Beautiful sunny day welcomed the athletes on the Turkish Riviera in the city of Alanya. The event has one of the longest histories in ETU and ITU in Europe. The first race was organised back in 1991.
A very experienced local team lead by Mufit Kaptanoglu and supportive Turkish National Federation lead by Halil Kilicoglu made sure that the race was safe and fair for the athletes.
The day started with the elite men competition. There were almost 90 athletes on the start line. The one lap swim course around the Alanya harbour did not make a big difference among the athletes, a big group reached the Transition at the same time together. On the bike leg there were some trial for breakaways on the flat 5-lap course. Paul Matthews (AUS) and ... could build an over one minute gap ahead the chasing group. On the run the main favourites came on front. A group included Rasmus Henning (DEN), Dmitriy Gaag and Dmitriy Smurov (both KAZ), Andreas Raelert and Daniel Unger (both GER) and Tony Moulai (FRA). Lap by lap there were less and less athletes on the lead and on the last lap it was only Gaag who could keep the rhythm with Henning. He was also dropped back in the last lap and Henning had a clear 25 seconds lead at the end. Gaag came second, Raelert third and immediately behind him it was Unger.
The women started during the men race but by the time they got on the bike course all men were on the run course. Irina Abysova was the first out of the water followed by Eva Novakova. On the bike there were two big groups and they joined together on the last lap of the bike. There were almost 20 athletes back in the transition at the same time. Lenka Radova (CZE) and Tania Haibock (AUT) made a gap ahead of the other athletes in the early part of the run. They were followed by a group of 6 athletes running for the bronze medal. Finally Haibock was the fastest and made her first ever victory on a European Cup race. Radova came second and Ricarda Lisk (GER) third.
The day ended with an Age group competition with more than 150 athletes from all over Europe.
The next and final stage of the European Cup series will be in Eilat in the beginning of December.
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For more information please contact:
Gergely Markus, ETU Secretary General
Email: gergely.markus@etu-triathlon.org; mobile: +36306882997
RESULTS:
Elite men:
1. Rasmus HenningDEN1:53:19
2. Dmitriy GaagKAZ1:53:44
3. Andreas RaelertGER1:54:05
4. Daniel UngerGER1:54:05
5. Dmitriy SmurovKAZ1:54:20
6. Danylo SapunovKAZ1:54:23
7. Tony MoulaiFRA1:54:24
8. Franky Batelier FRA1:54:28
9. Sergey YakolevRUS1:54:35
10. Igor SysoevRUS1:54:47
Elite women:
1. Tania HaibockAUT2:07:59
2. Lenka RadovaCZE2:08:27
3. Ricarda LiskGER2:09:09
4. Irina AbysovaRUS2:09:36
5. Mieke SuysBEL2:09:51
6. Olga DimitrievaRUS2:09:55
7. Walko AndreaHUN2:10:03
8. Yuliya YelistratovaUKR2:10:07
9. Olga GeneralovaRUS2:10:25
10. Olga SelekhovaRUS2:11:06