Ironman 70.3 Hradec Králové definitely delivered in drama today. Italy’s Michele Bortolamedi just managed to fend off a late charge from Belgium’s Joran Driesen to claim victory, while Germany’s Bianca Bogen left no room for doubt in the women’s field with a commanding wire-to-wire win.
Men’s Race – A Thriller to the Line
From the opening swim, Bortolamedi stamped his authority on the race. He exited the water first in 21:42, closely followed by France’s Pierre Dupuy and Germany’s Janne Büttel. Belgian Driesen emerged from the water in a large chase pack featuring big names such as Antony Costes and Jack Moody, sitting 1:41 down in sixth.
On the bike, the front trio of Bortolamedi, Dupuy, and Büttel worked together and managed to keep their advantage intact across the 90km course. Behind, Driesen’s chase group pushed hard but still saw their deficit grow slightly, arriving into T2 two minutes down. With the podium still wide open, the half marathon promised fireworks.
Bortolamedi wasted no time putting pressure on his breakaway companions and soon dropped both Dupuy and Büttel. But while he forged ahead, danger was coming from behind. Driesen, known for his strong run, began carving into the gap. Over the final kilometers, the Belgian surged into second and rapidly closed down on Bortolamedi. Ultimately, the Italian’s early work held off Driesen’s charge, but only just – at the line, the margin was a slender 31 seconds.
- 1. Michele Bortolamedi (ITA) – 3:37:19
- 2. Joran Driesen (BEL) – 3:37:50
- 3. Damien Le Mesager (FRA) – 3:39:12
Women’s Race – Bogen in a Class of Her Own
While the men delivered a thriller, the women’s race was all about one athlete: Bianca Bogen. The older sister of professional triathlete Rico Bogen was untouchable from the start. Out of the water, she was level with New Zealand’s Rebecca Clarke, but on the bike she immediately lit up the course and never looked back.
By the time she hit T2, Bogen had already carved out a 5:39 advantage. She only extended that cushion on the run, effectively doubling her lead and sealing a dominant victory with an emphatic performance across all three disciplines.
- 1. Bianca Bogen (GER) – 4:01:30
- 2. Lisa-Maria Dornauer (AUT) – 4:11:40
- 3. Sarah Schönfelder (GER) – 4:12:55