Duathlon World Championships
Affoltern, Switzerland
Saturday, August 30, 2003
10k run, 42k bike, 5k run
Detailed Results

The first day of competition in Switzerland included the elite races, Under 23 races, and Junior races, with the age group races set for Sunday. The 10k opening run consisted of four laps, half uphill, then a sharp descent on woodchips, and then a more gradual descent back to the start/finish area. The second 5k run entailed two laps on the same course. Based on the times being run the course was likely a little short. The bike course was 5 laps. Nearly half was uphill, then a quick one minute technical descent on a very narrow road with blind corners. The next 5k was a gradual descent, followed by a sharp turn, a 100 meter uphill, which led to a narrow sidewalk, to the end of the lap. The rain fell sporadically through the day making the course slick in spots and causing a few crashes.

The Juniors started the day at 7:30am, and the last race was the elite men at 4:00. Benny Vansteelant, Joeri Vansteelant, and Peter Croes led Belgium to a sweep of the men's races. Edwige Pitel earned a short course World title to go with the long course World title she won in South Africa in 2000. One year ago at the end of a disappointing season when he finished out of the top 25 at short course world's Benny Vansteelant predicted a one-two finish by him and Jonathan Hall at this year's World Championships, and both men made the prediction stand. Last year's winner, Tim Don of Great Britain, dropped out after the first 10k. Race results are below, plus race stories by Reinhard Standke. Click the link at the top of the article for complete results.

Elite Women
1. Edwige Pitel (France) 2:13:20
2. Andrey Cleau (France) 2:14:32
3. Vicki Pincombe (Great Britain) 2:15:11
4. Karin Thuerig (Switzerland) 2:15:59
5. Tina Walter (Germany) 2:17:08
6. Fiona Docherty (New Zealand) 2:17:11
7. Corine Raux (France) 2:18:03
8. Susanne Wiertsema (Netherlands) 2:18:38
9. Anne B. Jorgensen (Denmark) 2:19:22
10. Stefania Bonazzi (Italy) 2:19:38

Elite Men
1. Benny Vansteelant (Belgium) 1:54:30
2. Jonathan Hall (Australia) 1:55:05
3. Alessandro Alessandri (Italy) 1:55:20
4. Nicolas Lebrun (France) 1:55:51
5. Javier Garcia 75 (Spain) 1:55:54
6. Enrique Meneses (Spain) 1:55:58
7. Stephane Valenti (France) 1:56:01
8. Vincent Aldebert (France) 1:56:05
9. Dirk Strothmann (Germany) 1:56:12
10. Roger Smeets (Belgium) 1:56:15

Under 23 Women
1. Nicola Spirig (Switzerland) 2:17:21
2. Arianna Morosin (Italy) 2:20:39
3. Monika Brandt (Switzerland) 2:20:57
4. Barbara Zutt 2:23:10
5. Andrea Horak (South Africa) 2:23:43
6. Michelle Fangmann (Netherlands) 2:24:49

Under 23 Men
1. Joeri Vansteelant (Belgium) 1:58:51
2. Santiago Alves Ascenco (Brazil) 2:02:19
3. Andy Sutz 2:02:28
4. Sérgio Silva (Portugal) 2:03:04
5. Matias Opitz (Chile) 2:03:14
6. Ruedi Wild (Switzerland) 2:03:51

Junior Women
1. Vanessa Fernandes (Portugal) 1:12:49
2. Gitta Arany 1:17:38
3. Sarah Bryant (New Zealand) 1:17:40
4. Alexandra Veith (Germany) 1:17:57
5. Daniela Ryf (Switzerland) 1:18:02
6. Martina Krähenbühl (Switzerland) 1:18:06

Junior Men
1. Peter Croes (Belgium) 1:06:28
2. Oliver Freeman (Great Britain) 1:08:19
3. Will Clarke (Great Britain) 1:08:26
4. Fabien Gothuey (Switzerland) 1:08:30
5. Charles Rusterholz (Switerland) 1:08:45
6. Isaac Lopez (Spain) 1:08:55

After 2001 and 2002 Benny Vansteelant got his third title as World Champion at the Duathlon World Championship in Affoltern am Albis. The Belgium could brake off on the last 5 km on the second running leg and could beat Jonathan Hall by 35 sec. With the fastet running time Alessandro Alessandri got place 3. Best Swiss were Stefan Riesen and Ronnie Schildknecht on place 10 and 11.

The American Derek Kite and Vansteelant could brake away on the first 10 km running, 20 sec behind 13 athletes in between Alessandro Alessandri (ITA) and Nicolas Lebrun (FRA). Hall, one of the favorites, was 41 sec behinds, fastest Swiss was Christoph Hubacher on the 17th position. On the second lap of the bike course a group of 4 with Vansteelant, Hall (who could catch up) as well as Roger Smeets (NED) and Mark Bailey (NZL) was formed.

From those 13 athletes the Swiss David Senn, Stefan Riesen and Ronnie Schildknecht did a lot of leading work. The advance of the head was increasing from 22 sec to 55 sec in the on the 4^th lap. On the last 8 km the top favorites broke away. Vansteelant could take the lead on the following running leg and won the competition 35 sec before the Australian. World Champion in 2001 Alessandro Alessandri won the bronce medaille before Nicolas Lebrun (FRA).

”For me every thing was perfect in this race; training and competing with my brother helped me a lot” says a happy Vansteelant, who is back with gold one year after his collarbone fracture.
”I went to fast on the first running leg and had to suffer on the bike”, so world champion 1997 Jonathan Hall. Like the Australian Stefan Rise, went to fast into the race too. “I wanted to give up on the second lap, but then I remembered the team ranking” so Riesen, who is going to compete in Zofingen in two weeks. Defending champion Tim Don abandoned the course after the first running leg.

Elite Women
French double victory at the Duathlon Worldchampionship in Afoltern am Albis. The french Edwig Pitel wins the Duathlon Worldchampionship before her compatriote Andrey Cleau and the british Vicki Pincome. The Swiss favorite Karin Thürig got fourth.

Last years Duathlon Worldchampion Corine Raux was leading the stretched out group of competitours at the beginning of the course. But then the 27-year-old French fell back on the fist bike course and had to give the lead to her. compatriote Edwig Pitel, who at the end decided the race for herself.

The Swiss Karin Thürig got on her bike with a delay of 3:30 minutes, but she could catch up 1:30 minutes on the fist lap and another 30 seconds on her second of five laps. At the end of the 3 lap she was only 25 seconds behind the leading Pitel and could even take the lead for some time. But Pitel is a good biker too. “I knew, that Karin hat to catch up at the bike course to get some spare time on her concurrents to be able to get a medal. I was waiting for her to arrive.”

Unfortunately, the former Duathlon Swiss Champion, who won as well this years track B-Worldchampionship in Aigle, couldn't get rid of her concurrent Pitel. She had to let Pitel go on the last running leg and she also had to let pass Vicki Pincombe (GBR) and Andrey Cleau (FRA) who were approaching quickly. Pitel who thought that the course was very tuff has been working hard on her running. More than happy is the winner of the silver medal, the French Andrey Cleau. She didn't expect this amazing ranking. For her the competition has been perfect from the beginning to the end. “I could always stay on good positions, I could always attacke in the right moment, everything was perfect“ so Cleau.

30-year-old Pincombe was leading the athletes group at the beginning. She only got on her bike as 16th but was able to catch up the head on the 40 km bike course.