While much of the pre-race focus may have been on others, it was France’s Damien Le Mesnager who stole the show at Ironman 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz. With a spectacular bike split and a decisive late-race surge, Le Mesnager outpaced the field to claim a thrilling victory, leaving Dutch runner-up Youri Keulen just short of the top spot.
A Tough Start in the Water
The race didn’t start flawlessly for the Frenchman. Out of the swim, New Zealander Trent Thorpe led the pack with a swift time of 24:52, closely followed by a front group of four that included Guillem Montiel Moreno, Casimir Moine, Christophe de Keyser, and Youri Keulen.
At this point, few eyes were on Le Mesnager. He exited the water in 16th place, facing a daunting 4:09 minute deficit as he headed into the first transition.
Unleashing the Cycling Power
What followed was a masterclass on two wheels. Utilizing his background as a former professional cyclist, Le Mesnager tore through the course. Within the first 25 kilometers alone, he managed to shave over a minute and a half off the lead.
While Keulen and the rest of the front group maintained a steady, hard pace, Le Mesnager was operating on another level. By the time the athletes arrived in T2, the Frenchman had completely erased his four-minute deficit, joining Keulen, Thorpe, Moine, Montiel Moreno, and Germany’s Luis Steiert at the front of the race.
The Decisive Move
The run quickly turned into a three-man tactical battle. Though Thorpe initially took the lead, Keulen and Montiel Moreno soon pushed the pace, with Le Mesnager sticking to them just a few seconds behind. By the halfway mark of the half-marathon, this trio had broken away completely, building a gap of nearly a minute and a half over the rest of the field.
It was at this exact moment that Le Mesnager made his winning move. Sensing an opportunity, the Frenchman surged ahead, pulling away meter by meter from Keulen and Montiel Moreno.
Le Mesnager crossed the finish line in a spectacular 3:37:23 to secure the title. Keulen put up a brave fight but had to settle for second place just 40 seconds later (3:38:03), while Montiel Moreno rounded out the podium in third (3:40:11).
