Vansteelant, Morrison win Long Distance Duathlon Worlds

by World Triathlon Admin on 24 Oct, 2007 12:00

Joerie Vansteelant honored his late brothers memory the best way he knew how, by winning todays Richmond ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships with a time of 3 hours 6 minutes and 12 seconds, more than a full six minutes ahead of the rest of the field.  Vansteelant kept the coveted world championship in the family with his older brother Benny, last years champion, unable to defend the title after being tragically killed in an accident while training at his home in Belgium.  After the race Joerie admitted thinking about his brother.

In the second half of the race, he was on my mind, said the newly crowned world champion.

The Belgian, who won bronze in 2006, finished the first leg in the lead, just seconds ahead of Sergei Yakolev of Russia.  But with a quick transition, Vansteelant took off on the bike leg and increased his lead.  Through the streets of downtown Richmond, he scorched the bike course and headed off onto the final run leg with a sizeable lead.  Proudly carrying the Belgian flag, Vansteelant crossed the line for the final ITU world title of the 2007 season.

Javier Garcia of Spain took the silver while Koen Maris of Belgium won the bronze medal.  Denmark rounded out the top five with Kenneth Rasmussen and Aksel Nielsen finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

2007 Richmond ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships Unofficial Elite Mens Results:
Gold JOERIE VANSTEELANT (BEL) 3:06:42
Silver JAVIER GARCIA (ESP) 3:13:03
Bronze KOEN MARIS (BEL) 3:13:22
4th KENNETH RASMUSSEN (DEN) 3:14:55
5th AKSEL NIELSEN (DEN) 3:15:33
6th ARMAND VAN DER SMISSEN (NED) 3:16:44
7th VINCENT ALDEBERT (FRA) 3:17:20
8th CHRIS FISCHER (DEN) 3:18:19
9th ROB WOESTENBORGHS (BEL) 3:18:38
10th OLIVER MOTT (GBR) 3:19:05

Click here for full field men’s results

This was the first time the Long Distance Duathlon World Championships have ever been staged in the United States and the first world championship of any kind hosted by Richmond. 

Click here for womens race report

Click here for more information on the event

Click here for full results from other 2007 ITU Duathlon events

In the womens field, European Duathlon champion Catriona Morrison led a British gold-silver sweep at the Richmond ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships.  The Scot hit the line with a time of 3 hours, 34 minutes and 56 seconds, a comfortable five minutes ahead of teammate Michelle Lee who took the silver.  Defending champion Yvonne Van Vlerken of the Netherlands came across for the bronze. 

Pre-race favourite Morrison did not disappoint and led from virtually start to finish.  She held a 20-second lead after the first run leg but during the bike she laid down a punishing pace and built a lead of almost four minutes.  With such a big lead in hand, Morrison could have let up and coasted to the finish line but instead she hammered out the fastest final run leg of the day amongst the elite women.

“I knew I had a large gap in the last lap of the bike and so I was able to relax,” said Morrison.  “I was pleasantly surprised that the course was so technical. I really enjoyed it. And Richmond is very, very pretty, especially this time of year.

Morrison adds the Long Distance Duathlon world title to a stellar career that already includes the 2006 short course Duathlon world championship, this years European Duathlon title and a bronze at this years Long Distance Triathlon world championships in Lorient, France. 

2007 Richmond ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships Unofficial Elite Womens Results:
Gold CATRIONA MORRISON (GBR) 3:34:56
Silver MICHELLE LEE (GBR) 3:40:05
Bronze YVONNE VAN VLERKEN (NED) 3:43:43
4th LUCY SMITH (CAN) 3:45:11
5th ULRIKE SCHWALBE (GER) 3:45:25
6th JOAN BLAAFOSS (DEN) 3:47:36
7th ISABELLE FERRER (FRA) 3:47:42
8th KATHRYN KASISCHKE (USA) 3:50:19
9th GABRIEL HNILKOVA-JENKS (USA)  3:50:23
10th MICHELLE PARSONS (GBR) 3:51:13

Click here for full field women’s results

This was the first time the Long Distance Duathlon World Championships have ever been staged in the United States and the first world championship of any kind hosted by Richmond. 

Click here for the mens race report

Click here for more information on the event

Click here for full results from other 2007 ITU Duathlon events

Related Event: 2007 Richmond ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships
21 Oct, 2007 • event pageall results
Results: Elite Men
1. Joerie Vansteelant BEL 03:06:42
2. Javier Garcia Gomez ESP 03:13:03
3. Koen Maris BEL 03:13:22
4. Kenneth Rasmussen DEN 03:14:55
5. Aksel Nielsen DEN 03:15:32
Results: Elite Women
1. Catriona Morrison GBR 03:34:56
2. Michelle Lee GBR 03:40:05
3. Yvonne Van Vlerken NED 03:43:43
4. Lucy Smith CAN 03:45:10
5. Ulrike Schwalbe GER 03:45:24
Results: 20-24 Male AG
1. Cory Scott USA 03:28:11
2. Greg Close USA 03:31:20
3. William Haas Iii USA 03:38:05
4. Giancarlo Mota MEX 03:48:46
5. Evan Pemberton CAN 03:52:44
Results: 20-24 Female AG
1. Cynthia Anderson USA 03:54:17
2. Kira Shoemaker USA 04:16:12
3. Christie O'Hara USA 04:30:07
4. Kate Derner USA 04:39:29
5. Elizabeth Fox USA 04:41:22
Results: 25-29 Male AG
1. Adam Otstot USA 03:31:22
2. Ryan Rau USA 03:34:14
3. Chris Garins CAN 03:35:37
4. Robert Smith USA 03:38:39
5. Nathan Winkelmann USA 03:40:37
Results: 25-29 Female AG
1. Jennifer Keil USA 04:02:25
2. Jane Riessen USA 04:08:51
3. Angela Meyer USA 04:13:23
4. Jacqueline Mariash USA 04:14:07
5. Emily Chaney USA 04:15:40
Results: 30-34 Male AG
1. Lee Piercy GBR 03:24:28
2. Richard Simmonds GBR 03:25:19
3. Jimmy Parrott USA 03:28:55
4. John Madden USA 03:33:08
5. Martin Lanz SUI 03:33:55
Results: 30-34 Female AG
1. Amy Kloner USA 03:48:31
2. Gail Kattouf USA 03:50:04
3. Susan Blackett GBR 04:07:39
4. Janelle Renschler USA 04:09:05
5. Renne Richards USA 04:21:00
Results: 35-39 Male AG
1. Jeremy Dodds USA 03:37:33
2. Richard Day NZL 03:37:45
3. John Hessian USA 03:38:44
4. Brian Mckeown CAN 03:41:21
5. Ming-Chang Tsai CAN 03:41:26
Results: 35-39 Female AG
1. Jenny Lloyd-Jones GBR 04:01:41
2. Leslie Curley USA 04:03:24
3. Alicia Parr USA 04:04:45
4. Susan Aviss NZL 04:05:29
5. Kristine Kuss USA 04:06:58
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