A record-breaking rush of spectators, happy athletes' faces and pure triathlon: The 40th edition of the Allgäu Triathlon made for an exciting sports weekend in Bühl am Alpsee - and that should not only be fondly remembered by the winners.
Triathlon Allgäu finally back to the old way
Finally triathlon in the Allgäu again, as the scene loves it: After the corona-related cancellation of the event in 2020 and the limited edition last year, the Allgäu Triathlon 2022 could be held in the usual manner this Sunday.
From the handing out of start numbers on the lake stage, to the pasta party the night before, to swimming including going ashore: The "cult", as the Allgäu Triathlon is affectionately called in the sports world, returned to the Alpsee - and that in its 40th year. Edition since the first edition in 1983.
Only the swim course had to be changed slightly at short notice due to the Alpsee flood, otherwise everything was back to normal, just as the 2800 participants had wished. And the weather was just as desired. The rain showers of the week had passed and, after initial wafts of fog over the Alpsee, the sun shone all day long.
Newcomers and experienced triathlon professionals are guests in the Allgäu
The participation of German triathlon celebrities could also cause a sensation. For example, the five-time long-distance winner Daniela Bleymehl was honored in the Allgäu for the first time. She competed in the CLASSIC distance (1.9 km swimming - 84 km cycling - 20 km running) - as did professional triathlete Nils Frommhold. He had to assert himself in a strong field, which in Thomas Ott (Gemünden) immediately had a representative of the next generation from his own team to offer.
It was also Ott and Frommhold who left their mark on the prestigious middle-distance race from the start. But while Ott secured the start-finish victory after vigorous swimming and cycling, Frommhold was unable to keep up the pace. Australia's Joel Wooldridge (Sydney) stormed past from behind and took silver with the fastest time. After an exciting duel on the running track, Julian Großkopf (Waiblingen) came third. Frommhold didn't finish in the top ten with breathing problems while running, but still honored the race with his finish.
For women, Daniela Bleymehl lived up to her role as a favourite. The Darmstadt native, who already won the IRONMAN races in South Africa and Frankfurt this year, ultimately won unchallenged. Although Els Visser (Utrecht) from the Netherlands set the tone for a long time on the demanding bike course, she ultimately had no chance in the run. The two top ladies played in their own league and finished more than 10 minutes ahead. Bundesliga athlete Maria Paulig came in a strong third place behind the two world-class athletes.
After crossing the finish line, Bleymehl was enthusiastic about the atmosphere in the Allgäu: "If you're looking for a real triathlon party, you'll find it here. For me, the race was a good endurance test on the way to Hawaii and of course I'm very happy with the win.”
On the OLYMP route (1.5 km swimming, 44 km cycling, 10 km running), last year's winner Kati Krüger (Ergste) was able to use her experience and won with the fastest swimming and cycling time of the day. Anna Heyder (Dresden) and Mira Marie Hippe (Cologne) followed.
The men's title at OLYMP went to Fabian Kraft (Erlangen), who prevailed against Lukas Stengel (Göppersdorf). Neilan Kempmann, starting for Ingolstadt, completed the podium. All three athletes are no strangers to the short distances and otherwise duel in the Triathlon Bundesliga.
On the SPRINT route, Anna Hautmann won ahead of Katharina Rittel and Vanessa Baumeister. All podium places in the short distance (0.5 km swim - 26 km bike ride - 5 km run) went to local athletes from the Allgäu.
The men's SPRINT was won by an athlete from the far north. Lukas Stüfen (Bargteheide) finished ahead of Moritz Speh (Ravensburg) and Finn Sattler (Kempten) in Bühl am Alpsee.
20,000 spectators celebrate celebrities, amateur and top athletes
More than 15,000 spectators followed the races of hobby and top triathletes from two dozen nations directly at the Alpsee and another 10,000 triathlon fans along the routes. Classic routes with the legendary mood nests on Kalvarienberg in Immenstadt and the Kuhsteig am Bühl, where the atmosphere was cheered on by DJs.
Paralympics athlete Sarah Hundert (Luxembourg) together with her training partner and physiotherapist Milena Bauch (Immenstadt) again mastered the
Challenge. The wheelchair athlete Hundert needed 3:12 h for her Allgäu Triathlon.
A charity relay with Britta Steffen, Andriy Grivko and Evi Dingebacher-Stehle took a strong third place. The Olympic swimming champion, the Tour de France rider and the cross-country skier started for the Alexander Zverev Foundation, which is dedicated to research into type 1 diabetes. The winter athlete, Sachsenbacher-Stehle, stepped in at short notice for Mischa Zverev, who was out due to illness. The brother of tennis world number two Alexander Zverev did not miss the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere at the Großer Alpsee.
Helpers in constant use and positive conclusion
With around 700 helpers, the Allgäu Triathlon is also top when it comes to volunteering. Numerous communities, volunteers from all over Germany and the authorities, together with all sponsors, made the event possible in the first place. The Allgäu hospitality and the professional implementation of the Allgäu agency 808project ensured that the Allgäu Triathlon was voted the best race in the triathlon awards twice in a row. If race director Christoph Fürleger has his way, that could be repeated. He drew a positive conclusion: “The weather played along, there was a party atmosphere along the routes and we brought countless athletes to the finish line happily. This is what we as a team would like to achieve”.
