ITU World Triathlon Series

Press Release - 2003 ITU Tiszaujvaros World Cup

03 August 2003

ITU Media
Release

Tiszaujvaros, Hungary: 03 August 2003: For immediate release:

Anja Dittmer and Volodymyr Polikarpenko Win Tiszaujvaros World Cup

Full Report: WOMEN’S ELITE RACE: It was a hot morning in the triathlon-mad town of Tiszaujvaros, Hungary with temperatures reaching 32 degrees. Locals had lined the streets from 9:00 a.m. as 38 elite women from all corners of the globe made a clean start into the Tisza river. The 1500m swim was led early on by Pip Taylor (AUS), Anneliese Heard (GBR) and Sylvia Gemignani (ITA), ahead of a large chase group. Through Transition 1, Heard, Taylor and Gemignani were quickly joined by Anja Dittmer (GER), Nina Anisimova (RUS), Emma Snowsill (AUS) and Pilar Hidalgo (ESP), and together they formed the lead group on the bike. However, within 1 lap they were quickly caught by the chasers – led by Carol Montgomery (CAN) and Nadia Cortassa (ITL) – a large group of 20 then formed at the front of the field. The third pack, led by Australian Team Triathlon World Champions Mirinda Carfrae and Nikkie Egyed, charged back into contention over the final stages of the bike leg, making up 45 seconds on the leaders in just 1 lap and then actually moving to the front of the huge lead pack prior to sweeping through Transition 2. Onto the Run, an experienced group led by Carol Montgomery (CAN), Anja Dittmer (GER), Tracey Looze (NED), Natasha Filliol (CAN), and Nadia Cortassa (ITA) quickly took the lead and set the pace. This group then kept a steady 10 second lead until the 7K mark when Carol Montgomery began to wilt in the ferocious heat, and was overtaken by Emma Snowsill (AUS). As they entered the final lap, Anja Dittmer showed her real strength as a runner and raced off to a comfortable victory in a time of 01:57:11, followed by a tight sprint for second, which was won over the final straight by Nadia Cortassa ahead of Emma Snowsill. Montgomery eventually fell away to 8th place over the final lap, finishing 01:22 behind Dittmar. This was Dittmar’s first World Cup win, and she was absolutely ecstatic. It was also one of the best World Cup finishes thus far for both Cortassa and Snowsill, and so a collection of fresh faces graced the podium for the first time this season.

MEN’S ELITE RACE:

By the time the Elite Men took to the pontoon for the 2003 ITU Tiszaujvaros World Cup, the midday heat had really set in, reaching temperatures of 34 degrees C and above. Japan’s Tsukasa Hirano caught the river’s current early in the 2 lap swim and thus led the swim with Volodymyr Polikarpenko (UKR), Frank Bignet (FRA), Joachim Willen (SWE) and Shane Reed (NZL) close behind. These 5 led into Transition 1, followed closely by Carl Blasco (FRA) and Martin Krnavek (CZE), who had lost his goggles on the first swim lap but still managed to come into transition in seventh place. The five swim leaders then broke away on the bike and gradually carved out a lead that grew by almost 15 seconds per lap, over the huge chase pack containing almost 40 riders. By the time the leaders reached transition 2, this pack of five had a 1 minute lead over the chasers, and a 1:30 lead over the strongest runners in the field further back, including World Champions Ivan Rana (ESP) and Dimitri Gaag (KZA), along with Andrew Johns (GBR) and Krnavek (CZE). In the early stages of the run, Frank Bignet tried to break away, with Polikarpenko and Shane Reed (NZL) in pursuit. Further back, Dimitri Gaag made a solo break, and found himself in 5th place at the halfway mark. As Gaag continued to make up ground, and with Andrew Johns rapidly closing in from further back, Polikarpenko suddenly found a fifth gear and took a 10 second over the fading Bignet’s lead into the final lap. He managed to impressively hold this lead right to the finish line, in spite of remarkable last gasp bursts of speed by both Gaag and Johns that saw them finish 2nd and 3rd respectively. Full results below. The World Cup Circus now moves to New York City (10/08), and potentially the biggest triathlon seen since the Sydney Olympics. As ever, the event will be covered live on www.triathlon.org.