbauer, Boston, MA 4:30:38
4. Lisa Bentley, CAN 4:31:47
5. Katja Schumacher, GER 4:34:45
6. Kim Loeffler, Colchester, VT 4:34:52
7. Heather Gollnick, Bradenton, FL 4:36:05
8. Sione Jongstra, NLD 4:43:53
9. Michelle Leblanc, Woodlands, TX 4:48:00
10. Teri Albertazzi, Tucson, AZ 4:49:02
Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida took place for the fifth time on Sunday, May 18th at Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando, Florida. Athletes were competing for a pro prize purse of $30,000 and 75 qualifying spots for the 2008 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 to be held in Clearwater, Florida. For more information, please log onto www.floridahalfironman.com
May 12, 2008
Race Results: Men’s 2008 Lisbon European Champs
Frederic Belaubre, the champion from 2006 and 2005, led a French gold-silver sweep at today’s Lisbon ETU Triathlon European Championships. Tony Moulai took the silver while Swiss Olivier Marceau grabbed the bronze in an exciting photo finish. Surprisingly, defending champion Javier Gomez finished in seventh place, more than a minute and a half behind the champion Belaubre. Today’s race marked the first since the world championships in 2006 that Gomez failed to make the podium, an impressive streak that stretched 16 races.
Brit Richard Stannard was first out of the water with Belaubre and Stephane Poulat on his heels. Not far back was Gomez who was 14 seconds behind Stannard.
Out onto the flat 40-kilometer bike course, 47 men made up the lead group until Marceau broke off the front and held a 5-second lead after the first lap. After being joined by Slovak Pavel Simko, another five men broke away to join them by the end of lap three, which proved to be the turning point in the race. That group included a strong cycling trio from France with Belaubre, Moulai and Poulat. The lead pack of seven powered away from the field and created much needed separation from a host of great runners including Gomez, Czech Filip Ospaly, Brit Will Clarke and Ivan Rana of Spain.
May 12, 2008
Race Results: Women’s 2008 Lisbon European Champs
Portugal’s prodigious Vanessa Fernandes won a record-breaking fifth consecutive European Championship today, taking gold with a time of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 46 seconds. Italian veteran Nadia Cortassa took the silver, her fourth career medal at European championships. Swede Lisa Norden continued her breakthrough season, out-sprinting last year’s bronze medalist Nicola Spirig of Switzerland down the stretch for the bronze.
“It was a dream today. There were lots of people giving me strength,” said Fernandes at the finish line. “It is very important for me to show these people in Portugal what triathlon is. I can show Portugal what Portuguese athletes can do.”
Joelle Franzmann of Germany led the women out of the water with the day’s fastest swim. She left T1 with a 20-second lead over her chasers which included Magali Di marco of Switzerland and Eva Dollinger of Austria. Fernandes was a further two seconds back. But Franzmann’s solo ride on the flat 40-kilometer bike course did not last long as the chase pack quickly caught, forming a 13-woman lead group. Not far behind was cycling powerhouse Spirig who brought herself and four others up with the leaders.
May 8, 2008
Race Results: 2008 St. Croix Ironman 70.3
from InsideTriathlon…
Laid back. That’s how most first-time visitors to St. Croix Ironman 70.3 describe the atmosphere. However, once the gun went off promptly at 6:30 a.m., the nearly 40 professional triathletes racing for the $50,000 prize purse, were anything but laid back. But when all was said and done, the day was déjà vu all over again … 2006. Can you say, “Aussie, Aussie”?
THE MEN
Craig Alexander loves St. Croix. He had won here each of the past two years, as well as in 2003, and a victory today would tie him with legendary Mike Pigg at four victories apiece. He would succeed (Pigg, by the way, came to St. Croix to help celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this classic race, and he competed in and won the Sprint race earlier in the morning).
May 8, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 Lisbon European Champs
from Triathlon.org…
For the first time since 1999, the 24th edition of the ETU Triathlon European Championships head to Portugal to welcome Europe’s finest triathletes. With world class calibre fields comparable to most world cups, this Saturday’s event is one of the most coveted titles of the year. It will be the final ITU Continental Championship of 2008 and the men’s and women’s winner will earn their countries automatic spots at the Beijing Olympic Games. With such high stakes on the line, the best will be at the top of their games.
The home crowds will no doubt be vocal in its support of world champion Vanessa Fernandes, one of Portugal’s biggest sports stars who’s quickly becoming one of the greatest triathletes of all time. No woman has tasted European glory for the past four years as Fernandes won every year since 2004. In fact, every year she has taken the start line at an elite European championships, she has won gold. In 2003 Fernandes won the junior women’s title. This weekend she races for a record-breaking fifth consecutive European crown. Only the Netherlands’ Rob Barel has won four straight European titles from 1985 to 1988.
May 4, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Women’s Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup
from Triathlon.org…
Her previous world cup best was an eighth place finish in 2005 but none of that mattered as the elite women took to the start line in South Africa today. Carolyn Murray of Canada pulled off quite an upset, winning today’s Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup, the first world cup title of her career. Aussie Felicity Abram took the silver while last year’s silver medalist Magali Di Marco of Switzerland made the podium for the second straight year, holding on for bronze.
American Olympic hopeful Sarah Groff emerged from the water first and was up 22 seconds over the rest of the field. Riding alone on the 40-kilometer bike course, Groff had to work hard to build a 35-second lead. A large chase pack was in hot pursuit and cut the lead to just 13 seconds by the midway point of the bike segment. In the fourth lap, Groff was swallowed up by the chase group that included all the major pre-race favorites including German Ricarda Lisk, South African Mari Rabie, Nicky Samuels of New Zealand, Abram and Di Marco, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist.
