It was an action-packed day of racing on the island of Mallorca with a new Challenge Peguera-Mallorca race record set by Alanis Siffert (SUI) and another convincing Challenge Family win for Tom Hug (GER).
The professional men’s race began with Peter Denteneer (BEL) leading the swim, exiting the water first with a time of 23:24. A pack of 19 men trailed close behind him, setting up the bike leg. Soon after, Cenzino Lebot (FRA) surged into the lead during the opening kilometres of the bike course, quickly building a forty-second gap. Jack Hutchens (GBR) made a decisive move as the bike leg progressed, overtaking Lebot at kilometre 35 and maintaining a tight lead. The two men arrived at T2 neck-and-neck, with Lebot entering first in 2:07:12, followed closely by Hutchens. However, Hutchens was quick to exit T2 and led the race going into the run. The battle continued as Tom Hug and Quentin Barreau (FRA) pushed hard on the run, with Hug rapidly closing in on Hutchens. Despite Hutchens’ strong effort, it was Hug’s pace that proved decisive. He stormed to victory, setting a new run course record with a time of 1:08:35 and finishing the race in 3:44:25. Hutchens took second place with a final time of 3:44:58. Ognjen Stojanovic secured the last spot on the podium, finishing third in 3:45:34, further cementing his World Bonus second place and closing the gap to leader, Jack Moody to just 200 points.
“Unbelievable, last year I raced here, and I came fifteenth. I could not have imagined that I would come back here this year and take the win. It feels unreal” said Hug.
In the women’s race, Therese Feuersinger (AUT) dominated the swim, exiting the water in 24:38, more than two minutes ahead of her closest competitors. Alanis Siffert (SUI) and Lisa Norden (SWE) led the chase, with Feuersinger maintaining her gap well into the bike leg. At kilometre 60, there was a shift as Norden and Siffert began closing in on Feuersinger. With less than 20km to go on the bike, Norden surged to take the lead. However, it was Siffert who ultimately took the victory, not only finishing in 4:10:21 but setting a new course record. Runner-up Anne Reischmann (GER) took second place in 4:15:01, while Norden, struggling with the heat, managed to hold on to third place in 4:15:24.
“I saw course record on the board, and I thought it would be such an honour for me to break it, but I didn’t have it really in mind” said Siffert at the finish line. “We had a great battle with Lisa, and the crowd just helped me to push.”
Sifferts win today extends her lead in the Challenge Family World Bonus to 275 ahead of second place, Aurélia Boulanger,
Challenge Peguera-Mallorca 2024 provided perfect racing conditions. Despite a slightly chilly start, the weather soon warmed up, with no wind and a rolling sea at 20.9°C, setting the stage for a great day of racing.
Finish Line Interviews
Tom Hug – https://youtu.be/3Szf5dgJUDY
Alanis Siffert – https://youtu.be/_Hp-q9wzWfM
For further information, visit https://challenge-mallorca.com/ and for full results, visit https://www.elitechip.net/index.php?zwshow=compdet&idcomp=7230080