The ITU/Powerman world championships duathlon is a race that’s very close to our hearts, a race in which our athletes in the last 7 years got 6x AG silver, 5x AG gold and 4times top 15 in the Pro race (with fulltime amateurs 😉 ).

Today again it were Wim, Jan and Hans entering this race with for Wim and Hans high expectations and dying to simply confirm last year’s race. Showing that was not a 1day result. Jan, after a tough spring showed in his last 70.3 races that shape was getting there, despite some pain in the back.

The race had to change the run and bikecourses this year, so for every athletes the race was slightly unknow. But maybe also a good thing to change the racecourse of world championships from time to time…

During the first run Jan, Wim and Hans sticked close together but all on the right pace and showed already there that they belong to the better AG runners. Well paced and ready for a long day they stepped on their bikes. Jan was the first one, followed by Hans and Wim.

Only 1lap later Hans was already spotted riding very hard and moving up between the pro riders, who started earlier. Jan and Wim kept in battle for AG podium, this during the whole bike course. During this bikecourse Wim could accelerate during the 2nd half of it and put down the bike 3rd in his AG, Jan in 4th and Hans who now was totally in front put down his bike  within the top 15 of the race and as first AG athlete. Meanwhile the Belgian Pro athletes unfortunately got DNF behind their names…so Hans also was first Belgian now. This in a discipline that was dominated by Belgians for years! (Vansteelandt brothers, Maris, Woestenborghs and Odeyn later).

Once of the bike our athletes mostly are on their best, the engine heated up and loaded for a good off bike run! Today this wasn’t anything other! Hans had an excellent run and was in full control of the AG race, he dominated and wins the AG race but above all comes very close towards PRO top10 with an 11th place!

Behind this Wim and Jan were running very fast off their bike and it was Wim who nearly closed a 10′ gap with the leader in his AG by finishing 2nd…only 30″ behind the winner in his AG! Wim had a FANTASTIC season with the AG Belgian titles on all distances, the AG European title and becoming AG vice world champion!

Jan was in fight with 3rd position in his (and Hans) AG, places were expensive in this AG and for more than 25K Jan and number 3 in his AG were within a 1′ range of eachother! In the end Jan also finishes 4th, only a good 30″ behind number 3!
Wim gets 23rd and Jan 29th in the overall race! All together races to be proud of!!

So once again Zofingen left us with a lot of emotions, The Kona for duathletes but then colder and a totally different environment! Results to be proud of, whatever… Well done to all!

Yesterday Jens (3rd in Olympic Distance Köln – Germany) prooved already end of the season is coming and that means A-races are coming also!

Today in Balen Bregt gets 10th, moving up from 15th to 10 on the run!

Tony had his last preprace towards the Ironman World championships in Kona, Hawaii today…in Köln (Germany). His races turned out perfectly…untill a flat tyre!! His tyre was totalle ruptured but fortunately he found a piece of cardboad to put inside his tyre and fixed the bike! A bit more than 7′ he lost in this action and for sure some energy. But this ‘MacGyver’-mentality made him come back into the race, put down his bike with over 320NP ~ 72kg. But that’s not all, during his run he came back into the top 10 with the 2nd running time to finish the race 10th…only5′ after 3rd position!
Another strong race after his 2nd place in Chtriman 2018!

Next stop: Kona, Hawaii. And this athlete is more than on his place overthere!

September has kicked off very well…and we still have 29days left!

Ciao

Jesse