The 2013 ITU World Champion Non Stanford of Great Britain declared this would be her last year of pro racing – and is proving she will go out with a bang. Two weeks ago Stanford led her Wales team to the Commonwealth Games Mixed Relay silver medal.
Today Stanford took the gold medal at the European Championship Munich in what may be her last Olympic distance race.
In an impressive win in Germany, Stanford sped away from favorites Cassandre Beaugrand, Laura Lindemann, and Emma Lombardi with a race-best 34:24 10k run. Stanford thus arrived at the line in 1:52:10 with a 9 seconds margin over Lindemann, 12 seconds over third place finisher Emma Lombardi of France, 41 seconds over Nina Eim of Germany and 55 seconds over 5th place finisher Beaugrand of France.
In Munich’s impressive two-lap 1.5-kilometer Olympiapark swim, home country fave Lindemann led the first loop. At the end of the final loop, Sophie Alden of Great Britain led the field into T1, followed by Lindemann (I19:22), Cassandre Beaugrand (19:25), Stanford (19:27), and Melanie Santos of Portugal. Led by Julie Derron of Switzerland 13 athletes formed a lead pack at the end of lap one. Including Lisa Tertsch of Germany, and Stanford. On the first lap, Maryna Kryk of the Ukraine fell down in front of Sophie Alden who crashed face first into the barriers.
That chaos split the leaders, leaving eight at the front including Beaugrand and Lombardi of France, Lindemann and Tertsch of Germany, Stanford of Great Britain, Miriam Casillas Garcia of Spain, Derron of Switzerland and Valerie Barthelmy of Belgium. By the end of lap two the chasers were 26 seconds arrears.
Halfway, Lotte Miller of Norway was driving the chasers 20 seconds down – including Nine Eim and Annabel Knoll of Germany, Alberte Kjaer Pedersen of Denmark.
Starting the final lap, the chasers were 24 seconds down. At this point the lead pack slowed down and so the leaders and chasers entered T2 all together in a late arriving rain squall. Unlike the pancake flat bike course, the run course was filled with short climbs which suited Beaugrand who took the lead over Lombardi, Lindemann, with defending champion Julie Derron of Switzerland 4 seconds further back. Seven seconds further arrears lay Commonwealth Games Mixed Team Relay co-silver medalist Stanford.
Surprisingly, Beaugrand started to fade halfway through the 4-lap run and fell to 5th at the line.
On the final lap, Stanford, Lombardi and Lindemann were left to fight for the gold.
On the final tough uphill, Stanford took a 10 seconds lead and in the wings of her race-best 34:24 run and crossed the line in 1:52:10.
Leo Bergere leads French Sweep
Bergere led countryman Pierre Le Corre by 8 seconds and third-place Dorian Coninx by 15 seconds at the European Championship in Munich
In the swim, Mark DeVay of Hungary led the field before he faded to 12th place at the finish. By the end of the bike phase, the lead pack was 12 men strong. Midway through the run, Bergere took charge on his way to a 31:13 10k run.
Bergere was not challenged on his way to a 1:41:09 finish with an 8 seconds advantage on runner-up Le Corre (31:21 run) and 15 seconds on third-place finisher Coninx (31:29 run), six seconds ahead of fourth-place finisher Csongor Lehmann of Hungary. Jelle Geens of Belgium ran a race-best 31:00 split to take 5th, 30 seconds behind Bergere.
Europe Triathlon Championships
Munich, Germany
August 12, 2022
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Pro Women
1. Non Stanford (GBR) S 19:27 T1 00:35 B 57:19 T2 00:27 R 34:24 TOT 1:52:10
2. Laura Lindemann (GER) S 19:22 T1 00:37 B 57:20 T2 00:27 R 34:34 TOT 1:52:19
3. Emma Lombardi (FRA) S 19:42 T1 00:33 B 57:05 T2 00:24 R 34:40 TOT 1:52:22
4. Nina Eim (GER) S 19:57 T1 00:36 B 56:51 T2 00:26 R 35:03 TOT 1:52:51
5. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) S 19:25 T1 00:37 B 57:19 T2 00:26 R 35:21 TOT 1:53:05
6. Julie Derron (SUI) S 19:34 T1 00:39 B 57:06 T2 00:26 R 35:26 TOT 1:53:10
7. Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP) S 19:36 T1 00:35 B 57:08 T2 00:26 R 35:40 TOT 1:53:23
8. Alberte Kjaer Pedersen (DEN) S 20:07 T1 00:37 B 56:40 T2 00:27 R 35:42 TOT 1:53:32
9. Julia Hauser (AUT) S 20:12 T1 00:37 B 56:39 T2 00:26 R 35:50 TOT 1:53:41
10. Annika Koch (GER) S 20:03 T1 00:33 B 56:46 T2 00:28 R 35:55 TOT 1:53:44
Pro Men
1. Leo Bergere (FRA) S 17:49 T1 00:33 B 51:13 T2 003 R 31:13 TOT 1:41:09
2. Pierre Le Corre (FRA) S 17:45 T1 00:32 B 51:18 T2 00:23 R 31:21 TOT 1:41:17
3. Dorian Coninx (FRA) S 17:39 T1 00:35 B 51:22 T2 00:22 R 31:29 TOT 1:41:24
4. Csongor Lehmann (HUN) S 17:37 T1 00:33 B 51:26 T2 00:24 R 31:32 TOT 1:41:30
5. Jelle Geens (BEL) S 18:41 T1 00:33 B 51:06 T2 00:21 R 31:00 TOT 1:41:39
6. Joao Pereira (POR) S 17:47 T1 00:34 B 51:16 T2 00:24 R 31:50 TOT 1:41:49
7. Jonas Schomburg (GER) S 17:41 T1 00:35 B 51:21 T2 00:24 R 32:10 TOT 1:42:08
8. Michele Sarzilla (ITA) S 18:20 T1 00:34 B 51:29 T2 00:25 R 31:47 TOT 1:42:33
9. Simon Westermann (SUI) S 17:52 T1 00:32 B 51:12 T2 00:24 R 32:41 TOT 1:42:38
10. Bence Bicsák (HUN) S 18:18 T1 00:34 B 51:33 T2 00:26 R 31:57 TOT 1:42:46
