Posted: September 27, 2004

Duathlon: Dereere and Burgos win at Swansea

Swansea, European Duathlon Champioships 2004

Elite and U23 Women,

Exactly at noon, the best 26 Elite and Under 23 European women started the race. In front of them 4 laps around the Swansea Marina, to complete the 10km running, then 5 laps on bike in a totally flat circuit and 2 laps for the final run.

The first break happened after about 3km, with Ana Burgos (ESP) leading the pack. Heen Lawrence (GBR), Laura Giordano (ITA), Vendula Frintova (CZE), Barbara Zutt (NED) and Andrea Whitcombe (GBR) managed to go with Burgos. The second Spanish Marina Damlaincourt had some problems to maintain the speed. The first U23 was Myek Vynkce (BEL) came 10 seconds later.

The situation remained during the next two laps, but the differences were growing every minute. The leading group has 6 duathletes inside, then five athletes one by one and the second group one minute behind with the 2 first U23 athletes, Myek Vynkce (BEL) and Lisa Hutthaler (AUT).

After the fast transition the leading group contained only four members, Ana Burgos (ESP), Vendula Frintova (CZE), Heen Lawrence (GBR) and Andrea Whitcombe (GBR). Barbara Zutt (NED) was alone 20 seconds later and Laura Giordano (ITA) and Marina Damlaincourt tried to catch her in order to work together 1.30 after. The U23 Lisa Hutthaler (AUT) and Myek Vynkce (BEL) were in a group of five duathletes.

During the bike segment the 3rd group was chasing the 2nd, and then the 1st to complete a pack of nine at the end of the bike leg. This lead group consisted of Vendula Frintova (CZE), Helen Lawrence (GBR), Sarah Schuez (SUI), Marina Damlaincourt (ESP), Natalie Kuhn (SUI), Laura Giordano (ITA), Andrea Whitcombe (GBR), Ana Burgos (ESP) and Soraya Perez (ESP). The 4 first U23 rode together in the next pack, Lisa Hutthaler (AUT), Miek Vyncke (BEL), Michelle Fangmann (NED) and Alice Hector (GBR).

The 2nd run was incredibly fast and tuff. Vendula Frintova (CZE) and Ana Burgos took the lead from the two British, Helen Lawrence and Andrea Whitcombe after 2km of running together. Both open the gap up to 20 seconds at 1,5km to go. 2 minutes later the U23 are repeated the same story with Lisa Hutthaler and Miek Vyncke in front and Michelle Fangmann (NED) and Karen Sindall (GBR) 30 seconds behind.

At km 4 Burgos changed the speed and she crossed the finish line 16 seconds ahead of Frintova. Bronze medal went to Helen Lawrence, 37 seconds behind the winner.

Lisa Hutthaler (AUT) took the gold in the U23 field, the 2nd with 23 seconds behind was Miek Vyncke (BEL), and 3rd place went for Michelle Fangmann (NED).

Elite and U23 Men

The elite and U23 men competition started with an impressive 10km run. A lot of athletes was running very fast all together. The several battles, many sharp corners and narrows passages “helped” them to fall down from the leaders. This started to happen at the half way of the run course. At 5km the first break occured, left the first pack with “only” about 25 runners. Lino Barruncho (POR), Roel Pavles (BEL), Anthony Le Duey (FRA), François Lhussier (FRA), Tim Don (GBR), Lurent Galinier (FRA), Javier García (ESP), Jurgen Dereere (BEL), Enrique Meneses (ESP) with only two U23 - Benjamin Grenetier (FRA) and Jose Tovar (ESP) were in this group.

During the second half of the first run, the group decreased more it’s size and no more than 15 flow over the transition at the same time. First out Transition was Laurent Galinier (FRA), Enrrique Meneses (ESP), Stephane Valente (FRA), Anthony Le Duey (FRA), Falk Cierpinski (GER), Lino Barruncho (POR) and the only U23 remaning in this group was Jose Tovar (ESP). 2nd in this stage was Benjamin Gretenier (FRA) starting the bike 40 seconds behind, and 3rd Matthias Zoll 10 seconds after the French.

During the bike segment the two first groups joined, and they get the transition together. Inside the pack were Stephane Valente (FRA) Falk Cierpinski (GER), Roel Pauvels (BEL), Jurgen Dereere (BEL), Tim Don (GBR), Lino Barruncho (POR), Armand Van der Smissen (NED), Anthony le Duey (FRA), Javier García (ESP) and Miguel Capo (ESP), as well as the U23 Jose Tovar (CZE), Sergio Silva (POR), Wim Nieuwkerk (NED), Sve Schelling (SUI), Andy Sutz (SUI) and Benjamin Grenetier (FRA).

Both races are open for several athletes to win and the last 5000 meters was very exciting. In front of the lead group the leader has changed several times included, Lino Barruncho, Jurgen Dereere, Tim Don or Stephane Valente. The size of the group is became smaller after every corner and at 2.6km, when the bell sounds only Jurgen Dereere could follow Tim Don on the lead. A long queue of individuals followed this couple in the next 20 seconds and the race has not yet been decided. Opposite of that, the French U23 Benjamin Grenetier decided on the first lap to take a clear lead.

Tim Don was not able to respond the attack of Jurgen Dereere at the end and was also overtaken by Armand Van Der Smissen (NED). Benjamin Grenetier won the U23 race.

Junior Men and Women

7.00 AM when the sun just woke up the Junior men opened the Championships in Wales. The Junior category covered the distance of 5km running, 20km cycling and 2,5km running.

29 starters were present and after the horn sound, they started with a very fast run. In the first lap Andres Medved (SLO) took the lead along with Gregor Bucholz (GER) followed by the whole group. After the first transition a group with one dozen of duathletes were in the front, leaded by another Slovenian, Bojan Cebin, Marijn Guerken (GER) and Gregor Buckholz (GER).

During the junior men were on the bike, the junior women started the race representing 9 countries from all over Europe. The first lap around the Marina produced the first selection and a group of seven broke away from the field. The gap was 10 seconds at this stage.

After Transition 1, Dora Bako, Zsuzsa Laluska (both from HUN), Nicole Hofer (SUI), Charlote Bonin (ITA), Charlotte Gauchet (FRA), Katy Moore (GBR) and Carolin Glaser (GER) rode the bike together, starting the three laps of biking. Half minute later, the Italian pair Desideri - Mazzetti were looking for join them.

The juniors men race seemed like an elite one and almost all the field joined in a group during the bike leg. Therefore the final run decided. The transition was very fast and all the duathletes were on attack on the lap around the Marina. There were no time for tactics and the fastest runner, Michal Gondek (CZE) took the lead at 1,1km to be the winner with only one second advantage with the Slovenian Bojan Cebin, and two seconds over the Slovakian Martin Urbanovsky. The team results is also very close with Czech Republic in the gold position (2:54:08), 2nd Italy (2:55:05), 3rd Hungary ((2:55:10), 4th Great Britain (2:55:20) and Netherland (2:55:20)

The women’s bike leg confirmed the positions of the first run. A leading group of six with Nicole Hofer (SUI), Charlotte Bonin (ITA) and Tanya Ten Velden (NED) in the front entered the transition. Carolin Glaser fall down at the dismount line, but she could continoue the race. Carolin Gauchet (FRA) came from the last position of the leading group and took the lead early and finished the race in gold medal position. Within 5 seconds Nicole Hofer (SUI) finished for the silver and Zsuzsa Laluska (HUN) took the bronze. The team competition was won by Hungary with (3:19:40), followed by Italy with (3:20:01).

Complete results and photos are available from the ITU.