firstoffthebike.com - Races - Austria 70.3

Sunday, 30 May 2010

Austria 70.3 - The closest race ever!

Austria was the scene this weekend of some super quick running. Forget the rest of the race for the men the real story here was the speed out of T2. The world of 70.3 racing has become so competitive that any pro who wants success at this really needs to have a sub 1:11 half marathon packed away with them.

This point was empahsised emphatically this weekend in Austria at their 70.3. The field was red hot and contained some of the best runners in the business and they provided a show that might be at home at an IAAF track meet. The women were also well represented and little did they know that by days end this race was going into history as the closest every raced.

The day started out as most others in the triathlon world. With a flurry of arms and legs as the 1500+ age groupers and professionals took to the water. Out of the water was a lead group comprising of all the big hitters including race favorite Chris McCormack, Filip Ospaly and Andreas Raelert. They were quick in chasing down the lead set by Dirk Bockel and Csaba Kuttor.

The women were lead out by Eva Dollinger and Merja Kiviranta. Behind them was a group of athletes any race would be proud to have on the start line. The posse of pursuers included Sandra Wollenhorst, Yvonne Van Vlerken, Karin Thurig. The race that would be set in history as one of the greatest had commenced.

On the bike these days in the 70.3 races the plot is fairly similar. The competition is so tight that establishing a break is tough and getting some clean space on the course is even tougher. Both races followed a fairly predicted pattern. Marino Vanhoenacker got off the bike into T2 in first place after a stellar ride on a course that was proving to be a quick one. His time (2:08:23) would prove to be one of the fastest of the day. Just adrift of the flying Belgium was a trio that would turn the race on its' head. Ospaly, McCormack and Raelert were about to impersonate some Kenyans and after they racked their bikes it was on.

For the likes of Eva Dollinger the lead was always going to be a fleeting thing as the traffic jam behind her became all too real. By the end of the bike she was some 8 minutes adrift with the damage report being written by Yvonne Van Vlerken (2:27:08) and Erika Csmor (2:27:39). These two would be locked together on the road as they ran themselves into an epic finish.

At the head of the field it was rush hour as the lead three went about the business of smashing the rest of the professionals into submission. And at the end of their half marathon they were in a class of their own. Filip Ospaly clocked in first (1:08) with Chris McCormack in second (1:09:55) and Andreas Raelert (1:09:06) filled out the podium. All three stopped the clock under 1:10 in an outstanding display of running. Behind the speedy trio was Marino Vanhoenacker who could only manage a 1:13 which in it's own right is a quick time.

As that was unfolding so too was the duel between Yvonne Van Vlerken and Erika Csmor. The two battled hard over the last section of the course and the sprint to the line was a heart stopper. Van Vlerken won the day but both were credited with the same time and to our knowledge this it the closest 70.3 women's race finish on record. Officially though it was a win to Van Vlerken by 0.2 of a second.

Two remarkable races in Austria. For the men it was all about crushing speed and for the women it was the closest race in the history of 70.3.

Men