Alberto Casillas and the American Erin Dunn prevails in the Sierra Nevada in the highest triathlon in the world
Alberto Casillas (Triathlon Segovia) has won today in the long distance of the II Sierra Nevada Triathlon with a time of 5 hours, 35 minutes and 36 seconds, in an "extremely hard" test for distances, terrain and, above all , by the altitude, which at the highest point of the route - the Sierra Nevada radio telescope - exceeds the 2.800 meters of altitude.
Casillas, a 22-year-old Forestry Engineering student, beat Emilio Almagro (Granada Triathlon) by four minutes, and Ignacio Cabal García, who entered third, by more than 10.
The II Sierra Nevada Long Triathlon, in which a hundred athletes participated, started at 9 am today from the Canales reservoir where the triathletes swam 2.500 meters (a thousand meters more than yesterday's short triathlon), and followed a 90-kilometer route in bike (twice as much as yesterday) which included the Alto de Monachil (considered a special category in the Vuelta Ciclista a España), the Alto del hotel del Duque (with steeper slopes than the previous one) and Pradollano.
The 21 kilometers of running on foot (11 kilometers more than the short triathlon on Saturday) ran through the tracks of the station, always above 2.100 meters of altitude, until reaching the Loma de Dílar radio telescope.
Alberto Casillas, who came third from the Canales reservoir, first crowned the Alto del Purche and in the Duque he found the company of the professional cyclist Oscar Sevilla. “Óscar was giving me advice. It has been a luxury and a motivation. I have had very good feelings. I have been regulating the foot race at all times because I knew I had practically 13 minutes ”, added the winner.
“In a mountain race, if you go more or less in one piece, it is already very difficult for them to take them away from you. It is worth noting that the climb to the Radio Telescope was very hard, you even had to walk. This has been the hardest race I have ever run. This triathlon is a half-day Ironman, an outrage, very nice but very hard,” concluded Casillas.
The first woman to cross the Pradollano finish line was the American Erin Dunn, with 8 hours, 9 minutes and 53 seconds. Dunn, a young woman from New York “passionate” about triathlon who is studying for a master's degree in Granada, was followed by Pamina Bohrer (8 hours, 15 minutes, 11 seconds) and Úrsula Serrano (8 hours, 27 minutes and 15 seconds ).
CLASSIFICATION OF THE II SIERRA NEVADA long TRIATHLON (July 22)
Men:
1.- Alberto Casillas. 5 hours, 35 minutes, 56 seconds.
2.- Emilio Almagro. 5 hours, 39 minutes, 56 seconds.
3.- Ignacio Cabal. 5 hours, 46 minutes, 44 seconds.
Women:
1.- Erin Dunn. 8 hours, 09 minutes, 53 seconds.
2.- Pamina Bohrer. 8 hours, 15 minutes, 11 seconds.
3.- Úrsula Serrano. 8 hours, 27 minutes, 15 seconds.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE II TRIATLON short SIERRA NEVADA (21 of July)
Men:
1.- Steven Van Heirseele. 2 hours, 47 minutes, 8 seconds
2.- Eduardo Moreno. 2 hours, 49 minutes, 45 seconds.
3.- Juan Andrés Cano. 2 hours, 51 minutes and 34 seconds.
Women:
1.- Sara Bonilla. 3 hours, 16 minutes, 49 seconds.
2.- Elena Aguilar. 3 hours, 24 minutes, 17 seconds.
3.- Verónica Tovar. 3 hours, 41 minutes, 46 seconds.
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