May 4, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Men’s Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup
from Triathlon.org…
It’s not often an athlete wins a world championship before a world cup but that’s exactly what German Daniel Unger has done. After a stunning performance in Hamburg last year to be crowned world champion, Unger won his first world cup today in another thrilling finish in Richards Bay. He becomes just the third German man to win a world cup and the first since Maik Petzold won in Salford in 2004, out-sprinting American Matt Reed and South African Hendrik DeVilliers down the final stretch.
Powerful swimmer Marko Albert of Estonia led the men out of the water and into T1. Just behind him were Swiss Sebastien Gacond and Volodymyr Polikarpenko of the Ukraine, last year’s silver medalist. Other notables were Matt Reed of the U.S. who was 12 seconds back of Albert and defending champion Hendrik DeVilliers of South Africa who was a further four seconds behind Reed.
May 4, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Wildflower
from InsideTriathlon…
McCormack wins a record-tying fourth Wildflower, McGlone takes her third
McGlone just 30 seconds off her 2006 course record on a perfect spring day in California.
Modern Wildflower masters Chris McCormack and Samantha McGlone extended their domination of the legendary toughest half Ironman on the planet Saturday.
Australian Chris McCormack broke a race long duel with Spain’s Eneko Llanos, surging away pell-mell down steep Beach Hill in the last mile of the run to take his record-tying fourth Wildflower long course triathlon Saturday by 19 seconds.
McCormack’s win in 4:00:33 makes him four for four at Wildflower (2001, 2002, 2004, 2008) and ties him with Boulder’s Cameron Widoff (1995, 1997, 1998,1999) for the most overall victories at the place they call The Woodstock of Triathlon.
May 1, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 Wildflower Triathlon Festival
from InsideTriathlon…
The course, the party, the mystique - TrainingBible’s Nick Tuttle’s rundown
For many triathletes, the Wildflower Triathlon festival weekend has served as the exciting and competitive start of the summer triathlon season for over 25 years. This year marks the 26th annual offering of the popular Central California race brought to life by professional and highly regarded organizer, Tri California. On the weekend of May 2 through 4, over 7,000 athletes will flock to Lake San Antonio, just east of King City, to participate in one of the weekend’s many challenging races. Known for its challenging terrain and competitive field of racers, Wildflower is an event that every triathlete should experience in his or her lifetime because of several unique factors.
FESTIVAL FUN
Wildflower’s festival atmosphere sets it apart from other races throughout the world. A tent city of vendors, musicians and athletes is created overnight at the campgrounds surrounding Lake San Antonio. The vast majority of racers elect to stay at campsites adjacent to the transition area. Thousands of peers enjoy the atmosphere of the weekend together. Many friendships have been forged around a campfire or while waiting in line at one of the restrooms throughout the campground.
May 1, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 St. Croix 70.3
from Ironman.com…
It’s no wonder that reigning Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae, and 2006 Clearwater champ, Craig Alexander, rank the St. Croix Ironman 70.3 among their most favorite races. Both athletes won the race in 2006 (Carfrae setting the course record) and Alexander repeated in 2007.
Mostly, though, it’s the beauty and friendliness of the island that attracts these two Aussies, along with over 40 other professional triathletes from 10 different countries, who will compete for the $50,000 prize purse. Alexander even lists St. Croix on his website as his “favorite holiday.”
Men’s Race
This year’s race, on Sunday May 4, will be no holiday for Alexander, however. With the likes of four-time world champion, Simon Lessing; former Ford Ironman World Champion, Faris Al-Sultan; Frederik Van Lierde, second at this year’s Ironman New Zealand and South Africa 70.3; last year’s second place finisher, Richie Cunningham; the always tough Michael Lovato, and Marino Vanhoenacker, fifth in Kona last year. Alexander will need a complete day in all three disciplines to win this race for the third year in a row. Last year, he ran four minutes faster on this tough run course than any of his competitors (1:15:43) to give him a 4:03 victory over Cunningham.
“It’s an old race with a lot of history and prestige,” says Alexander of this event. “All the best triathletes in the history of our sport have raced and won there. The race is hard because of the course and the conditions. It also always attracts a great field; so, to win on Sunday, it will take a consistently good performance across all three disciplines.”
Women’s Race
The women’s race also features a very strong line-up, led by last year’s St. Croix Champion, Julie Dibbens of Great Britain, and 2006 St. Croix Champion and 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae. Dibbens’ 4:29:11 placed her 10th overall in 2007, ahead of many of the male pros in the field, as well as beating Carfrae’s course record by over a minute. These two appear to be the cream of the crop on the women’s side; but, others to watch include Germany’s Nina Kraft; former ITU and Ironman World Champion (and crowd favorite) 46-year-old Karen Smyers; and the equally popular 44-year-old Brazilian, Fernanda Keller.
When asked what it will take to beat course record holder and returning champion, Dibbens, Carfrae is her usual straight-forward self: “It will take a huge effort and I will definitely have to be on my game on the day. The plan is to try to limit the damage on the swim and do my best to put together a fast 90 km bike and hope that I’m close enough after the bike to catch her on the run.” In her 2006 victory, Carfrae ran a phenomenal 1:22 while last year, en route to her win, Dibbens ran a 1:30.
Read More
