Lucy Gossage wins IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote

Exam celebration victory for the Duracell Bunny

Podium finish for George Goodwin in Men’s Pro race too

It’s been quite a year for Lucy Gossage – and the success continued today at IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote, held at Club La Santa.

For the second year in a row, Lucy has won three IRONMAN races (Lanzarote, Bolton, Tenby), and her IRONMAN Wales victory was achieved just days after a major exam in her medical career. Good news this week was that Lucy passed what she hopes were “my last ever exams”, and so today’s race was part of a four day celebration in the sun. You can’t do much better than another win. We suspect wine will be consumed this evening!

4 weeks ago today I sat what I really hoped would be my last ever exams. Turns out they were. Whoop! Looking forward to a long weekend in lanza with a mini-smash to celebrate not commiserate! pic.twitter.com/Ynjab94car

— lucy gossage (@lucygoss) October 3, 2018

Fifth out of the water today and 4:06 down on the leader, Bea Weiss (AUT), would have been in line with expectations and not worried the experienced Brit who is quite used to the role of chaser on the bike. In truth, little seems to worry her triathlon wise these days. This might well be her final Pro season and she is enjoying everything, pressure free.

1st woman out on the bike: Beatrice Weiss from Austria #IM703Lanzarote pic.twitter.com/fWQ2ejNWkm

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) October 6, 2018

Denmark’s Camilla Pedersen – second in Tenby – was just seconds behind Weiss in the swim, with the Spanish duo of Saleta Castro and Anna Noguera both within 90 seconds of Lucy, who previously finished second at this race four years ago.

Weiss still held the lead after 90km of cycling, with Pedersen less than a minute back. Gossage had set the fastest bike split to move up to third and would start the run just under three minutes in arrears. Could she bridge that margin? Yes – and quickly.

Just 3.5km into the run and Lucy had caught Camilla and closed the gap on Bea to less than two minutes and 15 minutes later she was had taken over the lead, was running strongly and looking in total control. Halfway through the run she lead by two minutes over Weiss, and it was Jenny Schulz (GER) now moving through the field in third, three minutes behind. Game over.

Gossage crossing the finish line at #IM703Lanzarote pic.twitter.com/iRAu5niEng

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) October 6, 2018

Pro Men

In the men’s race, George Goodwin added to his second place at IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire with another podium finish, third today at Club La Santa.

For much of the race it looked like it was going to be the Nils Frommhold (GER) show. At T2 he was almost six minutes clear of a trio of athletes – Tom Lecomte (FRA), Emilio Aguayo (ESP) and Manuel Küng (SUI). There were several Brits racing, at T2 their positions were – George Goodwin (8th +10:11), Colin Norris (9th +10:46), Elliot Smales (11th +11:56) and in his first Pro race, Chris Standidge (12th +13:21).

Leading @nilsfrommhold … no chasers in sight, all alone on the bike course! Wow!! #IM703Lanzarote pic.twitter.com/hnCwmS8Oh8

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) October 6, 2018

Once on the run though, Frommhold was losing time quickly – and at the 10km mark not only had he been caught, but was two minutes behind Lecomte from France. By the finish he was 15 minutes back in seventh with what will surely have been a painful 1:33 half marathon.

That allowed plenty of changes at the front. Lecomte was in a different class on the run with a 1:12:48 half marathon, while Goodwin’s 1:17:42 enabled him to take third behind Aguayo.

What a race of the young French Lecomte! #IM703Lanzarote Congrats!! pic.twitter.com/yaxtviBZxd

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) October 6, 2018

Club La Santa IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote – Saturday 6th October 2018
1.9km / 90km / 21.1km

PRO WOMEN

1st – Lucy Gossage (GBR) – 4:28:02
2nd – Jenny Schulz (GER) – 4:30:41
3rd – Anna Noguera (ESP) – 4:32:10
4th – Jeanne Collange (FRA) – 4:35:29
5th – Bea Weiss (AUT) – 4:35:40

The top 3 women of the IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote: Jenny Schulz, @lucygoss and Anna Noguera (from left). CONGRATS!!! 🙂 #IM703Lanzarote pic.twitter.com/IRQ73Z9blx

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) October 6, 2018

PRO MEN

1st – Tom Lecomte (FRA) – 3:51:41
2nd – Emilio Aguayo (ESP) – 3:57:46
3rd – George Goodwin (GBR) – 4:01:11
4th – Andreas Giglmayer (AUT) – 4:01:57
5th – Manuel Küng (SUI) – 4:03:03

9th – Chris Standidge (GBR) – 4:17:26

The top 3 podium of the #IM703Lanzarote with Munoz, Lecomte and Goodwin (from left)! Congrats!! pic.twitter.com/we2IV0wykp

— IRONMANLive (@IRONMANLive) October 6, 2018