New IRONMAN 70.3 Euro Champs 2021 are Lucy Charles-Barclay and George Goodwin
Lucy Charles-Barclay and George Goodwin are the new 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 European Champions having both won their Championship races held in Elsinore, Denmark.
The scene is set against the backdrop of ‘Hamlets’ Castle, Kronborg, with the words of Polonius echoing “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” (2.2.195) as pro athletes lined up to do battle for the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Elsinore (Helsingør).This pearl city of royal and historic Danish culture with its stunning architecture and cobbled streets saw an array of star-studded IRONMAN athletes on Sunday 27 June 2021.
On the start line was a contingent of talented British athletes in George Goodwin, Holly Lawrence, Lucy Charles-Barclay, and Susie Cheetham.
In the women’s race all eyes were on the contest between the British duo, Holly Lawrence, and Lucy Charles-Barclay. Lawrence with memories of her 2019 victory on the same course and Charles-Barcley whose recent form spells ‘invincible’. In the men’s race interest was focused on George Goodwin, placed 6th when he raced at Elsinore in 2019. Goodwin produced a career-best performance to take third place 2020 PTO supported Challenge Daytona and is fresh from his IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George where he was placed 17th.
PRO WOMEN
Exiting the one-loop1.9 km (1.2 mile) swim course in Elsinore Harbour it was Lucy Charles-Barclay who emerged first in a time of 00:22.43 some 55 seconds ahead of the second swimmer out of the water, fellow Brit Holly Lawrence who was well clear of the local home athlete Camellia Pederson and fellow Dane Maja Stage-Nielsen who in turn had a buffer on GBs Susie Cheetham.
As the British duo of Charles-Barclay and Lawrence set out on the one-loop 90 km (56 mile) bike course along the stunning coastline before heading through the Danish countryside it was Lawrence who powered down to claw back some of the lead time of Charles-Barclay. But Charles-Barclay is in invincible form and as they passed the halfway mark it was Charles-Barclay who was maintaining consistency of pace and was slowly building up a bigger lead. As Charles-Barclay entered T2 Lawrence was some 3 minutes in arrears with the rest of the field some 10 minutes behind the leader.
So, onto the 21.1 km (13.1 mile) run course that circles the historic Kronborg castle before heading for the city centre of Elsinore. Charles-Barclay’s running is strong, and everything pointed to this being one-horse race. Although Lawrence gave little away maintaining a good pace on the run section it was Lucy Charles-Barclay who was striding towards the finish.
At the finish it was as Lucy Charles Barclay who caressed the winning tape to be crowned Queen of Europe 70:3 IRONMAN in a time of 03:59:57 with Holly Lawrence coming in second in a time 04:05:18 (+00:05:21) a considerable way ahead of the Dane Camellia Pederson who took third place in a time of 04:15:51 (+00:15:54). Sussie Cheetham back again on the circuit following a maternal break came home in a commendable 5th place in a time of 04:17:24.
With such strength in depth in all three discipline it is hard to see who is going to stop Lucy Charles-Barclay over the coming years as she grows stronger with every race. What next? Paris 2024 Olympic Triathlon Gold maybe?
For her efforts at Elsinore, Charles-Barclay will take top share of the prize pot to the sum of $14,000.
