Victor Del Corral of Spain won for the second straight year and Mary Beth Ellis of the United States won her first Alpe d’Huez long distance triathlon title Sunday at the world famous French mountain resort which sits atop one of the Tour de France’s most famous climbs.

Del Corral held off David Dellow, thanks in part to a drafting penalty which cost the Australian more than Del Corral’s winning margin. Del Corral finished the 2.2 kilometer swim, 115 kilometer bike (which includes the famed 1,220 meter climb) and 22 kilometer run in 5:51:52 which gave him a 3:45 margin of victory. Alessandro Degasperi of Italy finished 3rd, 1:53 back of Dellow.

Mary Beth Ellis took the lead on the steep climb up Alpe d’Huez and held on for a 12:13 margin of victory over Team TBB teammate Carrie Lester of Australia. Ellis’s 6:26:26 finish was just 8 minutes back of the 2008 winning time of Chrissie Wellington, who came within one minute of the overall men’s winner that year. Ellis beat her 2011 time by 30 minutes. Alexandra Louison of France was 4:24 back of Lester in 3rd place.

With her win, Ellis joined some elite company as the women who have won this triathlon include Wellington, Jodie Swallow, Nicola Spirig and Catriona Morrison.

Alpe d’Huez Triathlon
Alpe d’Huez, France
July 29, 2012
S 2.2 k / B 115 k / R 22 k

Results

Men

1. Victor de Corral (ESP) 5:51:52
2. David Dellow (AUS) 5:55:37
3. Alessandro Degasperi (ITA) 5:57:30
4. Scott De Filippis (USA) 6:02:29
5. Andres Castillo (COL) 6:02:45
6. Stephen Bayliss (GBR) 6:03:09
7. Aaron Farlow (AUS) 6:04:58
8. Rinus Holvoet (BEL) 6:09:18
9. Gilles Reboul (FRA) 6:10:06
10. Timothy Van Houtem (BEL) 6:10:27

Women

1. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 6:26:26
2. Carrie Lester (AUS) 6:38:39
3. Alexandra Louison (FRA) 6:43:03
4. Tamsin Lewis (GBR) 6:47:38
5. Celine Scharer (SUI) 6:52:58
6. Lisbeth Kristensen (DEN) 7:03:40
7. Rachel King (USA) 7:19:25
8. Katie Frauts (CAN) 7:29:50
9. Susanne Gries (SUI) 7:41:14
10. Celine Feder (FRA) 7:43:31