Hering and Blummenfelt take WINS at Clash Endurance Daytona

Luke Howard December 4, 2021December 5, 2021 Clash Endurance Daytona, Triathlon, USA

Clash Endurance Daytona marked the final weekend of competition for the 2021 professional triathlon calendar as Jackie Hering (USA) and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) took home some healthy prize money ($15,000 each) just in time for Christmas after blitzing their way to victories.

Calm conditions and little wind painted a picture perfect day for the athletes who were prepared to do battle on the spectacular course of Daytona International Speedway with a shared prize pot of $100,000 set to be won.

PRO Womens Race

As the field of twenty women set flight from the deep water start for a two lap swim it was Lucy Hall (GB), who in typical fashion, made the swim look easy by creating large gaps in the field immediately. However, Sara Pérez (ESP) and Jodie Stimpson (GB) were hot on her heels during lap one before making the Aussie exit and diving back in for lap two. A larger pack was formed behind but were loosing significant time already. Hall made use of her strength on lap two by making a sole breakaway from Pérez and Stimpson, eventually exiting the water in a time of 24 minuets 10 seconds with a gap of 32 seconds to Pérez and a further 1 minute 5 seconds to Stimpson and the rest of the field.

With a prize of $1000 up for grabs for the quickest transition this was just another incentive for the athletes to move quicker through this section. It was India Lee (GBR) who took that bonus with a time of 1 minute 25 seconds.

After a smooth transition Hall was up and away on the course and settled into her position. By lap 5 she had a comfortable 2 minute gap, with Pérez and Stimpson maintaining the required distance between each other (20 meters) and riding in a pack of two behind. A larger pack of five athletes including India Lee, Jackie Hering (USA), Rachel Mcbride (CAN), Laura Siddall (GBR), Meredith Kessler (USA) were chasing hard. Lee would break away from those four athletes and make her way up to Stimpson and Pérez. Initially it looked like she had burnt her matches once she had closed the gap but moments later flew past the two athletes immediately opening up a gap, however, Hall’s lead was still growing.

Past the halfway mark on the bike Hall now had over a 3 minute lead to Lee. Behind her Pérez would run into difficulties and fall out of the race. Stimpson would be caught by a chasing group of five athletes who had evidently started to settle in and look around which would not help their chase to the front further down the line.

By the final lap of the bike Hall had a lead of just under 4 minutes to Lee and 5 minutes to a large chase pack being led by McBride.

Onto the run and Hall’s stride looked impressive and she was showing no signs of weakness. It hard to see anyone catching her by this point. After lap one her gap to India Lee had not moved from the 3 minutes 30 seconds mark and Hering was sitting in third 4 minutes back with a slight gap to a closely fought battle between Stimpson and Reischmann for fourth. However, Stimpson would soon controversially be hit with a penalty for littering due to her race number falling off. She would pick it back up on lap 2 with her penalty being retracted.

In the closing two laps Hall did begin to slow and her lead was being dramatically cut by Hering who was now sitting in second. Hering would continue to drag Hall back and with half a lap to go Hearing would take the lead after an incredible run performance. She would ‘cruise’ down the finish straight to take the tape in 3:32:50 with Hall coming in a further 23 seconds back. In a dramatic sprint finish it would be a shock and surprising third for Marjolaine Pierré who had hardly been seen for much of the race, crossing 1 minute 48 seconds back.

PRO Women

1. Jackie Hering (USA) 3:32:50
2. Lucy Hall (GBR) 3:33:13
3. Marjolaine Pierre (FRA) 3:34:38
4. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) 3:34:44
5. Laura Siddall (GBR) 3:35:42
6. Anne Reischmann (GER) 3:37:05
7. Rach McBride (CAN) 3:37:51
8. India Lee (GBR) 3:40:42
9. Lesley Smith (USA) 3:41:08
10. Meredith Kessler (USA) 3:43:24

PRO Mens Race

In the mens race, all eyes were on Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) after his dominant year from becoming Olympic Champion, World Champion and most recently taking the win in his epic Ironman Debut with Fastest Ever Ironman time.

A much busier swim start to the women with most of the men staying in close contention as the canon went off, it was Marc Dubrick (USA) who with his steady stroke, glided to the front. Ben Kanute (USA) was using all gears to keep on his feet and it would be these two who would open up a gap by the time they reached the first buoy. Kristian Blummenfelt was heading up the rest of the field who would remain in a close compact pack.

By the end of lap 1 the two athletes had a nice margin of 25 seconds over the chasing pack and it looked as if they would have a comfortable lead come the end of the swim. However, throughout the second lap the chasing pack managed to close this gap back down to a mere 7 seconds and it was all to play for as 12 athletes, also including James Teagle (GBR) and Rudy von Berg (USA) amongst others all came through T2 in close contention.

Kanute powered away at the start of the bike after a quick T1 and opened up a 20 second lead to the chase pack headed up by Blummenfelt. Denmark’s Ditlev who had a significantly improved swim compared to last year and is known for being probably the strongest biker on the long distance circuit, quickly caught and moved through to the front of the chasing pack. Nearing the end of lap 1 Ditlev made the move passed Kanute and opened up a gap. Blummenfelt was pushing hard to stay on the wheel of Kanute who was struggling to stay with the incredibly strong Ditlev.

After 10 laps of the 20 lap bike section Ditlev had opened up a miraculous 90 second lead to a chasing Blummenfelt and Kanute and he would continue to maintain this pace right to the end of the bike leg and eventually have a creditable 2 minute 30 second lead heading into T2. Rudy Von Berg (USA) would join Blummenfelt and Kanute in the chasing pack by the final lap of the bike to mix things up coming off the bike.

As Ditlev hit the run in his bounding fashion it was a question of whether Blummenfelt would produce a run performance in the same way he has all year. As Blummenfelt and Kanute jumped off their bikes and headed out Blummenfelt was looking far more comfortable and this would be a sign of things to come.

Blummenfelt would gradually drag the seconds back to Ditlev and at the halfway mark, Ditlev was now in sight for Blummenfelt at a deficit of 50 seconds and it became a question of when the Olympic Champion would move into the lead. Kanute by this point had slipped back to fifth with Von Berg sitting in third and Matt Hanson running through at a storming pace into forth.

With a lap and a half to go, Blummenfelt moved into the lead and Ditlev would have a lot of work to do to hold onto his second position with a Von Berg closing the gap and a quicker and Hanson running faster than anyone in the field.

Into the finish straight and Kristian Blummenfelt was all smiles as he could comfortably take the victory at Clash Endurance Daytona with Magnus Ditlev holding on and taking a remarkable second and Rudy Von Berg holding on for third.