Filip Ospaly used a course record time of 3:46:02 to defeat a stellar field at the 2010 Ironman 70.3 Austria in St. Pölten. Yvonne Van Vlerken also broke the course record, but had to out-sprint Erika Csomor by 0.2 seconds to take the win.
The men
Kuttor Csaba was first out of the water in 23:42 but he had Dirk Bockel and most of the other favorites not far behind. Local favorite and recent Ironman St. George winner Michael Weiss was as expected slower in the swim and got out of the water 2 minutes behind Bockel.
Bockel quickly passed Kuttor and took the lead during the early parts of the bike segment but ITU pro Filip Ospaly, 4 time Ironman Austria winner Marino Vanhoenacker and defending champion Chris McCormack were in hot pursuit. Swedish Pro Jonas Djurback and Ironman Hawaii 2009 third place getter Andreas Raelert were also right within striking distance. The lead changed a few times with Ospaly charging to the front and other trying their luck too, but in the end it was Vanhoenacker who got away late. By the time the Belgian hit T2 he had about a 40 second lead on Bockel, McCormack and Ospaly. With the fastest bike split of the day (2:07:10), Weiss arrived in T2 in 5th position.
Out on the run McCormack and Ospaly took charge and ran a wicked pace. Eventually Ospaly got away from McCormack and after a race best 1:08:50 half marathon crossed the line first in a course record time of 3:46:02.
The women
Austrian Pro Eva Dollinger led the women out of the water with Merje Kiviranta and Heike Funk not far behind. Most of the contenders were hovering around 2.5 - 3 minutes behind after the swim, but Swiss cycling phenom Karin Thürig had lost more than 7 minutes to Dollinger and more than 4.5 minutes to Van Vlerken and Csomor.
Quite a bit changed during the bike, and Van Vlerken pushed hard for the lead. Thürig though came flying through from behind and her 2:18:34 bike split was almost 9 minutes faster than the times ridden by Van Vlerken and Csomor. Defending champion Sandra Wallenhorst overcame a slower swim and managed to put herself into 4th position by the time she reached the second transition.
Thürig started the run with a 2 minute lead over Van Vlerken and Csomor, but the 2 pursuers were clearly running faster. Csomor and Van Vlerken cut the lead into half by the 6k mark and a few miles later pushed past the tall Swiss pro. Van Vlerken got away from Csomor late in the run but Csomor clawed her way back to the front and in the end the 2 women were forced to sprint for the title. Van Vlerken edged out Csomor by 0.2 seconds to take the title in course record time. Thürig held on for the final podium spot.
Ironman 70.3 Austria
St. Pölten, Austria / May 30, 2010
Top 10 men
1. Filip Ospaly (CZE) 3:46:01
2. Chris McCormack (AUS) 3:47:00
3. Andreas Raelert (GER) 3:47:28.
4. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 3:49:18.
5. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 3:51:29
6. Michael Weiss (AUT) 3:51:53
7. Massimo Cigana (ITA) 3:52:40
8. Jonas Djurback (SWE) 3:55:46
9. Daniel Niederreiter (AUT) 3:57:52 * AG M30-34
10. Teemu Toivanen (FIN) 4:01:28
Top 10 women
1. Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED) 4:18:56,0
2. Erika Csomor (HUN) 4:18:56,2
3. Karin Thürig (SWI) 4:21:34
4. Sandra Wallenhorst (GER) 4:23:13
5. Kristin Möller (GER) 4:27:07
6. Eva Dollinger (AUT) 4:34:17
7. Merja Kiviranta (FIN) 4:35:31
8. Monika Stadlmann (AUT) 4:36:57
9. Jutta Wabnig (AUT) 4:37:50 * AG F25-29
10. Susan Dietrich (GER) 4:42:31
Images © Martin Steinthaler of tinefoto.com
