Dittmer delights Hamburg crowd

By Gareth Davies on 04/09/04 at 12:00 am

Dittmer Wins Again in Hamburg: 4 September 2004

Nine days after the highly successful Athens Olympic Games Triathlon, the ITU World Cup action resumed in Hamburg, Germany, today with an picture-perfect experience for the 100,000 spectators that lined the course.

The start of the 2 lap 1500m swim section of the event was a dive start from the Jungfesnstieg into the Alster River. From the start, Joelle Franzmann of Germany moved to the front, which served to rev up the crowd which was 6 deep along the shoreline. Pilar Hidalgo of Spain soon joined Franzmann at the front and was the first one to exit from the water and sweep through transition. A group of 6 formed at the front which besides Franzmann and Hidalgo also included Australian team-mates Annabel Luxford, Pip Taylor and Melanie Mitchell, German team-mates Janine Hartel and Anja Dittmer. France’s Marion Lorblanchet and Carol Montgomery of Canada where next to start the 8 lap, 40km bike section followed by Birgit Berk of the Netherlands, Debbie Tanner of New Zealand, Marina Damlincourt of Spain and Vendula Frintova of the Czech. They formed a closely knit chase pack and surged through the transition in the hunt for the leaders.

Fate dealt a heavy hand to Lenka Radova on the first lap when her front wheel clipped the back wheel of Birgit Berk, sending Radova into a spectacular crash landing and ending the race for the young Czech athlete.

The group at the front exchanged lead with everyone taking a turn through the stadium, but the sound of the crowd was deafening when one of the German athletes was at the lead. There work paid off as they slowly pulled away from the chase group increasing their lead on each lap by a few second. By the bell lap the leaders were almost 3 minutes ahead of the chase group.

Luxford was the first one off her bike and onto the 3 lap 10km run. Joelle Franzmann was next followed by Anja Dittmer which sent the decibel level of the roars from the crowd through the roof. Pilar Hidalgo, who had left her racing shoes at the hotel had a slow transition as she struggle to put on her training shoes, quickly made up lost time and moved into the lead on the first lap.

At the end of the first lap, Anja Dittmer was able to reel Hidalgo back and they ran shoulder to shoulder through the stadium. Joelle Franzmann and Anabel Luxford were also running together 17 seconds back, with Pip Taylor 34 seconds back and Melanie Mitchell dropping 1:34 back. Montgomery, Frintova and Damlincourt split from the chase pack on the first lap and were running shoulder to shoulder in a desperate effort to catch the leaders.

Hidalgo and Dittmer engaged in a seesaw battle for the win through the beginning of lap 2, until the middle of the penultimate lap when Dittmer found that hidden secret gear and pulled away for what was eventually an easy win. At the same time, Anabel Luxford fro Australia spoiled Germany’s opportunity to have two spots on the podium by dancing away from Franzman. Pip Taylor was 5th.

Action resumes tomorrow at 2:00 local time when a strong field of men dive into the Alster with an expected 200,000 Hamburger to line the course.