Boecherer (GER) and Vesterby (DEN) Win IRONMAN Lanzarote 2021
Andi Boecherer (GER) and Michelle Vesterby (DEN) taste victory as both take wins in the 29th edition of Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote 2021. Renowned as one of oldest and most demanding of IRONMAN Courses with it’s gruelling 3.8km swim, 180.2 bike and 42.2km run in hot and humid conditions.
The Men’s Race
Swim
The 3.8km swim in the Atlantic Ocean just outside Puerto del Carmen saw four athletes emerge in close order; Nick Kastelein (AUS) in 50:15, leading out Antony Costes (FRA), Pieter Heemeryck (BEL) and Nils Frommhold (GER). The rest of the swimmers. were off the pace some 60 seconds or more behind but with many strong bikers in the field many would make some significant progress on the cycle leg.
Bike
The 180.2 km bike course would challenge participants with strong winds leading the athletes around the island with over 2500 meters of climbing, through the Fire Mountains and up to the northernmost part of the island. By the 37.5km mark the field was taking shape with the Danish athlete Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN) pushing from the front. Høgenhaug a relative late bloomer in triathlon terms, burst onto the international stage when in 2019 he stormed to victory in IRONMAN Hamburg and also claimed a superb second place in the ETU Long Distance European Championships in Almere.
At the 90.2 km mark Høgenhaug (DEN) was really dropping the watt bombs and had opened up a lead of nearly 6 minutes on the chasing group of Andi Boecherer (GER), Nick Kastelein (AUS) with strong cyclists Evert Scheltinga (NED) and Matt Trautman (SA) joining the chasing group. Høgenhaug (DEN) continued to maintain his position and lead time at the 139.7.9k mark although Andi Boecherer (GER) slowly brought the lead time down to 4 minutes and Boris Stein (GER) and Stenn Goetstouwers (BEL) has joined the chase group albeit still some 8 minutes behind.
By the end of the 180km leg Boecherer (GER) had clawed back his six-minute deficit to a little over 2 minutes behind Høgenhaug (DEN) with Stein (GER) 5 minutes behind with the next group of riders coming into T2, slightly off the pace, some 11 minutes back. So, all down to who had the fuel left in the tank to produce a strong run.
Run
The 3-lap marathon run course in hot and sunny conditions in Puerto del Car saw Boecherer (GER) start to close the gap on Høgenhaug (DEN) questioning whether the Dane had gone out too hard in the early stages of the bike section. At the 25.6km mark Boecherer (GER) had cemented his lead to over 6 minutes from Stein (GER) and Trautman (SA) who had moved up to 2rd and 3rd place respectively. The Dane Høgenhaug (DEN) who had been so impressive on the bike section had dropped to 4th.
Boecherer (GER) is no newcomer having won double digit IRONMAN 70.3 races and was 5th at the IRONMAN Kona Hawaii in 2016. This athlete is a seasoned professional and today was laying his mark that his is back on the winning trail.
And that certainly proved to be the case as Andi Boecherer (GER), took a triumphant win and Gold in a time of 08:34:11. A couple minutes later his fellow countryman Boris Stein (GER) crossed the line to take Silver in 08:42:03 (+07:51) with Bronze going to Matt Trautman (SA) in 08:43:00 (+08:48). The Dane Høgenhaug (DEN) for all his hard work during the swim and bike could not maintain the same pace on the run and missed the top three podium coming in 4th in a time of 08:45:54 (+11:42)
The Women’s Race
In another open race with no clear favourite in a much-reduced field interest was on the two GB athletes Simone Mitchell and Laura Siddall and how they would fair. The return of Siddal is a welcome sight having been absent from the scene for 18 months plagued by injury and who’s recent return to racing saw here take fourth-place at Challenge St. Poelten, Austria. Mitchell who was IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in the Age-Group ranks, and then raced and won IRONMAN Wales in 2019 –with a course record -would be looking to add to her tally of success.
Swim
Three women Michelle Vesterby (DEN), Manon Genêt (FRA), and Justine Mathieux (FRA) exited the water of the 2.8km swim all within 15 seconds of each other. The British duo came out 4th and 5th some 2 minutes behind.
Bike
Onto the bike leg and it was Manon Genêt (FRA) recent winner of the 2021 TriGames Cagnes-Sur-Mer, and who was 14th at Challenge Daytona who was soon in the lead and would maintain that position all day leaving everyone in her dust. Genet appeared to have a very specific plan and was going to execute it, expectations be damned.
By the time Genêt entered T1 she had smashed the bike section and was over 7 minutes ahead of her nearest rival Vesterby (DEN) with 3rd place Mathieux (FRA) nearly 15 minutes back with Siddall (GB) who was now in 4th place. Nonetheless, 42.2 km (26.2 mile) run course ahead and dehydration coming into effect places could chance in a matter of minutes.
Run
Genêt set out of T2 onto the run course as she did on the bike section in a blistering fashion and by 13.4km has built a lead of over 9 minutes on her closest rival Vesterby (DEN) with GB’s Laura Siddall moving up to 3rd place with a never say die attitude some 12 minutes behind the leader.
At the 16.8km mark Genêt pace was rapidly slowing as Vesterby (DEN) and the ever improving Siddall (GB) starting closing the gap. Had the French women gone too hard in the bike section? At the 19.5km mark this appeared to be the case as the Genêt was now slowing down dramatically with Vesterby (DEN) a mere 25 second behind and Siddall (GB) now only 3 minutes behind.
At the 22.2 km mark Genêt (FRA) had already been caught and clearly suffering pulled out of the race to leave Vesterby (DEN) in the lead closely followed by Siddall (GB) who had now closed the gap to under 3 minutes with Mathieux (FRA) not far behind and not giving up the chase.
31.km in and for the three front-runners this was anyone’s race with only 2 minutes separating the three of them but with the telling sign that Siddall (GB) was closly the gap all the time and now only a little over a minute behind the leader Vesterby (DEN) with Mathieux (FRA) still hanging in 3rd spot still within touching distance. Down to the last few kilometres an Vesterby (DEN) was still maintaining her slight advantage with the gallant Siddall putting all her effort in to catch the Dane.
With the welcoming finish line in sight, it was Vesterby from Denmark who took Gold in a time of 09:55:04 with Great Britain’s Laura Siddall so close to the win coming through strong to take Silver in 09:55:51 (+ 00:47) and Bronze going to Justine Mathieux of France in a time of 09:57:16 (+ 02:12). Just missing out on a top three podium was Great Britian’s Simone Mitchell who put in a late challenge to come 4th in a time of 10:12:42 (+17:38)
