Duathlon World Championship Elite Results
Gyor, Hungary
Saturday, May 20, 2007
10k run, 40k draft legal bike, 5k run

Elite Women
1. FERNANDES, Vanessa (POR)      1:54:06
2 DILLON, Michelle (GBR)                1:54:43
3.      CSOMOR, Erika (HUN)                  1:54:53
4.      LOUISON, Alexandra (FRA)           1:54:58
5.      GIORDANO, Laura (ITA)                1:55:04
6.      DEDERKO, Ewa (POL)                  1:55:30
7.      LEE, Michelle (GBR)                       1:56:04
8.      SCHLIPF, Carolin (GER)                1:57:11
9.      MORRISON, Catriona (GBR)         1:57:30
10.  PEREIRO, Inmaculada (ESP)        1:57:50

Elite Men
1.      AMEY, Paul (GBR)                      1:40:51
2.      DEREERE, Jurgen (BEL)                        1:40:55
3.      SILVA, Sergio (POR)                   1:41:00
4.      GARCIA, Javier (ESP)                 1:41:05
5.      BARRUNCHO, Lino (POR)         1:41:06
6.      KITE, Derek (USA)                       1:41:10
7.      VALENTI, Stephane (FRA)          1:41:21
8.      YAKOLEV, Sergey (RUS)                       1:41:30
9.      VANSTEELANT, Benny (BEL)    1:41:37
10.  LEBRUN, Nicolas (FRA)              1:41:49

Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal and Paul Amey of Great Britain are the new ITU Duathlon World Champions.  Better known for their triathlon results, Fernandes and Amey both decided to take their turn at the run-bike-run championship today in Györ, Hungary.  Both athletes would lead from start to finish over the technical 10-kilometre run, 40-kilometre bike and 5-kilometre run course through downtown Györ to be crowned world champions.

Fernandes' finish time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 6 seconds was 37 seconds ahead of the second place and silver medalist Michelle Dillon of Great Britain.  Local woman, Erika Csomor of Hungary would elate the gathered crowds by finishing third a further 10 seconds back. 

From the starting horn, Fernandes moved quickly to the front of the group to open up a 33 second gap after the initial 10-kilometre leg.  This gave the young world cup triathlon sensation time to sit up and wait for the chase group containing, Dillon, Csomor, Alexandra Louison of France, Ewa Dederko of Poland, Michelle Lee of Great Britain and Laura Giordano of Italy. The chase group, containing reigning duathlon world champion Catriona Morrison of Great Britain slipped behind to almost a two minute deficit heading into the final 5-kilometre run leg.

From here Fernandes immediately pulled away from the group in her typical fashion and did not look back, running her way to her second duathlon world championship win.  Fernandes was the 2003 Junior duathlon world champion.  Dillon, who has had a great start to her 2007 season, followed in second as the Hungarian Csomor was pushed by the local fanfare to edge out fourth place Louison.  Giordano of Italy rounded out the top five.

In the men's event, 2005 duathlon world champion Amy used his strong finishing kick to pull away in the final 200 metres from second place Jurgen Dereere of Belgium and third place Sergio Silva of Portugal.  Dereere, who finished in second place last year as well, was unable to hold onto the Brit, crossing the line only five seconds back, with Silva a further four seconds behind.

A group of eight athletes entered first transition together and head out over the technical and fast 40-kilometre bike course.  This group, containing all three medalists, worked together to open a 36-second lead on the chase pack of six heading into the final leg. 

The lead group of seven stayed close together for the first of two laps, but as the top contenders began to maneuver, a number of athletes dropped off, leaving Amey, Dereere and Silva to break for the line over the final meters.  Amey was the fleetest of foot today, crossing the line just ahead of the remaining competitors.

In the Under23 events, Charlotte Gauchet of France won the women's event as Bojan Cebin of Slovakia would claim the men's title.

For the Juniors, Hungarian Zsofia Toth was the victor in the women's event with Richard Murray of South Africa taking the men's race.