Per Bittner and Camilla Pedersen winners of the 2012 Half-challenge

The German Per Bittner won the fourth edition of the Barcelona-Maresme Half Challenge International Triathlon that brought together 1.700 Spanish and foreign triathletes in the Barcelona town of Calella.

The test was decided in the last kilometers with the reaction of Bittner that was reducing kilometer to kilometer the difference of the Russian Stanislav Krylov. The Teutón finished more whole and showed like the strongest one in a very hard day by the strong conditions of heat.

The Spanish Raúl Amatriain stood out again with a race from less to more and finished in a more than creditable third place that places him as the best Spanish middle-distance triathlete this season after his triumph in Valencia last March, while Blanchart, long distance European champion was fourth.

The test started with a swimming sector dominated by the Danish Rasmus Petreaus, who was followed by Krylov two seconds behind and by the New Zealander James Elvery, 36 seconds behind. The oceanician made his long-distance debut after being left out of the New Zealand list for London 2012. The distance was great for the “kiwi” and he suffered a hard fall in the cycling sector that left him touched.

The cycling sector had a clear dominator in Krylov, who gradually increased his lead against Miquel Blanchart who could not keep up with the Russian's hellish pace and who saw how Bittner was deploying his power to leave him off the hook.

Amatriain passed his particular crossing of the desert after leaving very far in the swimming sector, despite the fact that he improves in each test in the water.

At the end of the cycling Krylov maintained an income of 1: 53 on Bittner, more than 5 minutes on an amazing Andreas Borch, almost five and a half minutes on Blanchart and more than eight minutes on Amatriain who started the race on foot in eleventh position at 2 : 41 of the podium.

The last sector was a battle between Krylov and Bittner that the German was winning stride by stride. At km 5 he already had a shot at the Frenchman and at km 6 he was already the undisputed leader. From there he increased his difference against a Krylov who dosed to maintain second place.

From behind Blanchart saw how Amatriain from Navarre was pressing him and at km 17 he was already his shadow and a few meters later he surpassed him to confirm his presence on the podium.

In the final stretch was a full Bittner while behind Krylov maintained with just over a minute second place before the thrust of Amatriain, who eventually endorsed 41 seconds to Blanchart.

In the women's category, the victory was awarded to Camila Pedersen, ahead of the British Lucie Gossage, at 4:04 and third was the Finnish Tina Boman, at 7:10.

The Dane dominated the race from the start of the water and led all the kilometer points. Her superiority allowed her to regulate in the last kilometers.

Male classification

1 PER BITTNER (ALE) 3: 50: 35
2 STANISLAV KRYLOV (RUS) 3: 53: 45
3 RAUL AMATRIAIN (ESP) 3: 55: 15
4 MIQUEL BLANCHART (ESP) 3: 55: 56
5 ANDREAS BORCH (DIN) 3: 56: 37

Female classification

1 CAMILLA PEDERSEN (DIN) 4: 14: 246
2 LUCY GOSSAGE (GBR) 4: 18: 30
3 TIINA BOMAN (END) 4: 21: 30
4. GURUTZE FRADES (ENG) 4:27:40 
5 YVETTE GRICE (GBR) 4: 28: 44