Laidlow and Philipp Rock in Roth

Sam Laidlow wins Challenge Roth. Photos: Kevin Mackinnon

Considering he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to race a month ago, Sam Laidlow proved today that he very well could be a factor at the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice this September, thanks to a perfectly executed race (albeit by accident – more on that below) that saw him outrun Germany’s Jonas Schomburg for the win. For the women Germany’s reigning IRONMAN world champion, Laura Philipp, lived up to her favorite status and completed her podium sweep after finishing third behind Daniela Ryf and Anne Haug two years ago when Ryf set a world best time, then second to Haug last year, when the German came oh-so-close to breaking the eight-hour barrier. While she had to “settle” with an 8:18:18 finish (funnily enough the same time she went in Hamburg a few years ago when she came close to breaking Chrissie Wellington’s world best time by five seconds), Philipp was thrilled to get the title that is such a big deal here in Germany.

A Crazy Day of Racing

According to race officials, the police reported that the crowds here in Roth for the race were even larger than normal (which, according to the organizers is about 300,000 specatators), which seemed to make sense as the bridge looking over the swim start was already jammed at about 6 am this morning, a half hour before the start.

Surging off at the front of the field at the men’s start was South African Henri Schoeman (red cap), who would push the pace at the front of the swim alongside Germany’s Lukasz Wojt. Germany’s Jonas Schomburg would find himself a spot on either one of their feet for most of the swim, only dropping off over the last few hundred meters when Schoeman pushed the pace to ensure he was first out of the water. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist would lead the way out of the non-wetsuit swim in a speedy 46:17, with Schomburg hitting dry land a couple of seconds later, and Wojt another 10 seconds back. He was followed by France’s Vincent Luis, Aussie Aaron Royle and Laidlow.

Schomburg’s 71-second transition was so fast that Laidlow never actually saw him, so he thought he was riding with the lead group, completely unaware that Schomburg was clear.

Laidlow early in the bike.

Laidlow rode with the chase pack of nine that included last year’s fourth-place finisher, Jan Stratmann (GER), Dane Daniel Baekkegard, Luis and Schoemann.

American Matt Hanson, making his Roth debut, was just over six minutes down after the swim …

Laidlow couldn’t figure out why no one seemed to be pushing to try and get away in the lead group, and made his own move about 40 km into the ride. After the race he said that he kept hearing that “the gap to Schomburg was about a minute,” and he thought something had happened to the German and he was behind.

Schomburg continued to hold the lead, while Laidlow was between the German and the chase pack, which was being led (most of the time), but Stratmann.

Schomburg led the way up the famous Solar climb.

While Laidlow rode up the hill encouraging the crowd to make more noise.

The chase pack on the way up the Solar climb.

Laidlow continued on, thinking he was in the lead of the race, riding a couple of minutes behind the German. By the halfway point of the race the gap was 2:44, with the chase group at 5:30 behind, but Laidlow steadily whittled the gap down to under a minute, even though he was under the impression that Schomburg was actually catching him, so he started to ease off his effort.

Laidlow on the gravel trail that runs next to the canal.

It wasn’t until the turnaround of the run that Laidlow realized Schomburg was in front, but initially he thought the German had somehow cut the course. Then he realized that all those “gaps” he’d been hearing about were actually how far behind he was, not ahead.

Through the first 10 km of the run Schomburg started to pull away from Laidlow, who was now three minutes down, while Vincent, who was in third, was just over five minutes behind. Stratmann was in fourth, another two minutes behind the Frenchman.

Matt Hanson started the run over 25 minutes behind the leader …

Over the next 10 km, though, Schomburg started to fade, and by the time he hit the halfway point of the marathon he was less than two minutes ahead of Laidlow, with Vincent just under five minutes down. Stratmann, though, was starting to gain on the Frenchman, setting up a potential duel for the final spot on the podium.

By the 28 km point of the run the gap was just 13 seconds between Schomburg and Laidlow, and shortly afterwards the Frenchman took the lead. Vincent was desperately trying to hold off Stratmann, who had closed the gap to only a few seconds, but then had a “dark time” on the climb up to Buchenbach and found himself 90 seconds behind Luis with 6 km to go.

Up ahead there was no stopping Laidlow, who was beating all expectations (we talked to Laidlow about his health issues before the race – he hasn’t trained more than than 10 hours a week all year) as he looked to be on track to take the win. He would cross the line in 7:29:35 after a 2:37:19 marathon.

Schomburg would hang tough for second.

The battle for third came down to the wire as Stratmann, determined not to finish fourth again, found another gear and passed Luis with two km to go.

Stratmann celebrated the final spot on the podium …

While a drained Luis had to settle with fourth in his long-distance debut.

The champ celebrates in style.

Schomburg, Laidlow and Stratmann on the podium.

Hanson would run a 2:28:03 marathon to finish ninth.

Philipp Gets it Done 

Turns out one of the reasons that Laura Philipp was playing down all the record talk this week was because she had been sick and wasn’t even sure she would be able to race today. Turns out she was more than able – patiently biding her time before she moved to the front and cruised to an impressive win.

Switzerland’s Alanis Siffert led the way out of the water, hitting T1 in 52:31, 1:29 up on Austria’s Nina Schwarz and 1:34 ahead of Aussie full-distance rookie Grace Thek. Philipp was almost six minutes down into T2, with Brit Nikki Bartlett about 10 seconds behind.

Alanis Siffert leads the way out on the bike.

Thek started the day off well with a solid swim and quickly moved into second early in the bike.

Philipp took her time moving through the field – through 40 km she was still 4:22 behind Siffert, but was less than 30 seconds behind Thek. Philipp would move into second shortly afterwards, but Siffert was riding well up front.

Even though she was in second, Philipp was all smiles as she went up the Solar climb.

Nikki Bartlett is having funds she rides up Solar.

Last time for Laura – Laura Siddall is competing in her last Challenge Roth.

The gap stayed at about three minutes from 50 km to 90 km of the bike, and it wasn’t until 120 km that Philipp appeared to really push towards the lead. Just before the 150 km mark Philipp was in front and the race was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

By the end of the ride Philipp’s lead was a shade under two minutes over Siffert, with Bartlett in next, a shade over eight minutes down, followed by Thek another 40 seconds later. Merle Brunee was another minute behind, with Justine Mathieux on her heels starting the run.

Philipp “cruised” through the run to a 2:43:17 split.

With one of the sport’s best runners out in front, the rest of the field was left to duke things out for the remaining spots on the podium.

Siffert (above) managed to hang on to second place through the first 10 km of the run, but Bartlett eventually move into second place. Thek, though, was making the most of her running background (she’s a former NCAA cross country champion) and was steadily moving up towards the podium. Through the halfway point of the marathon she had got past Siffert, and then managed to surge past a struggling Bartlett over the final 10 km of the marathon to move into second.

Mathieux would find herself in a run duel with Merle Brunee.

Bartlett now found herself struggling to stay on the podium ahead of Siffert.

There was no stopping Philipp as she took the win, finishing in that 8:18:18 time.

Thek would cross the line over 18 minutes later, stopping the clock in 8:37:39, an auspicious debut at the distance.

Siffert would charge to the line to take the final spot on the podium with her 8:41:41 finish.

Bartlett would take fourth.

While Mathieux (top photo) would run a 3:00:07 marathon to Brunnee’s 3:00:57 as they would take fourth and fifth.

There were lots of Erdinger “showers” – Philipp showed her prowess on that front.

Although Thek was pretty good on debut in that department, too.

And then there was champagne …

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