Raelert and Lidbury win the Thomas Cook 70.3 Mallorca

German Andreas Raelert and British Emma-Kate Lidbury were crowned winners of the first edition of the Thomas Cook International Ironman 70.3 Mallorca´, which took place yesterday with start and finish in Alcudia.

The test, in which more than 1.800 triathletes from 47 nations participated, consisted of 1 kilometers of swimming, 9 in bike and 21 in the running race. The men's podium was completed by the French Bertrand Billard and Sylvain Sudrie. The Hungarian Erica Csomor and the German Silvia Felt were second and third in the women's race.

The starting gun for the ´Pros´ was at eight in the morning, in the bay of Alcúdia. It took only 23 minutes for the leading group, led by Raelert himself, to reach the transition zone to face the demanding bike circuit. Billard, who had never contested an ´Ironman 70.3´, was placed first and put in difficulties to Raelert, his German champion of the Ironman 2010 in Hawaii, who in the last 21´1 kilometers of race he pressed until he secured the victory after 3 hours, 53 minutes and 7 seconds.

“It was my first test of the year and I didn't know exactly how it would go, that's why I'm so satisfied. Congratulations to all those who have been able to finish and congratulations to the sponsors and the organization, it has been a fantastic race”, explained Raelert.

source: diariodemallorca