NEWS

French delight as Nicolas powers to ITU World Duathlon Championship

By David Peddie (ETU) | 31 May, 2014

Benoit Nicolas (FRA) stormed to victory at the ITU World Duathlon Championships in Pontevedra to claim his first ITU World title at the third attempt.

Nicolas led home a French one-two, as Etienne Diemunsch finished second with Spain’s Emilio Martin claiming third place on home soil.

It capped of a brilliant World Duathlon Championships for the French Federation, following Sandra Levenez’s victory in the Elite Women’s race earlier in the day.

On a scorching afternoon in Pontevedra, a lead group of ten athletes formed a front pack after the opening laps, jostling for position over the 10km first run segment.

Pierre Joncheray (FRA) did most of the work up top but it was Alexis Rodriguez (ESP) who entered transition first, followed by Joncheray, Toumi Dahmani (MOR), Philip Wylie (GBR), Nicolas Benoit, Etienne Diemunsch (both FRA), reigning European Sprint Distance Duathlon Champion Sergio Silva (POR), Danny Russell (GBR), Emilio Martin (ESP) and Jose Cordova (MEX).

A super quick transition saw Diemunsch exit T1 out in front with Martin and Rodriguez in hot pursuit, but nothing more than a couple of seconds separated the top ten. Multiple Long Distance World and European Champion, Rob Woestenborghs (BEL), was way back in 25th as the athletes began the first of eight 5km laps on the bike.

The lead group worked well together, pushing themselves through the searing heat of the Spanish streets. The chase pack gained and closed in on the front ten on the final lap and a bunched group of athletes entered T2. But, just as in T1, it was Diemunsch who exited T2 first and onto the final run.

In a pulsating final 5km race the lead changed several times. Emilio Martin earned the lead but just as quickly lost it to Diemunsch. Behind the duo, Nicolas, who was in the chasing pack at the start of the bike segment, had quietly and effectively worked his way through the field and by the start of the final lap the leaders were in his sight.

Five runners were in contention for three places as the final lap started and it was Nicolas who showed no weakness, powering past Martin, and then Diemunsch, to take the ITU World Duathlon title. After two third places in Gijon 2011 and Nancy 2012, the gold medal is finally his.

Diemunsch had just enough to hold off Martin and take the silver medal with bronze going to the Spaniard.

Related Event: 2014 Pontevedra ITU Duathlon World Championships
31 - Jun, 2014 • event pageall results
Results: Elite Men
1. Benoit Nicolas FRA 01:50:18
2. Etienne Diemunsch FRA 01:50:39
3. Emilio Martin ESP 01:50:57
4. Philip Wylie GBR 01:51:05
5. Alexis Rodriguez ESP 01:51:41
6. Rob Woestenborghs BEL 01:52:35
7. David Castro Fajardo ESP 01:53:06
8. Toumi Dahmani MAR 01:53:16
9. Raul Amatriain Arraiza ESP 01:53:20
10. Gustavo Rodriguez Iglesias ESP 01:53:31
Results: Elite Women
1. Sandra Levenez FRA 02:04:07
2. Gillian Backhouse AUS 02:05:26
3. Sabrina Monmarteau FRA 02:05:42
4. Franziska Scheffler GER 02:06:13
5. Petra Fasungova SVK 02:06:33
6. Miriam Casillas García ESP 02:06:50
7. Georgina Schwiening GBR 02:07:22
8. Sonia Bejarano ESP 02:07:34
9. Ana Filipa Santos POR 02:08:04
10. Yurie Kato JPN 02:08:27
Results: Junior Men
1. Jacob Birtwhistle AUS 00:54:15
2. Antonio Serrat Seoane ESP 00:54:32
3. Gustav Iden NOR 00:54:36
4. Max Biewer LUX 00:54:53
5. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon ESP 00:55:20
6. Pierre Balty BEL 00:56:20
7. Richard Allen GBR 00:57:45
8. Igor Valente POR 00:57:51
9. David Luis POR 00:57:55
10. Yuuki Tsukano JPN 00:57:56
Results: Junior Women
13. Jessica Alcock RSA 01:11:23
5. Madalena Amaral Almeida POR 01:05:58
12. Jodie Berry RSA 01:07:34
11. Kate Curran GBR 01:06:51
7. Luisa Iogna-Prat ITA 01:06:11
3. Claudia Luna ESP 01:05:32
2. Fumika Matsumoto JPN 01:04:00
1. Angelica Olmo ITA 01:03:38
DNF. Carla Bertos ESP DNF
LAP. Tamara Maksiyanova RUS LAP
Results: U23 Men
1. David Castro Fajardo ESP 01:53:06
2. Fabian Villanueva Moehl MEX 01:53:40
3. Alberto Della Pasqua ITA 01:53:44
4. Jose Luis Cordova MEX 01:53:50
5. João Francisco Ferreira POR 01:54:06
6. Pau Castellvell ESP 01:54:20
7. Ignacio Muller ARG 01:54:25
8. Rafael Antonio Rojas Cumare VEN 01:54:58
9. Andreas Theobald GER 01:55:03
10. Matt Brown AUS 01:55:16
Results: U23 Women
1. Gillian Backhouse AUS 02:05:26
2. Miriam Casillas García ESP 02:06:50
3. Georgina Schwiening GBR 02:07:22
4. Giorgia Priarone ITA 02:08:35
5. Joselyn Daniely Brea Abreu TRI 02:08:54
6. Pien Keulstra NED 02:11:35
DNF. Mozhgan Kavyani IRI DNF
DNF. Yamaguchi Moyu JPN DNF
DNF. Zahra Bahramian IRI DNF
DNF. Haruna Kida JPN DNF