Eneko Llanos won at the Onditz Memorial followed by Francesc Godoy

Donostia yesterday hosted one of the most important international triathlon events. No fewer than 704 athletes took part in the twenty-seventh edition of the Onditz Memorial -Caja Laboral Grand Prize- organized once again this year by Atlético de San Sebastián, in collaboration with Gipuzkoako Triatloi Federazioa and Euskadiko Triatloi Federazioa.

The Alava triathlete Eneko Llanos he took his fifth consecutive victory in this epic test that was marked by good weather and pleasant temperatures. The Catalan Francesc Godoy, winner of last year, and the Australian Ryan Bailie, another of the favorites to win the race, completed the podium in a highly competitive triathlon and in which the name of the winner was not decided until the last bars of the race. herself.

The women were the first to go to the 9.15h from La Concha beach and fifteen minutes later the federated men did it. The last exit, corresponding to the non-federated ones, occurred at five minutes. The competition, scoring for the Basque triathlon circuit and also coinciding with the Olympic Triathlon Gipuzkoa Championship, was played precisely over Olympic distance. The athletes made 1.500 meters by swimming with the ascent to Mendizorrotz. On the Zubieta street, the transit of the bike (40 kilometers) was done on foot (10 kilometers). As a novelty, this year the participants toured the boats anchored in the Bay of San Sebastian.

The men's race was undoubtedly the most exciting. The athlete Francesc Godoy commanded the competition but in the last kilometers was overtaken by the athlete from Alava Eneko Llanos (1: 57: 00). The Catalan dominated the swimming and cycling races and entered first in the two boxes. It seemed that Godoy would repeat victory until in the stretch on foot could not stand the frenetic pace of Vitoria. Finally, he entered second to nineteen seconds of the athlete from Alava.

Eneko Llanos, meanwhile, came sixth of the water and fourth of the bike race. But in the piece on foot the athlete from Vitoria gave the surprise and managed to overtake the group head and thus making the victory.

Behind both came Australian Ryan Bailie (1:57:45), Galician Uxío Abuin (1:58:01) and Pedro Miguel Reig from Alicante (1:58:57). Zaragoza's Jon Unanue was once again the first from Gipuzkoa to cross the finish line and he did so in seventh position, five minutes behind the winner. Among the list of participants, the presence of Mikel Garmendia stood out, sixth in the World Paratriathlon and third in the World Paraduathlon Championship in 2011.

Maider Gaztañaga, third

In the female category, the young Australian Ashlee Bailie (under 23) was proclaimed champion with a time of 2:13:57 and, a few seconds away, her compatriot Natalie Van Coevorden (2:14:23), winner of the previous edition, reached goal. The Ordizian athlete Maider Gaztañaga, from Tolosaldeko Triatloi Taldea, completed the podium with a time of 2:16:32.

Gipuzkoa again demonstrated her great talent as a swimmer and was the second woman to get out of the water, after Van Coevorden. But in the bike race, the winner shortened distances and managed to take the lead, maintaining those positions until the end of the competition.

From the first hour of the morning more than a thousand people enjoyed the excellent atmosphere in the city center and in the walks of La Concha and Ondarreta. Atlético de San Sebastián led the reins of an excellent organization and everyone enjoyed the show. Now we will have to wait until next year to enjoy again the magnificent scenes that were experienced yesterday by sea and land in Donostia.