IRONMAN Argentina Mar Del Plata makes its debut
Caroline Livesey’s race ended early with two punctures
The globalisation of the IRONMAN brand continued on Sunday with another debut event, IRONMAN Mar Del Plata in Argentina.
Pro Women
After a very difficult season for Great Britain’s Caroline Livesey, she was looking forward to another step up in her return to form and fitness, following her eighth place finish at another debut event, IRONMAN Emilia-Romagna in Italy.
The day started well for Caroline, The opening 3.8km swim was lead out by the Dede Griesbauer (winner at IRONMAN UK, way back in 2006), with a swift 53:08. Magalie Tisserye (CAN) and Ewa Bugdol (POL) followed three minutes later, with Caroline right in the mix in seventh (59:30), in the company of Tine Deckers (BEL) – several minutes ahead of pre-race favourites Asa Lundstrom (SWE) and Sarah Piampiano. Unfortunately she never got a chance to test her fitness – two punctures inside the first 10km and her race was over.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcQwJDdAgVO/
Griesbauer continued to excel on the bike, and by the midway mark she had extended her lead to almost nine minutes over Tine Deckers, with Piampiano and Lundstrom almost 12 minutes behind. Deckers moved in to second place over the second part of the ride to start the run seven and a half minutes in arrears, just 40 seconds ahed of the fleet-footed Piampiano. Lundstrom lost touch over the second part of the ride and was over 13 minutes back with the marathon still to run. However, sometimes other things put bike splits into perspective:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcRdnR3Hlou/
Piampiano and Deckers closed in on Griesbauer through the early stages of the run and by 12 miles Sarah has taken the lead, with Dede and Tine 1:30 back and running side-by-side. That lead gee to more than eight minutes by the finish, deckers taking second place with Tisseyre passing Griesbauer in the final mile to earn the final podium spot by just 17 seconds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcQk3BbjGbc/
Pro Men
The opening 3.8km did little to separate a group of nine athletes who exited the water within 25 seconds, headed by Ivan Risti (ITA). The first half of the bike saw a trio break clear – the Brazilian pairing of Reinaldo Colucci and Igor Amorelli, along with Matt Chrabot (USA), who had built a four minute buffer over Risti, Miquel Blanchart (ESP), Bas Diederen (NED) and Luis Henrique Ohde (BRA).
As with the women’s race, the second 90km of the bike leg saw the biggest changes, with Amorelli starting the marathon with a 3:42 lead over Chrabot. Colucci was over nine minutes down at this stage.
Chrabot was eating in to the lead of Amorelli and would make the pass around the half way point of the run, a lead he would not lose and took his debut IRONMAN victory by a margin of six minutes. Hungary’s Jozsef Major (via a 2:51:48 marathon), ran through the field to take second, with Amorelli holding strong for third place, running 3:06:43.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcQBjdMjFli/
IRONMAN Mar Del Plata, Argentina – Sunday 3rd December 2017
3.8km / 180km / 42.2km
Pro Men
1st – Matt Chrabot (USA) – 8:19:57
2nd – Jozsef Major (HUN) – 8:26:03
3rd – Igor Amorelli (BRA) – 8:27:11
4th – Miquel Blanchart Tinto (ESP) – 8:31:47
5th – Ivan Risti (ITA) – 8:32:52
Pro Women
1st – Sarah Piampiano (USA) – 9:11:03
2nd – Tine Deckers (BEL) – 9:19:22
3rd – Magali Tisseyre (CAN) – 9:24:37
4th – Dede Griesbauer (USA) – 9:24:54
5th – Asa Lundstrom (SWE) – 9:25:36
DNF – Caroline Livesey (GBR)
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