Marcel Zamora Perez of Spain and Tine Deckers of Belgium both set race records to win the tough Ironman France Sunday in Nice.
Zamora Perez used a blazing 2:43:17 marathon to overcome a 5:46 deficit to three-time Olympian Olivier Marceau after the bike, then run from 5th to 1st to take his fourth Ironman France title in a race-record 8:30:06.
Zamora Perez, whose run was four minutes faster than a swift-footed 17th place age grouper and 9 minutes faster than 4th place pro Clemente Alonzo-McKernan, ultimately prevailed by 10 minutes 49 seconds over runner-up Herve Faure of France.
Simon Billeau of France crafted a well balanced 14th-best 54:46 swim, second-best 4:45:40 bike and 7th-best 3:00:41 run to take third, 5:35 behind Faure. Alonso-McKernan ran a third-best 2:52:28 to advance from 7th off the bike to 4th, 2:29 behind Billeau. Marceau, the 2000 ITU Olympic distance World Champion, 3-time Olympian, and multiple Xterra winner, led off the bike after a race-best 4:45:00 split, but faded to 5th with a 3:11:50 marathon in only his second Ironman effort.
"For this race I feel 100% prepare not only for my physical conditions but also my psychological ones. That´s why I felt confident about the race. " said Zamora Perez to slowtwitch. "This 4th victory has been very special because of the high level of the rest of the participants."
Deckers overcame a 6:35 deficit after the bike to 22-year-old hometown Nice phenom Christel Robin, passing her French rival about the 25km mark of the run and cruising to a 3:50 margin of victory in a race-record 9:30:29.
The race was ultimately won on the bike, as Robin’s blazing 5:05:22 split for the 112 miles lured Decker to a 5:14:36 effort which effectively erased the chances of defending champion Martina Dogana of Italy, who struggled to a 5:31:27 split on Nice’s unrelenting hills. Even with her blazing 3:01:20 marathon, Dogana could not make up her 26 minute deficit to Robin and 17 minutes to Deckers and had to settle for third place, 7 minutes behind Deckers and 4 minutes behind Robin.
Three-time Ironman winner, two-time Olympic cycling bronze medalist and World Championship cycling time trial gold medalist Karin Thurig of Switzerland found that she bit off more than she could chew trying to do an Ironman the day after competing in the Swiss cycling championships. After a 73-minute swim, Thurig could only advance to 5th place, 15 minutes back of the leaders, before withdrawing.
Ironman France
Nice, France
June 28, 2009
S 2.4 mi./ B 112 mi./ R 26.2 mi.
Results
Men
1. Marcel Zamora Perez (ESP) 8:30:06 Course Record
2. Hervé Faure (FRA) at 8:40:55
3. Simon Billeau (FRA) 8:46:30
4. Clemente Alonso-Mc Kernan (ESP) 8:48:58
5. Olivier Marceau (SUI) 8:52:53
6. Bruno Clerbout (FRA) 8:58:02
7. Oscar Galindez (BRA) 9:08:26
8. Hervé Banti (FRA) 9:16:33
8. Benoît Augueux (FRA) 9:17:07
10 France Silc (SLO) 9:17:39 * AG M25-29
Women
1. Tine Deckers (BEL) 9:30:29 Course Record
2. Christel Robin (FRA) 9:34:19
3. Martina Dogana (ITA) 9:37:35
4. Abigail Bayley (GBR) 9:47:22
5. Alexandra Louison (FRA) 9:52:28
6. Katya Meyers (USA) 9:58:30
7. Moica Mijovic (SLO) 10:07:07 *F40-44 **
Results list impossibly fast 2:28 marathon
8. Linda Schuecker (GER) 10:21:29
9. Claudia Johnston (CAN) 10:23:10 *F35-39
10. Yvette Grice (GBR) 10:24:06
