Víctor del Corral and Michelle Vesterby, winners of the XXI Ironman Lanzarote
Victor del Corral, current European cross triathlon champion, was proclaimed 'Iron Man' on the island of Lanzarote, in the Ironman más duro del mundo, al entrar primero y en solitario en la meta situada en Puerto del Carmen después de haber afrontado 3,8 kilómetros a nado, una etapa en bike of 180 km and subsequently 42,195 kilometers running.
Despite a somewhat irregular start in the swimming, where he did not finish in the top ten, Víctor recovered positions in the cycling stage until he managed to finish in second place. It was by running the marathon that the Catalan was able to take the lead, thanks to the fact that the British Philip Graves, winner of the Ironman in the United Kingdom in 2010, retired injured at kilometer 15.
After facing the remaining twenty-seven kilometers alone, Víctor Del Corral was crowned winner of the test with a time of 8h44.40, ahead of the British Stephen Bayliss, second, and the Portuguese Sergio Marques, third.
“I am much more than happy for this victory, I have fulfilled a goal and a dream. I think it is the most important triumph of my sporting career, at least the one that has the most sentimental value, since being Spanish, winning an Ironman in Lanzarote is the only thing that goes without saying,” the triathlete commented at a press conference.
“I have been preparing for this test in Lanzarote since last November and since that month I knew that the objective of the season was this,” declared Del Corral, who said that the race took place “with a lot of heat and moderate wind”, feared meteorological factors. by all participants.
With this victory, Víctor Del Corral becomes the second Spaniard to achieve victory in the Lanzarote Ironman after the Vitorian Eneko Llanos, which expired in 2007 and 2010.
In the female category, the victory went to the Danish Michelle Vesterby, who achieved a time of 9h58.10. Second place went to the British Bella Bayliss, winner of the Lanzarote Ironman in 2008 and 2009, who finished in 10h06.16, while the Dutch Helene Bij de Vaate was third after finishing in 10h27.38.
Saleta Castro, a triathlete who occupied the top positions in the classification for a good part of the race, collapsed in the running segment and finally finished the race. Ironman Lanzarote in seventh place.
The test registered a record with 1.694 registered participants, 227 more than in 2010, an edition that had the maximum participation so far with 1.567 registered.
General ranking:
Male:
1st Víctor Del Corral (ESP) 8h44.40
2nd Stephen Bayliss (GBR) 8:53:38
3rd Sergio Marques (POR) 9:02:59
Female:
1st Michelle Vesterby (DEN) 9h58.10
2nd Bella Bayliss (GBR) 10h06.16
3rd Helene Bij de Vaate (NED) 10h27.38.
EFE
