Horst Reichel got his season off to a pleasing start at Challenge Fuerteventura. He proved himself in a field of top European athletes with a balanced race and strong performances in all three disciplines. Newcomer Niclas Bock took fifth place in his first race for the POWER HORSE Triathlon Team.
“Really happy with third place,” writes Horst Reichel on his homepage shortly after crossing the finish line at Challenge Fuerteventura. It’s a good feeling to get back to the kind of performances he is used to, Reichel adds, having been out of action due to injury after Ironman Hawaii. Owing to the challenging conditions, with waves and a current, “it was only possible to put in an average swim time,” explained the POWER HORSE athlete. On the strength-sapping 90-kilometer cycle route, however, including a total of 1,200 metres to climb, he held nothing back and went into the half marathon in fourth place. “Consistency was the key to success in the running,” Reichel said. He overhauled last year’s winner, Denmark’s Jens Toft, before reaching the half-way mark, and in the end he was just 20 seconds short of second place. In just 14 days Horst Reichel will be competing at middle distance again when he lines up at Challenge Rimini.
“He put in a huge performance”
Everything went according to plan for Niclas Bock as well. The 23-year-old is thoroughly satisfied with his fifth place in the overall classification: “That was exactly what I’m capable of,” beams Bock, “it’s always nice when you start the season with a strong race, when your training and preparation pay off.” His teammate Reichel also paid tribute to the youngster at the finish line: “Our new arrival put in a huge performance – onwards and upwards my friend!” Bock’s next challenge, after competing at long distance in the German Duathlon Championships, will be the premiere of ExtremeMan Germany on 1 June.