Yvonne van Vlerken 7th Place Ironman
World Championships Hawaii
 In
the morning and only 1 hour before the start the highly favorited Brit
Chrissie Wellington had announced her withdraw from the race due to
„flu-like symptoms“ (in the transition-area before the race it circulated
the rumour that the three-time world- champion faced a mental breakdown
after the stress of raceweek and the extreme pressure that was put on
her). So the women's race was wide open. In the end the Top20 women´s
results did show nearly only names of female´s that had won an Ironman
race along her career. Of course Yvonne van Vlerken counted to the
favorites on a top-ranking.
With a solid swim performance in the pretty
rough ocean in 1:01:58 h she positioned herself in striking distance for
the bikeleg. In relatively windy conditions Yvonne could show once more
her class on two wheels and entered the Female Top 10 after 90km. With one
of the quickest female bike-times in 4:59:41h and on 5th position she
entered T2. Already after few kilometres she had taken over 4th place from
Ironman Canada-winner Amy Marsh and made ground on Caroline Steffen and
Julie Dibens. But behind her two top-contenders with Virginia Berasategui
and Rachel Joyce were also running well.
With km 25 Yvonne van Vlerken
faced problems with the stomach partly because of the extreme heat out on
the highway (measured were more than 40°C, the tarmac had even 48°C due to
sources at ironman.com). Berasategui and Joyce used this moment of
weakness for an attack. Finally Yvonne van
Vlerken could secure the excellent 7th overall rank and is back after her
bad luck last year.
At the finish only 11 minutes (!) separated place 4
to 10 in the women´s race. In the men´s race Chris McCormack could secure
his second title.
Thomas J. Vonach delivered another good result at his
9th participation on Hawaii only 8 months after a surgery where an
artificial intervertebral disc had been implanted. After 59:15min out of
the water he closed in on the bike in 5:01:14 hours and could once more
prove his consistancy with a respectable marathon on the Pacific island.
In 9:28:56 he took 152nd overall and the 22nd in his category. With this
he secured himself an excellent starting-position for the Xterra World
Championship on Maui where the „Hawaiian Double“ takes place, the combined
results of Ironman World Championship Hawaii and Xterra World Championship
Maui. There Vonach will start from 2nd position only 1:46 min behind the
American Slater Fletcher.
In the Austrian's results-list he ranked 4th
among 37 starters.
Quote Yvonne van Vlerken: „I was very pleased with
my swim-performance and even more about my strong bike-time. Also the
first 25 km on the run I was flying. Though it is a pity that I fell back
in the final part because of the problems with my stomach, however, I am
also glad that I could show, after my bad luck last year, that I belong
right there. Yesterday the race was of course something special because we
all could race for victory even though it is very sad what happened to
Chrissie. This made the race after the last two years specially exciting
for everybody.“ Quote Thomas J. Vonach: „The race felt subjectively pretty
tough, although the times were quick. I did suffer on the run, however I
managed to pull myself together to get a solid time for the Hawaiian
Double at Xterra Worlds Maui.“
Thomas J. Vonach hits the startline of his 6th XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
as the defending champion in his category and with winning-chances in the
Amateur´s „Hawaiian Double“ (*).
(*)
combined results of Ironman Worlds Hawaii and Xterra Worlds Maui
Only two weeks after the Ironman
World Championship on Hawaii coming Sunday, 24th of October, the best of
the Offroad- Triathletes will meet at the „Xterra World Champion-hip“ on
Maui/Hawaii. Some of these protagonists target even on the socalled
„Hawaiian Double“, the base to be in this exclusive
 combined result is a
successful finish at the Ironman World Championship two weeks before
Xterra heats. To be able to go fort he first place in either the Pro and
the amateur´s division, some needs to come up with a very good result in
both competitions or with an extraordinary in one those.
Thomas
J. Vonach, the first Austrian „Hawaiian Double“ - amateur winner in 2006
and Xterra-amateur world champion last year ranks on 2nd in the amateur´s
„Double“ recorded a respectable performance at the Ironman Worlds
(9:28:56) and will start from the second place fort he combined results on
Sunday. He takes 1:46 min remains on the American Slater Fletcher with
him. Vonach´s advantage could be his experience on Maui and the knowledge
of the course.
The young American Fletcher raced on Maui fort he first
time last year. But he didn´t finish after a bike-crash. However, he was
strong this year at different Xterra-races and might be just as hot on the
title. In general it will become an exciting race fort he amateur´s
„Double“. With 5 guys within 10min it could be quite a race. But for
Thomas J. Vonach it is not only about the „Hawaiian Double“. As the last
year's amateur world champion in his category M35 he is the defending
champion on Sunday. Quote Thomas J. Vonach: „Of course I would like to win
the Amateur´s Double again. So many factors play a role to get this title.
