Almagro, Leal win TriStar111 Madrid
Madrid triathletes Jose Almagro and Esther Leal won home town victories at the inaugural TriStar111 Madrid at Casa de Campo, near the Spanish capital.
Cristian Moya emerged first from the swim, but he was soon overwhelmed by a large pack of cyclists. During the sixth time climbing the challenging incline at Cerro Gambitas, Jaime Menendez de Luarca broke into the lead. But by the seventh lap, Almagro struck back and seized the lead and finished the 10th and final lap of the bike with a 1 minute lead and never looked back. Almagro finished in 3:52:34 with roughly three minutes advantage on runner-up de Luarca and precisely 3:43 on third place Alvaro Velasquez.
"The race was much harder than it looked,” Madrid native Almagro told TriStar media. “I had to make a big effort to catch the leading pack during the bike. With four laps left, I decided to attack to avoid pressure on the run and it went well. I finally achieved my first victory in a triathlon, and over at my house.”
Esther Leal had an easier time with her win. The Madrid native took the lead in the swim and led the rest of the way without opposition. "The race was tough,” said Leal, who finished in 4:50:35, 5 minutes ahead of two-time Olympic road cycling competitor Fátima Blázquez. Dutch triathlete Galesloot Marlies took third in 5:08:26.
TriStar111 Madrid
July 3, 2011
S 1k / B 100k / R 10k
Unofficial Results
Men
1. Jose Almagro (ESP) 3:52:34
2. Jaime Menendez de Luarca (ESP) 3:55:xx
3. Alvaro Velasquez (ESP) 3:56:17
Women
1. Esther Leal (ESP) 4:50:35
2. Fatima Blazquez (ESP) 4:55:xx
3. Galesloot Marlies (NED) 5:08:26
