Koolhaas, Bernardi Prevail at 70.3 Cascais
Last year Dutchman Menno Koolhaas took third place at Ironman 70.3 Cascais, Portugal. This time around the sun, Koolhaas broke away from a 2-minute deficit with a second-fastest 1:10:54 half marathon to finish in 3:45:28 with a 15 seconds margin on Frenchman Mathis Margirier and 54 seconds on Andrea Salvisberg of Switzerland.
Italian star Marta Bernardi overcame a 2:01 deficit after the swim, whittled that to 9 seconds after the bike leg, and blasted her way to victory with a women’s-fastest 1:20:33 half marathon. Bernardi finished in 4:18:51 with a 1:24 margin over Nikki Bartlett of Great Britain and 4:24 over 3rd-place finisher Jade Nicole Roberts of New Zealand.
Men's Race Recap
After a race-best 20:33 swim in Ribeira Beach in Cascais, Koolhaas held a slim lead atop a pack of five men including – Joshua Lewis of Great Britain, Andrea Salvisberg of Switzerland, Mathis Margirier of France, and Thomas Davis of Great Britain. Margirier, who led most of the day last week at Ironman 70.3 Venice – Jesolo – posting a swift bike split before finishing second.
Chasers of the leading quintet were led by Joao Ferreira of Portugal, while two minu8tes behind the leaders were a group of three better-known stars – William Mennesson of France, Rasmus Svenningson of Sweden and Bart Aernouts of Belgium.
Halfway through the bike leg, Margirier was running alone with a minute advantage over a pack of 11. By T2, Margirier pulled away on his way to a race-best 2:07:34 split that gave him a 2:32 lead on a group of eight. But Mennesson and Salvisberg had lost more time and would start the run three and a half minutes behind Margirier.
Margirier started strong on the run, with only Koolhaas – third last year at Cascais – able to a dent in the first 5k. By midpoint, Koolhaas drew within 1 minute of the Frenchman.
At 15k Koolhaas sliced that lead to 28 seconds, and by 20km, Koolhaas took the lead and finished in 3:45:28 with a 15 seconds margin over Margirier for his first Ironman 70.3 victory.
Fastest runner on the course was Andrea Salvisberg, who uncorked a 1:10:27 split to take 3rd place.
Women's Race Recap
Marta Bernardi of Italy started her day with a 10th place swim which left her 2:01 arrears. Bernardi gradually sliced her deficit down to 6th place, 9 seconds behind the leader after a 2:28:15 bike split. After her by-far women’s–best 1:20:33 half-marathon. Bernardi passed all five of her nearest rivals to finish in 4:18:51 which gave her a 1:24 margin over Nikki Bartlett of Great Britain and 4:24 over Jade Nicole Roberts of South Africa.
The rest of her 2022 season was equally hot – a win at Ironman 70.3 Les Sables d’Olonne, 3rds at Challenge Kaiserwinkl-Walchsee, Luxembourg 70.3 and Challenge Riccione, and a 4th at the European Middle-Distance Championship in Bilbao Spain.
IRONMAN 70.3 Portugal – Cascais
Cascais, Portugal
October 15, 2022
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Men's Results
1. Menno Koolhaas (NED) S 20:33 T1 2:27 B 2:10:17 T2 1:20 R 1:10:54 TOT 3:45:28
2. Mathis Margirier (FRA) S 20:37 T1 2:33 B 2:07:34 T2 1:40 R 1:13:21 TOT 3:45:43
3. Andrea Salvisberg (DEN) S 20:36 T1 3:03 B 2:10:54 T2 1:23 R 1:10:27 TOT 3:46:22
4. Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE) S 23:31 T1 2:42 B 2:07:08 T2 1:44 R 1:11:56 TOT 3:47:00
5. Joao Ferreira (POR) S 21:42 T1 2:10 B 2:09:24 T2 1:36 R 1:14:14 TOT 3:49:04
6. Erwan Jacobi (POR-FRA) S 22:38 T`1 2:39 B 2:08:01 T2 1:30 R 1:14:52 TOT 39:38
7. Marc Eggeling (GER) S 22:46 T1 2:34 B 2:08:01 T2 1:50 R 1:14:57 TOT 3:50:05
8. Bart Aernouts (BEL) S 24:23 T1 2:27 B 2:08:36 T2 1:37 R 1:13:42 TOT 3:50:43
9. Marcus Herbst (BEL) S 22:43 T1 2:28 B 2:08:05 T2 1:57 R 1:16:38 TOT
10. Thomas Davis (GBR) S 20:39 T1 2:41 B 2:12:14 T2 1:30 R 1:14:54 TOT 3:51:56
Women's Results
1. Marta Bernardi (ITA) S 25:04 T1 3:05 2:28:15 T2 1:56 R 1:20:33 TOT 4:18:51
2. Nikki Bartlett (GBR) S 26:01 T1 3:02 B 2:27:17 T2 2:05 R 1:21:53 4:20:16
3. Jade Nicole Roberts (NZL) S 250 T1 3:00 B 2:28:24 T2 1:53 R 1:25:01 TOT 4:23:15
4. Helene Alberdi (ESP) S 23:03 T1 2:53 B 2:30:24 T2 1:4`1 R 1:27:03 TOT 4:25:02
5. Nina Derron (DEN/SUI) S 24:58 T1 2:42 B 2:28:35 1:45 R 1:28:02 TOT 4:26:02
6. Jeanne Collonge (FRA) S 25:52 T1 3:02 B 2:27:20 T2 1:59 R 1:28:45 TOT 4:26:57
7. Anne Bergsten (SWE) S 26:07 T1 2:46 B 2:29:37 T2 2:06m R 1:27:07 TOT 4:27:40
8. Kate Curran (GBR) S 23:08 T1 2:40 B 2:37:14 T2 1:41 R 1:23:08 TOT 4:27:48
9. Jenny Jendryschik (GER) S 25:59 T1 3:12 B 2:31:19 T2 1:40 R 1:27:23 TOT 4:29:31
10. Kaidi Kivioja (FIN) S 24:58 T1 2:45 B 2:32:14 T2 1:45 R 1:29:02 TOT 4:30:44
