After the swim, you might not have expected it, but Laura Madsen just recorded a beautiful victory at Ironman 70.3 Les Sables d’Olonne. During the bike ride, the Danish athlete fought her way back into the field and eventually she proved to be the strongest athlete during the run.
After the swim, Madsen’s chances were certainly not lost, but with a minute behind and several big names ahead of her, things did not look ideal at that point. Still, Madsen rode her way to the front very quickly on the bike – demonstrating for the umpteenth time her amazing level of cycling – and joined an ultimately quite large leading group of nine women. This group also came into T2 at the same time and so, in addition to Madsen, Maja Stage Nielsen, Charlene Clavel, Caroline Pohle, Marjolaine Pierre and Nikki Bartlett among others started the run at the same time.
During that run, Clavel and Madsen in particular did not take it easy, as the two women went side by side and immediately grabbed a small lead over the other women. Yet in the kilometers that followed, Kate Curran and Bartlett also rejoined, leaving the battle wide open with about ten kilometers to go. That was the moment that Madsen started to accelerate, gaining a small lead that she never relinquished.
Madsen won the race in 4:05:51, Bartlett was second in 4:06:31 and Curran was third in 4:06:59.
