Maider Gaztañaga and Gustavo Rodríguez win the Bilbao Triathlon
The Basque and the Galician prove to be the strongest and take the victory in the fourth edition of the test, held under a pleasant temperature and the warmth of the public.
Gustavo Rodríguez and Maider Gaztañaga proved to be the strongest in the IV. edition of the Bilbao Triathlon that has been played today in Bilbao and took the txapela of champions in a test developed under a pleasant temperature, without rain and a large audience supporting the triathletes.
The podium was completed by the Galician Aida Valiño (2ª) and the Polish Ewa Bugdol (3ª) in the female category, while the Scottish Fraser Cartmell and the Madrid Alejandro Santamaría did the same in the male.
In boys, Rodríguez, took advantage of his quality as a professional ex-cyclist in the ranks of Xacobeo Galicia to blow up the race in the first ramps of the Vivero. The triathlete of Tuy (Pontevedra), who arrived in Bilbao to win the ICAN Málaga, took the lead in the bike segment and did not let go until he crossed the finish line alone.
"It has been a very hard race and fought from the beginning. I found myself on a bike very well and the circuit was very favorable for the people who came from cycling. It's been a while since I've found myself like this. He knew that in the race on foot, if he did not burst, he would keep pace with the first place. I went to 3: 40 the kilometer and keeping it in case it had to be tightened at the end. The key has been the strength that I have not spent raising to be able to use it on the plane, "declared the winner.
The first to come out of the water was Jon Unanue, marking a record of 28: 06, with Cartmell at 5 seconds, Ouilleres at 1: 34, Elgezabal, Cigana and Estrangeiro at two minutes and Agirresarobe and Rodríguez 12º at exactly three minutes.
The 90 kilometers bike rearranged the race and put the Galician ahead, which in the T2 got more than two and a half minutes to Ouilleres, second, 2: 54 to Cartemell, third 3: 23 to Elgezabal, fourth, and more than six minutes to Santamaría.
In the three laps of the race on foot the situation did not change in the first position but in the other two boxes of the podium. Cartmell took advantage of the downturn of Ouilleres to take the silver, and Santamaría managed to overcome several positions to finish third.
The new Euskadi champion of the medium distance is Mikel Elgezabal, winner in the 2011 and 2012 editions, this time finished 6º. Aimar Agirresarobe, winner of the 2013, did not find the best sensations and finished the race in ninth position.
GAZTAÑAGA, THE STRONGEST IN GIRLS
In the female category, Maider Gaztañaga proved to be the strongest practically from the first meters of the Bilbao Ria, and based her victory on a great regularity in all areas. Nadadora consummate, left the water in second position, six seconds behind a great Aida Valiño, winner in Malaga a month ago. Behind, Bugdol, Casares, Hernandez Hollings, Mintegui, Schulz fought to not lose much time in the Ria.
In the bicycle sector the test was stretched and Valiño, Galician time trial champion, extended her income to more than two minutes with respect to Gaztañaga. Further back, with more than eight minutes of delay in the T2 passed Bugdol and Casares with the mind set on the third box of the podium.
The 21 final kilometers on foot served so that Gaztañaga were eating little by little seconds to its rival and it surpassed it in the equator of the race. Thus, the oñatiarra, achieved the victory after having been second in 2012, a year that also managed to finish fifth in the World Championship and win in Zarautz. This victory also gives the Euskadi Middle Distance Championship.
"The race has been super tough. Swimming in the estuary has been a joy with all the people cheering. By bike it is so hard that in the first round you have to control yourself not to burst. I knew that on a bike Valiño is very strong and I saw that I was getting more time. Running I've gone for it and I've been seeing it approaching me. When I passed it, in the first kilometer I saw that it has been left behind and I put the direct to the goal. This is an incredible moral kick. It's very exciting and I'm super happy, "explained Gaztañaga at goal.
Behind, Valiño put his pace that allowed him to reach the finish in second place. The Polish Ewa Bugol, did not lose his place on the podium even though behind the Cantabrian Ana Casares made things difficult.
1. OFFICIAL MALE CLASSIFICATION
2 Gustavo Rodríguez 4: 06: 49
3 Fraser Cartmell to 3: 20
4 Alejandro Santamaría to 3: 54
5 Massimo Cigana to 5: 31
6 Gwenael Ouilleres to 6: 10
7 Mikel Elgezabal to 6: 38
FEMALE CLASSIFICATION
1 Maider Gaztañaga
2 Aida Valiño
3 Ewa Bugdol
4 Ana Casares
There are no previous results.
