Pre-race favourite Anne Haug is out of the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice after a mechanical issue early on the bike.
The German great, winner of the race in 2019, set the fastest-ever full-distance time earlier this year at Challenge Roth.
And her position as one of the most likely winners of the first women’s IMWC to be held in Europe was underlined when defending champion Lucy Charles-Barclay was ruled out on the eve of the race.
Cut tyre the problem
Things had looked to be going fine for Haug in the swim when she was 14th out of the water, just under four minutes off the lead, alongside compatriot Laura Philipp in what should have been a super-strong chase pack.
Her transition was smooth enough but then pictures on German TV – which didn’t seem to get picked up on the IRONMAN livestream – showed her on the side of the road struggling with a flat tyre.
Unfortunately it proved to be a race-ending issue for the 41-year-old as the tyre was cut badly and no mechanics were in the vicinity as it was too congested at that point.
IRONMAN would later post on X footage of Haug at the side of the road, saying: “I went through something and the tyre is completely broken. I can’t use the tyre and I don’t have a pump anymore.”
Help not at hand at that point
Greg Welch, on the IRONMAN broadcast, confirmed the sad news, explaining: “About 200 metres into the bike ride, wearing bib number two from Germany, Anne Haug had a flat tyre.
“She pulled across to the side of the road and waited for our mechanics to turn up but it took a little bit too long to get to Anne Haug and unfortunately we have to report that she’s out of the race.”
It emerged that the mechanics were following the top 10 in the race while the neutral service car was at the 5km point as it was too tight early on, meaning Haug was left in limbo.
Speaking later to Welch on the broadcast, she explained: “I was busy getting my shoes on and then I heard a big bang and my rear tyre was gone. I tried to fix it but the cut into the tyre was so big.
“So I was waiting for the mechanics but after 25 minutes I got told that no one was coming so I decided to finish my race.”
Despite the ill fortune, Haug could not have been more gracious as she stayed on the livestream to give her thoughts on how the race was unfolding.
Her exit means 2022 winner Chelsea Sodaro was the only former IRONMAN World Championship winner still in the field.
And she would go on to finish third as Haug’s compatriot Philipp – who had exited the water alongside her – became Germany’s latest world champion.
