Ironman 70.3 Staffs 2015: Javier Gomez leaves it to the run for winning move

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All eyes were on reigning world champ Javier Gomez (ESP) today for the 7am start of Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire, and he didn’t disappoint – though he didn’t take the lead until the run.

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Gloriously bright conditions at Chasewater Reservoir were a relief after the sogginess of yesterday, and after a short delay of around 10mins the pro men including GB’s Will Clarke, Gomez and Nick Kastelein (AUS) entered the water.

They’re off! @IM703STAFFS pic.twitter.com/HxUSA4vUEY

— 220Triathlon (@220Triathlon) June 14, 2015

Kastelein led Gomez out of the 1.9km swim with a 23:33min split, and Will Clarke was around 40secs back in third position. But disaster struck for Kastelein moments later, as he tweeted us:

@220Triathlon unfortunately that’s where it ended. Flatted in first km of bike. @IM703STAFFS

— Nicholas Kastelein (@NickKastelein) June 14, 2015

There were more surprises further into the bike – Germany’s Markus Thomschke took up the lead and managed to establish a 90sec lead over Gomez and Romain Guillaume (FRA), with Will Clarke around 6mins behind the leader. 

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Thomschke, who placed second at Wimbleball 2012 and sixth at Ironman UK last year, extended his lead over Gomez to 2:30mins coming out of T2, with Guillaume and Clarke around 22secs behind Gomez.

The first pros are on the run course! #IM703Staffs pic.twitter.com/XvjIwd9PoN

— IRONMAN 70.3 STAFFS (@IM703STAFFS) June 14, 2015

Yet more drama followed on the run: Thomschke started to fall back and Gomez took up the lead, establishing a 1min margin by the halfway point. Clarke was still within 10mins of the lead at this point, in fourth position behind BMC-Uplace teammate Romain Guillaume.

From here there could only be one winner, with Gomez near-unbeatable in this kind of position – and so it proved to be, as he crossed the line in 4:02:13, ahead of Markus Thomschke and Romain Guillaume. Will Clarke finished fourth in 4:11:10.

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1 Gomez, Javier (ESP) +00:00 04:02:13
2 Thomschke, Markus (GER) +05:20 04:07:33
3 Guillaume, Romain (FRA) +06:54 04:09:07
4 Clarke, Will (GBR) +08:57 04:11:10
5 Schilling, Alexander (GER) +15:26 04:17:39
6 Fox, Michael (AUS) +16:42 04:18:55
7 Simon, Oliver (GBR) +17:53 04:20:06
8 Harrison, Stephen (GBR) +20:13 04:22:26
9 Williams, Brad (USA) +21:06 04:23:19
10 Cseik, Marton (HUN) +28:00 04:30:13

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