Panagiotis Bitados is the new king of Challenge Sanremo. The Greek literally dominates the middle distance race in 3h54’36”, setting the best time ever achieved in this competition. Second place for German Jonas Schomburg, who participated at Paris 2024 Olympic Games, who conquers second place in 4h01’28”, third place for Jannik Stoll, also German, moved to have conquered such a prestigious podium. Fourth place for last year’s winner, German Maximilian Sperl, fifth Jonathan Wayaffe (on the podium in Sanremo in 2023), sixth David Breinlinger (Ger).
Among the women, German victory thanks to Daniela Kleiser (4h37’41”) ahead of Austrian Therese Feuersinger (4h42’39”), who dominated the race until 6 km from the finish line, and German Rebecca Robisch (4h44’06”). Fourth place for Sarah Schoenfelder (Ger), fifth Lisa-Maria Dornauer (Aut), on the podium in 2023, sixth Justine Guerard (Fra), third in the first edition.
“Beautiful, amazing! It was a special race with a beautiful and very challenging bike course and then the flat race with a bit of wind – said the winner Kleiser – I was really great today. The third fraction was my best, I had no pressure, I ran very well and I managed to come back and take the victory”.
“Everything was beautiful, a fantastic place to do a triathlon and the organization worked very well – underlined the winner of the 2024 edition – I used a road bike, I decided on this set-up by studying the route: I needed a lighter bike to push hard uphill and that would allow me to ride well downhill to take the best trajectories and go very fast”.
MEN’S RACE
An ideal day to compete: calm sea, no wind, mild outside temperature (about 24 degrees), water at 22.5°C.
The men’s race started from the first strokes of the swimming leg with Schomburg and Bitados taking the lead from the first of the two planned laps with an Australian exit. After 1900 meters of swimming, the favorites are already ahead: the German and the Greek are the first to get on their bikes with a 45-second advantage over Sarzilla, Breinlinger, Sperl, Ott, Viain, Leiss, Kreibich. Steger comes out of the water with 2’15” from the lead, Mennesson with 3’20”.
On the demanding course and with over 1500 meters of altitude difference, the start is at high speed with the first men consistently over 45 km/h on the first part of the course on the cycle path. On the first climb, Bitados imposes his pace and takes the lead of the race. Chasing the two best swimmers of the day are other big guns such as Sperl, Hermann, Leiss, Breinlinger, Viain at 1’30” and Ott who however falls on the first descent. Halfway through the cycling leg, Bitados increases the advantage over Schomburg to 1’40”. Stoll, Sperl, Breinlinger, Kreibick, Leiss are chasing at 2 minutes, one minute further back the Italian Sarzilla (then put out of action by a fall). Along the Vignai climb, Bitados increases the advantage with a frenetic pace along the 16 km of ascent. With Viain out of the game due to a mechanical failure, the Greek literally dominates the bike fraction: at the top of the Vignai – Passo Ghimbegna climb, he has 4’30” on Schomburg, 6’30” on Stoll and Breinlinger, 7 minutes on Steger, 7’15” on Sarzilla and Kreibich. The descent towards Sanremo takes place at very high speed towards the descent of the Poggio that leads the athletes to the transition area.
7’20” is Bitados’ advantage in T2 over a long line of Germans chasing: Breinlinger, Schomburg and Stoll, last year’s winner Sperl 1’40” further back.
Today there is no one to beat: Bitados is unleashed, he runs a sensational Run fraction alone and triumphs for the first time at the Challenge Sanremo. Behind him is a German challenge with Stoll, Brienlinger, Schomburg and Sperl competing for medals on the flat and flowing course that develops entirely on the cycle/pedestrian path of the Riviera dei Fiori. A real triumph for the Greek who enjoys the warmth of the Italian public, Schomburg defends the second step of the podium and Stoll, moved at the finish line, takes third place.
WOMEN’S RACE
Among the women, the swimming leg features a solo run by Austrian Therese Feuersinger who literally dominates the first leg, beating the pursuers Bicanova, Guerard, Robisch, Riveros, Bernardi and Walter by 3’35”. Dornauer and Boulanger are further behind and start pedaling with a gap of 5’20”.
In the first part of the cycling circuit, the Austrian maintains a significant advantage and continues her solitary ride. Behind her, Guerard, Boulanger at 5’30”. 8 minutes behind, Dornauer, Bernardi, Schoenfelder and Riveros. The 16 km climb shakes up the positions: with the Austrian still in the lead with 6 minutes on Kleiser, chasing the podium positions are Robisch at 7’30, the returning Schoenfelder at 9’30”, then Dornauer, Guerard and Bernardi. The Austrian, master of the first two fractions, arrives first, alone in T2 and flies towards success. The Germans Robisch (at 4 minutes) and Kleiser (at 5 minutes) follow, joined by the returning Schoenfleder (at over 6 minutes), author of a consistent cycling fraction. Fifth and sixth position after the bike for Dornauer and Guerard. The Austrian begins the race with a huge advantage, but the opponents chasing her are excellent runners. Robisch and Kleiser raise the pace and progressively reduce the disadvantage on the athlete who has led the competition up to now. The crucial moment at 15 km with Kleiser who makes her running skills count and takes the lead, overtaking the Feuersinger at double speed, flying towards victory. The Austrian defends the second position with Robisch who wins the bronze medal.
RESULTS CHALLENGE SANREMO – MIDDLE DISTANCE
