During the press conference at noon on Saturday, Frederik Van Lierde announced his ambition to win the IRONMAN in Nice. This goal was accomplished on Sunday afternoon. After emerging second from the water after 3.8 km of swimming, he caught up with Frenchman Denis Chevrot in the hills of the Nice hinterland.
He then only had to manage his time during the 42 km marathon to win his 4th IronMan.
Behind the Belgian, the French competitors, including Denis Chevrot and Étienne Diemunsh, put up a fight. Chevrot excelled in the swimming event and then the marathon, securing a spot on the podium in place of Eneko Llanos, who was defeated by a small margin.
In the race for qualification for the World Championship of IRONMAN Hawaii, Alessandro Degasperi put on quite a show, finishing the 42 km marathon in 2 hours and 43 minutes.
Among the women, Australians Annabel Luxford and Carrie Lester battled it out for victory. Camille Donat among the professionals and Johanna Daumas among the amateurs held their ground before having to bow to the qualities of the two champions from the southern hemisphere.
Valentine Nicole snatched third place from Frenchwoman Camille Donat. The IRONMAN France did not have, as expected, two French athletes on the podium this year.
The IRONMAN Nice 2017 is a significant event for the city. It is the first major sports event to return to the Promenade des Anglais, one year after the tragic July 14, 2016. Emotions ran high a few minutes before the start at 6:15 a.m. 2100 athletes lined up at the start on the beach opposite the open-air theatre. Together they listened to a live a cappella rendition of La Marseillaise before diving into the Bay of Nice for the start of this IRONMAN.
A notoriously challenging IRONMAN became even more difficult as the hours passed, with the heat adding to the triathletes’ challenges.
Frederick Van Lierde overcame these challenges, crossing the finish line at around 2:30 p.m., completing the course in 8 hours 31 minutes and 31 seconds.
He spoke into the microphone a few minutes after catching his breath: “It’s still a great race; I was good in swimming, good on the bike. I started the marathon well. Victory remains the most important thing; it’s what makes me happy now.”
Frenchman Denis Chevrot finished third and seemed satisfied as well: “A lot of pride. For all the French, the IRONMAN in Nice is a race to do. Being on the podium is even more beautiful…” He, therefore, keeps smiling.
Top 5 men:
1 — Frederik Van Lierde: 8h 31’31
2 — Alessandro Degasperi — 8h36’18
3 — Denis Chevrot — 8h39’42
4 — Eneko Llanos — 8h40’54
5 — Victor Del Corral — 8h53’37
Top 5 women:
1 — Carrie Lester — 9h27’53
2 — Annabel Luxford — 9h38’31
3 — Valentine Nicole — 10h21’53
4 — Camille Donat — 10h29’22
5 — Sarah Jarvis — 10h37’56
