+++Magnus Ditlev wins the men's race in 7:35:48 hours +++ Anne Haug defends her title in the women's race in 8:22:42 hours +++ Patrick Lange with a marathon record in second place +++ Jan Frodeno climbs in Lead lying after two kilometers in the marathon +++
Top sporting performances, emotions, drama - that's Challenge Roth 2022. It was back to normality this year after the "Corona" edition 2021. But this Sunday was certainly not "normal".
The men's race
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Lars Palmer
6:30 a.m .: Starting signal for the professional men in perfect conditions, Jan Frodeno is the clear favorite in this race, he is the hunted. After only a few hundred meters of swimming, he - together with Maurice Clavel - pulls away and now determines the race from the front. Behind them is the large field of pursuers with all the co-favourites, including last year's winner Patrick Lange. After 48:54 minutes, Jan Frodeno is the first to leave the water (Clavel 48:57 min), the chasing group about 1:30 minutes behind.
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Simon Fischer
On the bike, the Dane Magnus Ditlev takes the initiative to close the gap to the leaders and puts a lot of pressure on the pedals - in tow of the Swede Robert Kallin and the Brazilian Reinaldo Colucci. After about 25 kilometers, the pursuers reach the leading duo and now form a 5-strong lead group, in which Ditlev and Frodeno set the pace.
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Simon Fischer
Patrick Lange can't keep up with the high initial pace from the start and has to let go, he quickly finds himself a minute behind. He drives alone in 7th place, the gap is growing continuously, after 50 km he is already more than 3 minutes behind.
The Solar Mountain is raging
Kilometer 70 - Hilpoltstein: the leading group reaches the hot spot of the triathlon world, the Solarer Berg. "Alpe d'Huez" atmosphere in Franconia again for 3 years. A trellis of spectators like on a mountain stage of the Tour de France. Crowds of spectators on the short incline, they applaud, cheer, whip the athletes upwards - only a narrow alley remains for the drivers. That's pure goose bumps! Patrick Lange is also "shouted up" the Solarer Berg five minutes after the leading group. Ditlev and Fordeno set a brutal pace and are on course for a record. At the end of the first lap, the Brazilian Colucci lost the connection, five became four. The second bike lap is now full, because the professionals now share the route with the age groupers, who now go on their first bike lap after swimming.
The pace remains extremely high, now it is mainly Frodeno who sets the pace for his competitors. Now it is Maurice Clavel who slowly has to pay tribute to the high speed and loses second by second to the three in front of him - Frodeno, Ditlev and Kallin. Colucci is fourth at the southernmost point of the cycle routes, the Kalvarienberg in Greding (approx. km 120), already almost five minutes behind, Patrick Lange is already nine minutes behind the lead.
The top for the second time on the Solarer Berg. In the second lap it gets even tighter than before, the three-man lead have to share the narrow lane with age group athletes and support motorcycles. Everything is going well, the three leaders give nothing away on the bike.
Together on the running track, the Frodeno drama begins
After about 150 kilometers it is finally the Swede Kallin who has to let Frodeno and Ditlev go. The two reach the second transition zone as a duo. Ditlev's bike time 4:01:56 hours - new bike course record in Roth! Frodeno and Ditlev go on the running track together, Kallin about 1:30 minutes behind. Jan Frodeno immediately took the initiative and was able to gain valuable seconds on Ditlev in the first kilometer. But a little later the moment of shock: Frodeno stops after 2.2 kilometers, Ditlev passes. What happened? Due to pain in the right Achilles tendon, Frodeno has to give up the race while in the lead, that is clear after a few moments. This Achilles tendon was already the reason for Frodeno's long injury break in spring. After a partial tear in the tendon, Frodenos had to take a long break at the beginning of the season and was only able to train to a limited extent, and running training in particular had to suffer as a result. Challenge Roth was to be the big comeback. "We have a pain scale of one to ten and I had to promise that I wouldn't exceed that level," said Frodeno shortly after his DNF. "I have to be honest enough that everything was fine, but the pain was too much... the tendon might be gone six out of ten. But the head eleven."
Ditlev now ran a lonely race alone in the lead. The gap to Kallin grew steadily, the Swede a well-known strong cyclist, but not such a strong runner. Maurice Clavel is now on three.
