IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore 2022 results: Bækkegård, Pallant-Browne rule

Emma Pallant-Browne ensured that the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship title remained in British hands on Sunday, running to victory at IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore.

There was plenty to cheer for home fans too, as Daniel Bækkegård was an impressive winner after taking control on the bike – the PTO’s top two ranked starters both taking victory in Denmark.

Pro Men – Daniel demolition job

It was a case of ‘Danish demolition’ on the bike. Lennart Sievers (GER) led out the opening swim in a touch under 22 minutes, but with more than 15 athletes within little more than 60 seconds behind, the story or this race would have to unfold on dry land.

And that it did – with a red-and-white theme of the home nation flag. Training partners Bækkegård and Miki Taagholt covered the bike course in a few seconds over two hours flat, which left the pair – who were third and fourth, respectively at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs last year – with a lead of more than three-and-a-half minutes on their countryman Thor Bendix Madsen at T2. Youri Keulen (NED), recent winner at 70.3 Switzerland, was more than six minutes down and leading the chasers.

With their quality, Bækkegård and Taagholt were unlikely to be challenged, and pre-race favourite Daniel duly closed out his day with a 1:12:18 half marathon to take victory by exactly two minutes from Miki.

Spain’s former ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Champion Pablo Dapena Gonzalez produced a rapid 1:09:43 run to to complete the podium, but even that effort left him more than four minutes down on Bækkegård at the finish line.

The Dane really had taken the bacon…

Pro Women – Emma wins the day

CLASH Miami winner Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) was first out of the water in 24:26, but just seconds behind were Ellie Salthouse (AUS), Sarissa De Vries (NED), Katharina Kruger (GER) and the British duo of Pallant-Browne and India Lee.

Four of that group – Gentle, Lee, Pallant-Browne and De Vries – were still together 90km later, but had been joined by another Brit in Ruth Astle, who powered through the field to join them via the fastest bike split of the day (2:17:30). Best known for her full-distance performance (fifth at the IRONMAN World Championship in May), she will be very pleased with that after her recent efforts as part of Sub7Sub8 with Team Matthews.

2km into the run and the order was Pallant-Browne, Gentle, Lee, De Vries and Astle – and that didn’t change for the next 19km.

Pallant-Browne secured her fourth win of the season (and a first in Elsinore), via a 1:16:17 half marathon. She topped the podium by 1:37 from Gentle. India Lee – another athlete who was a key part of that SUB8 Project – ran strongly to complete the podium.

With the automatic selection for the Team Europe Collins Cup team looking incredibly tough, Pallant-Browne will have done her chances of making a strong case for a Captain’s Pick, should it me needed, no harm at all.