Daniela Ryf storms to Challenge Roth 2017 win
And here she is! @danielaryf is your 2017 DATEV Challenge Roth Champion! #challengeroth pic.twitter.com/UOiPOz1fvO
— Challenge Roth (@ChallengeRoth1) July 9, 2017
The men’s race in Bavaria was won by Belgium’s Bart Aernouts in 7:59:07, 3:53mins ahead of Britain’s Joe Skipper who ran himself into second place, just as he had at Roth in 2016. German Maurice Clavel was third and Roth veteran Timo Bracht of Germany was fourth.
#ChallengeRoth Your 2017 champion is @bartaernouts pic.twitter.com/FGq0XhZRcJ
— Challenge Roth (@ChallengeRoth1) July 9, 2017
At the 2016 Challenge Roth event a year ago, it was the Jan Frodeno and Daniela Ryf show. The former would smash the men’s iron-distance record with a time of 7:35:39, and the latter posted the third-fastest female time in history with a 8:22:04 finish to take a convincing win.
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For 2017, it was Switzerland’s Ryf going it alone in the record-attempting stakes, with the German Frodeno having opted for Ironman Austria a week before; validating his Ironman World Championship spot but missing out on the official fastest Ironman time in history.
A week later and Ryf – the reigning Ironman world champ – had one bold goal in mind; breaking Brit Chrissie Wellington’s Iron-distance world record of 8:18:13, which was set back at Roth in 2011. Last year Ryf was just four minutes short of Wellington’s record, and that was having entered late after a DNF at Ironman Frankfurt a week before the Roth race.
“I enjoyed the atmosphere at DATEV Challenge Roth so much last year. It gave me wings and it made me realise, on a perfect day, the world record of Chrissie Wellington could possibly be in reach,” Ryf said pre-race. “I’m fascinated by Chrissie’s record and I’ll try my best on race day to see how fast I can go.” Wellington was in Bavaria to watch Ryf’s record attempt and to form part of a tri superstar relay team.
And they’re off! #ChallengeRoth is underway with the male pro start. pic.twitter.com/DLNZLpkT1c
— Challenge Roth (@ChallengeRoth1) July 9, 2017
Cut to daybreak at the Donau Kanal east of Roth, and Ryf was first female out of the 3.8km swim ahead of Heather Wurtele and Brit Laura Siddall. By 25km of the 180km bike (a legendary leg that includes the iconic Solarberg, arguably tri’s greatest sight), that lead had been extended to 2:25mins, with the early lack of wind and early 20C temperatures aiding Ryf’s record-attempt.
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At 90km the winds had picked up in what Challenge called ‘a significant change of weather’, and Ryf – aboard her Felt bike – was still holding an 8min advantage of the chasing trio of Siddall, former Roth winner Yvonne van Vlerken and Heather Wurtele. By 122km, that lead was 10:47mins; by the second time up the Solarberg for Ryf it was 11:05mins over Siddall.
RYF BATTLES THE NEW RUN ROUTE
