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Belgian triathlete Jelle Geens successfully retained his Ironman World 70.3 title on Sunday in Marbella. Geens crossed the finish line in 3 minutes 42 seconds after a three-second battle with Norway’s Kristian Blommenfelt.
Casper Stornes also from Norway finished the podium with a 3:43.52 time.
Italian Alessio Crocciani led the swim with a 28-second advantage, but a slow transition cost him dearly as a large chasing group formed on the bike leg up the Puerto de Ojén. Blummenfelt pushed ahead with Matthew Riddle of Australia before Geens was added to the group.
Nine athletes started the final run together. Geens, however, overcame the slow T2 and fought head-to-head against Blummenfelt.
Weekend of Action
After Lucy Charles-Barclay won the women’s triathlon on Saturday, the men’s race was a thrilling end to the weekend’s action.
Lucy Charles-Barclay is elated at her victory.
Josele
After a fierce fight with American Taylor Knibb, the Briton won her second Ironman world title. Charles-Barclay won in 4:13:54 – three minutes faster than Knibb. Tanja Neubert, from Germany, took third place.
Charles-Barclay set the early pace in the swim and regained the lead midway through the hilly bike route via Benahavís and Ojén before pulling clear on the run.
Overall, more than 6,000 athletes took part in the event, which took place across Marbella and Puerto Banús. Professionals, paratriathletes as well as age-group participants competed in the 1.9-kilometre swimming, 90-kilometre cycling and 21-kilometre running.