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Simon Fischer
The Patrick Lange Show - new marathon record of 2:35 hours
Last year's winner Patrick Lange is 14 minutes behind the leaders - that's a board. But now the Patrick Lange Show begins. In his well-known style, he just reels off the kilometers, first passing Colucci, then Clavel and finally Kallin - is now second. The distance to the leader is also shrinking a bit, but the young Dane Ditlev runs just as confidently at an almost evenly high pace. At kilometer 28 there are still 11 minutes behind. If Ditlev doesn't collapse, Lange has no chance of winning. And Ditlev doesn't break in. Like an experienced pro, he runs towards the finish line and is even on course for a course record (Jan Frodeno 2016 with 7:35:39 hours). He cheers the last few meters on the red carpet in the finish stadium, strolls leisurely towards the finish line and thus gambles away the course record by 9 seconds. After an outstanding overall performance, the Dane Magnus Ditlev wins in 7:35:48 hours.
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Lars Palmer
Patrick Lange crosses the finish line with a new marathon record of 2:35:10 hours in a total time of 7:44:52 hours. The strong Brazilian Reinaldo Colucci secures third place after a strong mileage
the podium
1. Magnus Ditlev, 7:35:48 h (Swim 50:44 min | Bike 4:01:56 h | Run 2:40:22 h)
2. Patrick Lange, 7:44:52 h (Swim 50:24 min | Bike 4:16:12 h | Run 2:35:10 h)
3. Reinaldo Colucci, 7:52:36 h (Swim 50:34 min | Bike 4:16:09 h | Run 2:43:14 h)
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Lars Palmer
Also interesting
The women's race
6:33 a.m.: Starting signal for the professional women. Here, too, a leading duo can break away from the field of pursuers in the first discipline - the ex-swimmer Rebecca Clarke and Fenella Langridge. Anne Haug is initially still in the first chasing group, but cannot keep it and is swimming together with Judith Coranchan and Maja Stage Nielsen. The gap to Rebecca Clarke is increasing, at the end of the swim it is seven minutes.
The leading duo separates on the bike: Fenella Langridge pushes the pace , quickly hums her opponent Rebecca Clarke a two-minute gap, which is steadily growing.
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Simon Fischer
Anne Haug is also really stepping on the gas. After she lost even more time in the transition zone because she grabbed the wrong bag and had to turn around again, Haug from Bayreuth starts to catch up. The lead over Rebecca Clarke is melting with every kilometer; at the end of the first lap she was more than seven minutes behind Clarke. But the gap to the leader Fenella Langridge remains almost constant at almost eight minutes. Clarke cannot follow Anne Haug's pace and falls behind. Anne Haug is now also in the second lap with age groupers, the bike course is getting crowded. Haug seems extremely focused. Then Anne Haug has a moment of shock: a bee stings her in the neck, she cools the sting with water and continues running.
She even manages to reduce the gap to the front on the second lap, Anne Haug is doing a strong race on her bike! With a lead of 5:32 minutes, Fenella Langridge reaches the transition zone and embarks on the final marathon. Anne Haug is the second woman to enter the transition zone, this time without making a mistake when changing. Now her parade discipline begins. The third woman after cycling is the British Laura Sidall, who switched from the swimming discipline to the bike 11 minutes behind and rolled up the field from behind.
The showdown at the marathon
5:32 minutes behind - a feasible affair. Little impressed by all the difficulties of the race so far, Anne Haug showed her strength in the final discipline and put pressure on the leading Briton from the start. This defended itself, in turn kept the running speed high. The gap was narrowing steadily, but less significantly than many had thought. After 12 kilometers the lead has halved to less than three minutes. Anne Haug runs fast, controlled, and cools down at every opportunity.
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Simon Fischer
On the straight stretch along the canal, Anne can already see the leader Fenella Langridge, at the second turning point near Schwand the lead has melted to less than a minute. Now the Briton's resistance has been broken. Anne Haug takes the lead after the half marathon mark and will not give it up until the finish. After the change in leadership, Anne's lead quickly increases, Langridge has to pay tribute to the high initial pace, but runs safely in second place - Haug and Langridge have worked their way up to almost five kilometers ahead of their pursuers.
With the fastest bike split (4:33:45 h) and an outstanding marathon run (2:46:04 h), Anne Haug crossed the finish line as the first woman with a total time of 8:22:42 hours and thus defended her title from the previous year .
Photo: TEAM CHALLENGE / Lars Palmer
Fenella Langridge crosses the finish line nine minutes after Anne Haug in second place, third is the Spaniard Judith Corachan after a strong performance.
the podium
1. Anne Haug, 8:22:42 h (Swim 58:46 min | Bike 4:33:45 h | Run 2:46:04 h)
2. Fenella Langridge, 8:31:41 h (Swim 51:44 min | Bike 4:35:41 h | Run 3:00:36 h)
3. Judith Corachan, 8:46:29 h (Swim 58:44 min | Bike 4:47:52 h | Run 2:56:42 h)
Discover the huge trisuit collection
From the basic one-piece suit to the high-end aerosuit