Female Race Results
| Name | Swim | Bike | Run | Time | Prize Money | ||
| 1 | Lucy Charles-Barclay | GBR | 00:22:42 | 02:14:11 | 01:18:04 | 03:59:56 | US$ 14,000 |
| 2 | Holly Lawrence | GBR | 00:23:37 | 02:16:25 | 01:20:19 | 04:05:17 | US$ 7,000 |
| 3 | Camilla Pedersen | DEN | 00:24:59 | 02:20:36 | 01:24:14 | 04:15:50 | US$ 4,500 |
| 4 | Maja Stage Nielsen | DEN | 00:26:09 | 02:22:20 | 01:21:37 | 04:16:17 | US$ 3,000 |
| 5 | Susie Cheetham | GBR | 00:27:02 | 02:21:47 | 01:22:28 | 04:17:23 | US$ 2,500 |
| 6 | Carolin Lehrieder | GER | 00:26:10 | 02:19:35 | 01:26:17 | 04:17:47 | US$ 2,000 |
| 7 | Anna-Lena Best Pohl | GER | 00:25:21 | 02:23:51 | 01:23:19 | 04:18:07 | US$ 1,500 |
| 8 | Heini Hartikainen | FIN | 00:30:00 | 02:20:21 | 01:23:52 | 04:20:39 | US$ 1,250 |
| 9 | Frederikke Idon-Andersen | DEN | 00:29:10 | 02:28:32 | 01:28:54 | 04:33:06 | US$ 1,000 |
| 10 | Dina Moensted | DEN | 00:26:08 | 02:22:28 | 01:39:09 | 04:34:23 | US$ 750 |
PRO MEN
The men’s opening 1.9km swim was a much tighter affair that saw New Zealander Kyle Smith lead the way with a 00:21:55 swim time, heading a group of 11 athletes all within 12 seconds of each other, which included the likes of twice defending champion American Radolphe Von Berg a pre-race favourite. Some way back was GB’s George Goodwin who seemed he might be out of contention being some 00:02:14 behind the lead group as they headed into T1.
The 90km cycle leg is where it was established that Smith (NZ) was a man on a mission as he dropped the watt bombs and powered his way forward keeping his lead all the way into T2 with a stunning bike ride time of 02:01:14 ahead of the chasing group of 10 by some 2 minutes. Goodwin was still not in the top ten as he entered T2 but he is a renowned bike-beast and had caught up to within a whisker of the chase group and was only some 3 minutes behind the leader Smith.
Everything was down to the 21.1km run and who had the run legs. Well, it was Goodwin who laid down the gauntlet with an average pace of 00:03:15 per km against the leader pace of 00:03:26 with the chasing group fairer no better.
At the 17km Goodwin had caught and run through the group and was now the man the chasing group had to hunt down. Goodwin did not ease up on the pace and near the end it was only the American, Von Berg who seemed to have anything left to make a last-ditch charge. But it was too little too late as Goodwin crossed the finishing line in a time of 03:38:58 to be crowned King of Europe 70:3 IRONMAN.
Second place went the American Von Berg in a time of 03:39:21 (+00:00:23) with Germanys Jan Stratmann coming third in 03:39:33 (+00:00:35). Smith (NZ) who put in a superb swim and bike leg. could not maintain that form on the run and came fifth. However, he is one to watch in the future having only made his IRONMAN debut this year.
This win will move Goodwin up to the top end of the ranking and ought may well secure him qualification to join Team Europe at The Collins Cup in Slovakia this August.
For this race the top ten athletes win the prize money with the lions share going to Goodwin to the tune of $14,000
Male Race Results
| Name | Swim | Bike | Run | Time | Prize Money | ||
| 1 | George Goodwin | GBR | 00:24:09 | 02:01:34 | 01:08:30 | 03:38:57 | US$ 14,000 |
| 2 | Rudy Von Berg | USA | 00:22:00 | 02:03:01 | 01:09:33 | 03:39:20 | US$ 7,000 |
| 3 | Jan Stratmann | GER | 00:21:58 | 02:02:55 | 01:09:44 | 03:39:32 | US$ 4,500 |
| 4 | Filipe Azevedo | POR | 00:22:03 | 02:03:00 | 01:09:31 | 03:39:45 | US$ 3,000 |
| 5 | Kyle Smith | NZL | 00:21:54 | 02:01:13 | 01:12:17 | 03:40:01 | US$ 2,500 |
| 6 | Miki Moerck Taagholt | DEN | 00:21:56 | 02:03:14 | 01:10:58 | 03:41:05 | US$ 2,000 |
| 7 | Magnus Elbaek Ditlev | DEN | 00:22:17 | 02:02:26 | 01:11:50 | 03:41:44 | US$ 1,500 |
| 8 | Jesper Svensson | SWE | 00:21:58 | 02:03:05 | 01:12:37 | 03:42:25 | US$ 1,250 |
| 9 | Florian Angert | GER | 00:22:06 | 02:02:41 | 01:13:55 | 03:43:47 | US$ 1,000 |
| 10 | Mattia Ceccarelli | ITA | 00:22:04 | 02:02:59 | 01:15:46 | 03:45:52 | US$ 750 |
