Boris Stein and Natascha Schmitt led a German sweep of the swim-canceled Ironman 70.3 Luxembourg duathlon. Schmitt also led Svenja Thoes and Daniela Sämmler in an all-German women’s podium on a dark and cloudy day in the Région Moselle.

Due to recent flooding which created dangerously strong currents in the Mosel River, the Maritime Authority of Luxembourg declared the river unfit for swimming. Race organizers therefore canceled the swim and replaced it with an opening 5k run, followed by the usual 90k bike leg and concluding 21.1k run.

Men

After the opening 5k run segment, Youri Severin and Oude Bennink of Netherlands led in 20:29 with a 3 seconds margin on Patrick Dirksmeier of Germany, 4 seconds on Evert Scheltinga of Netherlands, and 6 seconds on Yvan Jarrige of France.

By 38k, über biker Boris Stein seized the lead by 1 second over Scheltinga, 12 seconds on Frederik Van Lierde of Belgium, 13 seconds on Timo Bracht of Germany, 16 seconds on Thomas Leboucher of France, 17 seconds on Dirksmeier, 19 seconds on Jarrige and Bennink, and 20 seconds on Severin. After a dominating 2:06:17 bike split through the hilly vineyards, Stein led Scheltinga (second-fastest 2:10:28 bike split) by 4:01, and Jarrige and Dirksmeier by 4:53.

After 8k of the run, Stein led Dirksmeier by 3:42, Scheltinga by 4:18, Leboucher by 4:45, and Bas Diederen and Jarrige by 4:55. At 16k Stein, on his way to a 3rd-best 1:17:16 half marathon, held a 3:30 lead on Dirksmeier, 4:40 on Diederen and 5:01 on Scheltinga.

Two weeks after his win at Kraichgau 70.3, Stein finished 1st in 3:46:28 with a 3:39 margin of victory over fast-closing Diederen, who ran a race-best 1:16:58. Scheltinga ran a 6th-best 1:17:59 to finish 3rd, 4:38 behind the winner.

After a women’s 2nd-fastest 1:26:45 run split, Schmitt finished in 4:17:28 with a 1:36 margin of victory over Thoes, who ran 1:27:11. No one else came close as Sämmler took 3rd with a 10 minutes deficit to Schmitt, completing a German sweep of the women's podium. Grohmann took 4th, 26 seconds behind Sämmler and Hector finished 5th, 1:15 back of Grohmann.

Schmitt’s win follows her 4th place at Mallorca 70.3 and 5th place at Kraichgau 70.3 this year.

Ironman 70.3 Luxembourg
Région Moselle, Luxembourg
June 19, 2016
R 5k / B 90k / R 21.1k

Results

Men

1. Boris Stein (GER) 3:46:28
2. Bas Diederen (NED) 3:50:07
3. Evert Scheltinga (NED) 3:51:06
4. Thomas Leboucher (FRA) 3:51:45
5. Patrick Dirksmeier (GER) 3:52:01
6. Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 3:52:35

Women

1. Natascha Schmitt (GER) 4:17:28
2. Svenja Thoes (GER) 4:19:04
3. Daniela Sämmler (GER) 4:27:28
4. Katharina Grohmann (GER) 4:27:54
5. Alice Hector (GBR) 4:29:15