A look at the battle for Frankfurt
This weekend the eyes of the world will be on Frankfurt, Germany where the 2014 Ironman European Championships take place. This race will be all about pride, money and many Kona points, but who will be victorious?
We can of course only look at the official start list and that is only marginally accurate, because Pros typically do not withdraw from an event even if they are sure that they won’t compete. So please forgive us if our list does not include your favorite athlete or if we missed a tweet from an athlete or manager that “blank” will not be in Frankfurt after all.
One thing however is for sure, it does not matter how warm, cold or rainy it is, there will be a couple hundred thousand fans lining the course to cheer on the Pros and age groupers alike. They may in general favor some of the German athletes, but will be there to support all. And it is a very international field that descends into the heart of this major financial city.
Below is a look at some of the men and women who this editor believes will feature heavily this weekend.
The men
Sebastian Kienle (GER)
The 2-time 70.3 World Champion and 3rd place getter in Kona last year is frightening the competition as he now gets better and better in the swim too. At the recent Challenge Krauchgau he was not far behind Timo Bracht and Markus Fachbach out of the water. Plus we all know that he can ride like a monster and run well too. He should also feel very much at home in Frankfurt and get much fan support. But he like a few others does not need the points.
Frederik Van Lierde (BEL)
The 2013 GoPro Ironman World Champion started that year with a big win in Abu Dhabi, but this year he finished fourth in that big money race and has otherwise mostly done smaller events. This humble and quiet Belgian though is always dangerous and he will very likely have a word to say about the podium. Plus he may be fully inspired by the Belgian soccer team that advanced with a very fine game in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil last night.
Jan Frodeno(GER)
The Olympic Champion and 70.3 Wunderkind will try to show that he can do well at the Ironman distance. He captured wins at 70.3 Auckland, Oceanside and St. George and will likely have the local fans completely on his side in Frankfurt. Frodo will at the very least dictate the pace of the race and that may mean that some of his competitors will blow all their gaskets on the bike just to get away from the swift running man. Frodeno though has plenty of KPR points already, so it is unclear if this will be a test race or simply a validation event.
Bas Diederen (NED)
Dutch Pro Bas Diederen had high expectations on his shoulders in Kona last year after podium places in South Africa and Frankfurt last year, but he ended up on the DNF list instead. This year the fast running Dutchman finished second behind Tyler Butterfield in Abu Dhabi, and will likely look to finish higher in Frankfurt this year.
Jan Raphael (GER)
This fast German was the runner-up in Frankfurt last year, and with defending champion Eneko Llanos not racing one would think that the top of the podium is within reach. But the competition is tough and it all depends on which Jan Raphael shows up.
Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI)
Never underestimate Ronnie Schildknecht and that is something most of his competitors know. Frankfurt is a race he has typically not competed in because it is so close in time to the race he has owned – Ironman Switzerland. He actually has won Ironman Switzerland 7times in a row, including last year, plus he also won Ironman South Africa in 2013.
Miquel Blanchart (ESP)
Miquel Blanchart is not well known outside of Southern Europe, but with things falling in place this 30-year old Spaniard has the tools to be in the mix. He was 5th at Challenge Roth in 2013, and 2nd behind Faris Al-Sultan at the 2013 Ironman Lanzarote.
Andreas Raelert (GER)
This fast German is also on the start list, but it is not clear if he will actually start. Plus we do not know what kind of fitness he currently carries. He has a new German bike sponsor, so they may want him to show up and represent.
Clemente Alonso-McKernan (ESP)
This Spaniard finished 3rd at Ironman Nice last year and he has shown signs of brilliance. But where he is physically currently is tough to tell.
The women
Amy Marsh (USA)
Amy Marsh held off Linsey Corbin and Mary Beth Ellis at Ironman 70.3 Raleigh in early June. Last year she was 2nd at 70.3 New Orleans and 3rd at 70.3 Buffalo Springs and Vineman, and this tenacious Austin resident seems to get faster each year. In 2011 she finished second at Ironman Switzerland but this will be her first stab at the Ironman European Championships.
Jodie Swallow (GBR)
Expect Jodie Swallow to be among the lead swimmers and dictate the pace on the bike. The 2010 Ironman 70.3 World Champion had a superb race at 70.3 Boulder a couple weeks ago with a winning time of 4:03:37 and held off a tough field of challengers that included Rachel Joyce, Leanda Cave, Rebekah Keat and Laura Bennett. That means that Swallow is in prime form right now.
Mary Beth Ellis (USA)
This fast American has the nickname honey badger and she finished second to Caroline Steffen at the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships in Melbourne. She is a tough and hard working athlete who clearly could take the win here in Frankfurt. But we all know that things don’t always go as planned. Anything but a podium would be a tough pill to swallow for Ellis.
Camilla Pedersen (DEN)
We are all glad to see that Camilla Pedersen is back to racing after that horrific crash last year in September. She is actually not just back, she has come back with authority and has won and dominated a bunch of 70.3 races this year. She is also the defending champion here in Frankfurt and will likely be part of the action up front.
Annabel Luxford (AUS)
Annabel Luxford won Half Challenge Melbourne and Half Challenge Philippines this year and finished second to Catriona Morrison at 70.3 Auckland in January. She also raced the shorter course race (1.5k / 100k / 10k) in Abu Dhabi and finished second there. She makes her Ironman debut in Frankfurt and is somewhat of a wild card – a very dangerous one.
Corinne Abraham (GBR)
This Brit is still on the comeback trail after she experienced a fractured sacrum last August. Abraham won Ironman Melbourne last year, and her first attempt back at racing was in Lanzarote where she finished third. The field there was not very deep, but it gave her valuable points, plus it is now another 6 weeks into her recovery.
Gina Crawford (NZL)
Gina Crawford is a very quiet Kiwi and well liked by her competitors and industry folks. She finished second at Ironman New Zealand this year and is always dangerous. She spends much of her time in Europe and will feel at home when she competes in Frankfurt.
Kristin Möller (GER)
There are several Germans who will feel particularly motivated in Frankfurt and Möller is among them. This feisty German won Ironman Lanzarote last year and was third in Frankfurt thanks to her great running skills. She would likely enjoy at the very least to repeat that success in Frankfurt.
