Today's Powerman Austria (www.powerman.at) in Weyer was the final event of the 2010/11 Powerman World Series before the ITU Powerman World Championship in Zofingen, Switzerland on Sunday 4th September.

The Austrian event is held over a 15.6km / 82.4km / 7.3km course, and attracted many of the world's best long distance duathletes ahead of the Swiss classic in two weeks time. A tough challenge made harder by temperatures touching mid 30 degrees celcius. That wasn't enough to stop Duathlon legend Joerie Vansteelant (BEL) and Denmark's Susanne Svendsen from taming both course and conditions.

Vansteelant lead from the start, heading into T1 alongside Frenchman Anthony Le Duey with 2010 Powerman World Champion Andy Sutz 50 seconds back. Vansteelant destroyed the bike course and his opposition, and by the finish line had gained a huge margin of eight minutes. He will prove very difficult to beat in Zofingen, returning to the race he missed last season to race in the ITU World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh where he gained bronze in a Belgian clean sweep of the men's podium.

Joerie crossed the finish line holding his baby-son Niels who was born in May 2011: “I feel so well here in Weyer, it’s almost like family holiday with our homestay family every time. It was really very hot today, but I was well prepared as I could do some good training in the mountains before and the hot conditions have not been a problem for me. I am glad to having been able to win again.”

Svendsen has raced well in the past on the Powerman circuit, but will be exceptionally pleased to have beaten seven time Powerman Zofingen winner Erika Csomor - that said, Csomor was racing just six days after winning Embrunman, having already raced Ironman Austria and Ironman Switzerland in recent weeks. Hopefully she'll now take a break next weekend before taking on the might of Zofingen.

FULL LADIES RESULTS / FULL MEN'S RESULTS