This makes it for me such a big and spezial challenge. My race in Kona was
solid but not exceptionally outstanding this year. So I will have to lay
it all on the table at the Xterra World Championship if I want to be at
the front in the end.“
2010 Post Ironman Sprint Race
Thomas Vonach (Endurance Team Austria/Tri Team
Lustenau) defends his title on the triathlon sprintdistance, breaks own
distance record.
Traditionally three weeks after the Ironman World Championship the “Team
Mango Post Ironman Sprint Triathlon” is taking place in Kailua-Kona/Hawaii
which tested participants over 800m of swimming in Kailua-Bay, on 16 km on
the bike and 3.2 km on the run along famous Ali'i Drive.
Thomas J.
Vonach came out of the water behind the Dutch short-course specialist
Diederik Scheltinga and an exciting battle unfolded on the 16 km oout and
back bike-loop. Scheltinga could develop a lead of more than 50sec., while
Vonach shortened that gap later in the second half of the bike-leg with
the quickest bike- time of the day to 20sec.! (42.8 km/h average speed)
However, also on the short run the Dutchman did lead out with a good
30sec. on Vonach after Scheltinga having a fantastic transition.
Vonach
succeeded to reel in Scheltinga after 1 km and could pull away from him.
The 25 year old Dutch athlete replied a few times but finally could not
follow the pace of Vonach who successfully defended his title and thanks
to the great battle broke his 2009 course-record by 4:31min.
This was
the last training-competition before IRONMAN COZUMEL/MEX taking place on
November 28th (www.ironmancozumel.com) where Yvonne van Vlerken will be
the defending champion and Thomas J. Vonach will race for the
qualification of the 2011 Ironman World Championship Hawaii.
Results Top-5 Men (*)
course record
Place /name
Finish Time
1 Thomas J. Vonach (Vorarlberg/Austria)
40:36 (*)
2 Diederik Scheltinga (Arnheim/Nederlands) 41:21
3
Matty Cunningham/USA
44:36
4 Kris Kiser/USA
46:53
5 Matthew Adams/USA
49:46
Yvonne van Vlerken crowns herself to the first queen of the Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl.
 Chilly
12 degrees air- and cold 15 degrees water- temperature were no hurdle for
about 1200 starters to test themselve at the premiere of the newest
Challenge-race on a very scenic but demanding course. As a clear favorite
in the women´s race Austrian resident Yvonne van Vlerken knew the course
by numerous training stays in Sankt Johann (her friend and manager Thomas
is half Tyrolean) where she had also prepared for her 2008 long-distance
world record (at the Challenge-"mother-race“ in the Frankish Roth). Eva
Dollinger, winner of the Ironman Austria in '10, was also as valid
title-expectant like the multiple Ironman winner Edith Niederfriniger/ITA.
Yvonne van Vlerken came out of the water 4 minutes off the then leader
Tyrolean Dollinger and this should be also the only discipline in which
she was beaten on this day. On bike the Dutchwoman showed her class and
that her curve shows upwards and into the direction of Ironman Hawaii.
With the quickest bicycle time in 2:24:38 she equaled her swim-gaps on Eva
Dollinger who could show a strong performance on the bike. The half
marathon on the selective because quite undulating track in four laps
around the Walchsee turned into an enjoyable one for the 31-year-old
Dutchwoman where the Ironman Austria-winner Dollinger had nothing to
oppose. Already after two laps van Vlerken had ligh-footed opened up 3
minutes, then she switched, as from Head-coach Frank Senders recommended,
in the autopilot and could enjoy the idyllic scenery with the „Wilden
Kaiser“- mountains sitting proudly above the Walchsee. At the finish-line
nearly 5 minutes separated Yvonne van Vlerken and Eva Dollinger.
Thomas
J. Vonach who had to fight a bacterial infection of the digestive system
and the remains after his amateur long distance-world champion's title at
the beginning of August. With low expectations he went to the race,
however, he even surprised himself and with a solid portion ability to
suffer he reeled in the silver medal in his strongly occupied AG. Overall
he was ranked 27th and became 3rd Austrian in the field. The race
impressed with a perfect organisation and will be for many triathletes
probably soon a fixed date in the annual racecalendar.
Quote Yvonne: „I have been pleased very much by this
race and it was the last test before leaving for US to prepare for Ironman
Hawaii. It was great to win here, for me it was also a sort of home-race
and I am impressed by the perfect organisation of the premiere-event.“
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