Jannik Schaufler and Chloe Sparrow claimed impressive victories at Challenge St. Pölten.
Schaufler dominated the run and built up a lead of several minutes, while Sparrow led the entire day and had to dig deep in the final stretch to hold on to her lead.
Even though it was fairly chilly – and the swim had to be shortened to 1500 meters – Challenge St. Pölten took place under beautiful conditions today. During the swim, it was immediately Hannes Butters who, just like last week during The Championship, took the initiative and posted the fastest swim time of 20:23 minutes. His fellow countryman Jannik Schaufler followed just four seconds behind, and Austrian Martin Demuth was also right there. Athletes such as Italian Michele Sarzilla, Belgian Christophe De Keyser, and German Florian Angert followed only fifteen seconds behind, maintaining a perfect connection.
It was no surprise that these men came together on the always challenging bike course of Challenge St. Pölten; only Sarzilla couldn’t keep up with the high pace and had to let the others go. On the other hand, German Jannik Stoll started catching up, making up over a minute and a half deficit from the swim.
Stoll Rides Everyone Off His Wheel
Stoll didn’t hold back at all, went full throttle, and biked so strongly that after 60 kilometers only Schaufler was still with him. That remained the case until T2, when the two entered the transition area just eleven seconds apart and started the half marathon as the leading pair. Will Draper – who finished fourth last weekend at The Championship – started the run in third, trailing by 58 seconds. Florian Angert, Rafael Lukatsch, and Martin Demuth followed in fourth, fifth, and sixth places, with a deficit of 2:40 minutes.
During the half marathon, it quickly became clear that Schaufler was untouchable, giving no one a chance to catch up. In fact, Stoll rapidly lost time, and Schaufler appeared to be heading toward a certain victory. Midway through the run, Draper had already passed Stoll and moved into second place, though still over three minutes behind Schaufler. Meanwhile, Stoll helplessly watched others pass him as he lost his grip on a podium finish.
Schaufler Unstoppable, Strong Victory
In the final kilometers, Schaufler, of course, didn’t let go of his lead. He won the race in a time of 3:44:30. Draper finished second in 3:48:31, and Slovak Ondrej Kubo, who gained a few spots in the final stretch, came in third with a time of 3:50:48.
Women’s Race: Chloe Sparrow in a League of Her Own
In the women’s race, there was only one woman who stood head and shoulders above the rest. British athlete Chloe Sparrow was so strong that she led from start to finish. Sparrow took the lead during the swim and completed her 1500 meters in 23:00 minutes. Frenchwoman Maëla Moison followed 23 seconds later, while Austrian Tanja Stroschneider, Slovak Margaréta Bicanová, and fellow Austrian Anna Reiser were a minute and a half behind.
On the bike, Sparrow really kicked into gear and built a significant lead over the rest of the field. Fully focused and without looking back, she left everyone behind. By the time Sparrow returned to T2, her lead over second-placed Danish athlete Emely Ravn had increased to 5:35 minutes, while Austrian Anna Pabinger arrived in third, trailing by 7:53 minutes. The podium battle already seemed largely decided, as Austrian Gabriele Obmann, in fourth, was 10:47 minutes behind.
Midway through the run, Sparrow still held a comfortable lead of 3:48 minutes, although it was now Pabinger who had surged into second place, rapidly closing the gap. That trend continued, and with five kilometers to go, the gap between the two athletes was only a minute and a half, setting the stage for a real thriller in the final kilometers. Meanwhile, Ravn fell back, and Obmann moved into third.
In the final stretch, Sparrow managed to keep her cool and secure the victory. She won the race in a time of 4:25:51, finishing thirty seconds ahead of Pabinger, who came in second with 4:26:21. Obmann secured her third spot in a time of 4:29:06.
