Schildknecht, Schutz win Ironman 70.3 Switzerland
Ronnie Schildknecht won his third straight Ironman 70.3 Switzerland, putting the safely race away with a blazing 2:08:24 bike that gave him a 3:54:30 finish and a 1:40 margin of victory over countryman and runner-up Mike Aigroz. Alessandro Degasperi of Italy took third, 3:17 back of Schildknecht and 1:37 back of Aigroz.
Schildknecht quickly overcame a 20th best 24:58 swim, created a big lead with his lightning bike, then held on with an 11th best 1:18:44 run that gave back 2:01 to Aigroz (1:16:43) and similarly safe amounts to 4th place Jimmie Johnsen of Denmark (1:16:40) and 5th place Massimo Cigano of Italy (1:16:51)
Schildknecht thus adds to a career hot streak that began in 2007 with wins at Switzerland’s Ironman and Ironman 70.3, continued in 2008 with wins at Switzerland Ironman 70.3, the European duathlon championship and a best-ever 4th place finish at Ironman Hawaii.
In the women’s race, Sara Schutz of Switzerland broke out of a swim-bike duel with Erika Csomor with a race-best 1:24:52 run that gave her a 37-second margin of victory over the Hungarian long course star. Schutz’s 4:28:26 finish time was 14 minutes slower than last year’s winner Julie Dibens, who edged out ITU star Nicola Spirig by two seconds in their memorable 2008 duel.
Swiss competitor Simone Benz took third in 4:33:36, 1:27 in front of Olympic and World Championship cycling medalist Karin Thurig. Thurig, a multiple Ironman winner, who was largely absent from triathlon last year while focusing on cycling in the Olympics, had her usual asymmetrical swim and bike – an astonishingly slow 111th best 36:32 swim, followed by an astonishingly fast, best-by-11-minutes 2:23:52 bike split, followed by a relievedly normal, 7th- best 1:30:16 run.
Ironman 70.3 Switzerland
Rapperswil, Switzerland
June 7, 2009
S 1.2 mi/ B 56 mi/ R 13.1 mi.
Men
1. Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) 3:54:30
2. Mike Aigroz (SUI) 3:56:10
3. Alessandro Degasperi (ITA) 3:57:47
4. Jimmy Johnsen (DEN) 3:58:39
5. Massimo Cigana (ITA) 3:59:26
6. Stefan Riesen (SUI) 3:59:50
7. Paul Ambrose (AUS) 4:00:25
8. Frederic Kohl (AUT) 4:01:28
9. Ruedi Wild (SUI) 4:02:25
10. Reto Hug (SUI) 4:02:54
Women
1. Sarah Schutz (SUI) 4:28:26
2. Erika Csomor (HUN) 4:29:03
3. Simone Benz (SUI) 4:33:36
4. Karin Thurig (SUI) 4:35:03
5. Sybille Matter (SUI) 4:37:05
6. Tara Prowse (AUS) 4:39:12
7. Monika Lehmann (SUI) 4:40:58
8. Regula Rohrbach (SUI) 4:40:59
9. Sara Sig Moeller (DEN) 4:42:28
10. Sandra Tschumi (SUI) 4:46:15
