Andreas Dreitz, Lucy Gossage win IM Emilia Romagna
Andreas Dreitz of Germany and Lucy Gossage of Great Britain dominated the pro fields at the inaugural Ironman Emilia Romagna in Italy.
Dreitz took control with a by-far race-best 4:16:46 bike split and held on with a 3rd-best 2:51:53 marathon to finish in 8:03:27 with a 9:30 margin of victory over Jens Petersen-Bach of Denmark and 14:20 over 3rd place finisher Andrej Vistica of Croatia.
This win tops everything Dreitz has managed on a busy 2017 schedule including 2nd places at Mallorca 70.3 and Challenge Prague, 4th places at Oceanside 70.3 and Challenge the Championship, and 8th at Ironman 70.3 Worlds.
Gossage easily overcame a 16 seconds deficit after the swim with a by-far women's-best 4:51:58 bike split that gave her a 6:02 lead on Tine Deckers of Belgium at T2. Gossage closed with a women’s 3rd-best 3:11:32 marathon to finish in 9:06:39, giving her a 6:56 margin of victory over Deckers and 13:25 on 3rd place finisher Marta Bernardi of Italy (3:07:50 run).
The victory at Emilia Romagna gives Gossage her 4th win of 2017 including Ironman Wales, Ironman UK and Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire, as well as a 2nd at Edinburgh 70.3, 3rd at Ironman Lanzarote, and 4th at Challenge Gran Canaria.
MEN
Jeremy Jurkiewicz of France led Ivan Risti of Italy by a whisker out of the swim in equal times of 45:49 which gave them a 6 seconds lead on Niclas Bock of Germany, 7 seconds on Andreas Giglmayr of Austria, 46 seconds on Alessandro Degasperi of Italy, and 50 seconds on Andreas Dreitz of Germany.
Überbiker Dreitz quickly took control. By 47 kilometers he led Degasperi by 2:20, Jurkiewicz by 2:22, Timo Bracht by 2:26, Bock by 2:27, Jens Petersen-Bach of Denmark by 2:29, Philipp Koutny of Switzerland by 2:31, and Risti by 2:39. Halfway through the 180km bike leg, Dreitz opened a 6:54 to 7:04 lead on a chase group of 7 that included Bracht, Bock, Jurkiewicz, Petersen-Bach, Koutny, Degasperi, and Risti.
By 152 kilometers, Dreitz continued to increase his lead to 11:27 on Degasperi and 12:19 to 12:23 on a pack of five that included Petersen-Bach, Bracht, Jurkiewicz, Bock and Koutny, with Risti, Andrej Vistica of Croatia and Patrick Jaberg of Sweden lagging another minute to minute and a half behind.
After a dominating 4:16:46 bike split that was 13 minutes faster than his closest pursuer, Dreitz led Degasperi by 13:21and a pack of five including Jurkiewicz, Petersen-Bach, Bracht, Bock, and Koutny by 14:15 to14:21. Swift-footed Vistica trailed by 16:19. Halfway through the marathon, Dreitz showed no signs of weakening, leading Petersen-Bach by 14:01, Koutny by 15:47, Jurkiewicz by 17:32, and Bracht by 17:50.
Cooling off slightly near the end, Dreitz finished with a 2:51:53 run that brought him to the finish in 8:03:27 with a 9:30 margin of victory over Petersen-Bach (race-best 2:47:29 run) and 14:20 over 3rd-place Andrej Vistica of Croatia (2:49:49 run).
Jurkiewicz ran 2:55:38 to finish 4th in 8:21:25 while Bracht closed with a 3:00:15 marathon to finish 5th, 4:15 behind Jurkiewicz.
WOMEN
Jenny Fletcher of Canada led the swim in 54:09 which gave her a 12 seconds advantage on Tine Deckers of Belgium, 13 seconds on Carolin Lehrieder of Germany, 14 seconds on Marta Bernardi of Italy, 16 seconds on Lucy Gossage of Great Britain, and 17 seconds on Elisabeth Gruber of Austria. Strong biker-runner Camilla Lindholm Borg of Sweden started her day 7:59 back of the leader.
At 31km Gossage opened a 2 seconds lead on Deckers, but Deckers took over at 47km with a 27 seconds lead on Gossage and 3:39 on Bernardi. Further back were Carolin Lehrieder (+6:19), Gruber (+6:56), Caroline Livesey of Great Britain (+7:29), Fletcher (+7:35), and Lindholm Borg in 10th with a 10:27 deficit.
Halfway through the bike leg, Gossage led Deckers by 2:44, Lehrieder by 9:24, Bernardi by 12:06, and a 5-woman pack of Lindholm Borg, Livesey, Gruber, Martina Kunz of Switzerland, and Camille Deligny of France by 14:57 to 15:02.
After a women’s-best 4:51:58 bike split, at T2 Gossage led Deckers (4:57:08 bike split) by 6:02, Lehrieder by 12:26, Bernardi by 17:16, Deligny by 18:11, and Lindholm Borg (5:06:02 bike split) by 22:29.
Halfway through the run, Deckers trimmed Gossage’s lead to 4:46 while Bernardi trailed by 12:49.
After a women’s 3rd-fastest 3:11:32 run, Gossage finished in 9:06:39 with a 6:56 margin of victory over Deckers (3:18:57 run), 13:25 over 3rd place Bernardi, and 13:47 over 4th place Gruber (women's-best 3:02:20 run).
Ironman Emilia Romagna
Cervia, Italy
September 23, 2017
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi./ R 26.2 mi.
Results
Men
1. Andreas Dreitz (GER) 8:03:27 S 46:52 B 4:16:46 R 2:51:53
2. Jens Petersen-Bach (DEN) 8:12:57 S 47:08 B 4:31:04 R 2:47:29
3. Andrej Vistica (CRO) 8:17:47 S 50:06 B 4:29:48 R 2:49:49
4. Jeremy Jurkiewicz (FRA) 8:21:25 S 45:49 B 4:32:31 R 2:55:38
5. Timo Bracht (GER) 8:25:40 S 47:04 B 4:31:05 R 3:00:15
Women
1. Lucy Gossage (GBR) 9:06:39 S 54:25 B 4:51:58 R 3:11:32
2. Tine Deckers (BEL) 9:13:35 S 54:21 B 4:57:08 R 3:18:57
3. Marta Bernardi (ITA) 9:20:04 S 54:23 B 5:08:43 R 3:07:50
4. Elisabeth Gruber (AUT) 9:20:26 S 54:27 B 5:15:01 R 3:02:20
5. Camilla Lindholm Borg (SWE) 9:34:37 S 1:02:24 B 5:06:02 R 3:17:16
