Belgium's Joerie Vansteelant defended his world title over a 10km run, 150km bike, and 30km run distance at the 2012 ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships, making him a four-time champion, while Sweden's Eva Nystrom earned her first world title in the women's race.
Elite Men's Review
Joerie Vansteelant (BEL) proved his supremacy in Long Distance Duathlon is far from over after charging to his fourth World Championship title in Zofingen today. Vansteelant controlled his pace on the first 10km run and challenging 150km bike before beasting the final 30km run ahead of silver medallist Rob Woestenborghs (BEL) and Soren Bystrup (DEN), who took third.
The men's race got off to a furious start, as Woestenborghs attacked the front half of the 10km run course, carrying a six second advantage over defending champion Vansteelant, Bystrup, Anthony Le Duey (FRA), Thibaut Humbert (FRA), and David Duquesnoy (FRA) onto the second lap.
After Woestenborghs couldn't find his bike in transition, Vansteelant capitalized on the opportunity to take off on his bike first. The men rode together, and by the time they hit kilometre 34, the Belgian duo owned more than three minutes on their competitors. Woestenborghs hung with his compatriot the duration of the bike, pulling into transition just two seconds later. The next to hit T2 was Humbert nearly eleven minutes later alongside Bystrup.
It didn't take long for the king of long distance duathlon to take off for his crown when his feet hit the ground. After steadily increasing his lead over 27km, Vansteelant torched through the final downhill three kilometres, leaving his competition quibbling behind him. Vansteelant recorded his fifth world title just seconds slower than his course-record setting time last year with a time of 6 hours, 7 minutes and 58 seconds.
Woestenborghs was second best 4 minutes and 36 seconds later. Bystrup made his way to the podium with a third-place finish in a time of 6 hours, 12 minutes and 38 seconds.
Elite Women's Review
The day belonged to Eva Nystrom (SWE) nearly start to finish at the ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships. With a masterful bike leg, Nystrom secured an insurmountable lead to claim her first world title and second consecutive World Championship podium. Lucy Gossage of Great Britain was the closest to Nystorm for second place, while May Kerstens (NED) made a come-from-behind dash to the finish for third.
Only on the first discipline did anyone else manage to outpace the victorious Sweed. Gossage surged ahead on the final run lap to hop on her bike just seconds before Susanne Svendsen (DEN) and Kerstens.
Nystrom overtook Gossage by the second lap of the bike and blazed through the next 50 kilometres, adding nearly three minutes between herself and her opposition. Behind Nystrom, Gossage maintained her second-place position, while Switzerland's own Karin Gerber cycled into third. Kerstens held strong in fourth, but with only a two-minute advantage over another Swiss Maja Jacober who had just overtaken Burke at the end of three laps.
Nystrom scorched through the finish to collect her first World Championship gold in 7 hours, 5 minutes and 48 seconds, just missing the course record by little more than an minute and besting her previous course time by 10 minutes. Gossage took silver 4 minutes and 21 seconds later, while Kerstens avenged her missed podium last year with a bronze medal time of 7 hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds.
220’s Nik Cook won his age-group at the event, look for his age-grouper tale in issue 279 (out 16 September).
