In brutally tough conditions – scorching heat and barely a breeze to provide relief – Olympian Tjebbe Kaindl claimed a hard-fought victory at Challenge Walchsee, one of the most picturesque races on the triathlon calendar. In the women’s race, it was Germany’s Laura Jansen who stormed to an impressive win.
Kaindl Breaks Away Late to Secure Victory
It was no surprise to see Kaindl setting the pace early in the swim, exiting the water alongside a stacked group that included Jonathan Brownlee, Rafael Lukatsch, Mark Romano, Kurt McDonald, Thomas Ott, and Florin Parfuss. However, as is often the case in Walchsee, the real race began on the bike.
The hilly and technical course – equally revered for its beauty and difficulty – quickly broke up the field. Kaindl and McDonald emerged as the strongest climbers, while Lukatsch hung on valiantly about 30 seconds back. With 30 kilometers left on the bike, Lukatsch lost touch, leaving Kaindl and McDonald to ride into T2 together.
By the time they hit the second transition, their gap over the chasers, including Lukatsch and last week’s Challenge Gdańsk winner Marcel Bolbat, had ballooned to nearly 2 minutes and 40 seconds. What followed was a tense and tactical half marathon.
Kaindl and McDonald ran side by side for over 15 kilometers, while Bolbat surged from behind, slicing the deficit down to just 20 seconds. In the final kilometers, McDonald began to fade, and Kaindl seized the moment to pull clear and take the win in 3:46:19. Bolbat’s strong finish earned him second in 3:46:59, while McDonald held on for third in 3:47:09.
Jansen Runs Her Way to the Top
The women’s race delivered its own drama. After the swim, it was Austria’s Therese Feuersinger who led the field, clocking the fastest swim and building a 3:13 lead over eventual winner Laura Jansen. Julie Iemmolo and Lilli Gelmini were also within striking distance, trailing by around three minutes.
Feuersinger went all-in on the bike, extending her advantage to nearly four minutes over Jansen, who had moved into second place by T2. But once on the run, it quickly became clear that Jansen was on a mission.
Running significantly faster than anyone else on course, Jansen began to eat into the gap. It took her 12 kilometers to catch Feuersinger, but once she did, she powered straight past and never looked back. Jansen took the win in 4:15:15, with Feuersinger finishing second in 4:17:05. France’s Julie Iemmolo completed the podium in 4:24:41.
