Hundreds of triathletes – reportedly around three to four hundred in total – suffered punctures yesterday during Ironman Hamburg. This wasn’t due to sheer bad luck, but rather a highly striking incident: metal and glass splinters were scattered across a section of the bike course. Notably, this is not the first time this has happened at the event; the same thing occurred last year. The police have now launched an investigation into the matter.
It was a striking sight during the world-famous race yesterday: along a stretch of about eighteen to twenty kilometers, masses of athletes were patching up their tires shortly after unexpectedly riding through the splinters scattered on the course. While it cannot be immediately proven that these splinters were intentionally strewn across the route, the police are seriously considering this scenario, given that similar reports surfaced last year and local residents have voiced harsh criticism of the event.
Several locals have long resented Ironman Hamburg because they are frustrated by the large number of street closures required for the race to take place. At the same time, yesterday also showed that other residents do embrace the event; some helped the affected athletes patch their tires or handed out warm drinks to help them stay warm in the somewhat chilly conditions.
Ironman Hamburg served as the European Championship for the women’s field. The race was won by Solveig Lovseth.
