Boris Stein and Yvonne van Vlerken win Challenge Kraichgau

Boris Stein from Montabaur and Dutch Yvonne van Vlerken are the champions of Challenge Kraichgau. Stein crowned his achievement by winning the German National Championship at the triathlon middle distance.

Maik Petzold from Bautzen was paid of winning second place for a courageous performance on his debut on middle-distance. Timo Bracht from Eberbach, who was forced to resign against Petzold on the run, finished third. Julia Gajer from Ditzingen, second place, managed to come dangerously close on the leading van Vlerken on run leg. After just a few kilometers in the bike leg van Vlerken took the lead and never gave it away. Gajer was crowned German National Champion. The runners-up are Jenny Schulz from Frankfurt and Natascha Schmitt from Darmstadt. Schulz could hardly believe her success after finishing.

Due to a weather-related postponement of race start lasting one hour, athletes were released into the water with the ordinary cannon beat. Even though that the weather forecasts were variable in the morning. As expected the usual excellent Kraichgau triathlon weather emerged during the day. Round about 3000 age grouper athletes were spurred by more than 50000 spectators. Thus Challenge Kraichgau was experienced as an extraordinary triathlon festival, again.

“We have seen an exciting race. Above all, my thanks go out to all the volunteer, who made the apparently impossible possible in pouring rain this morning,” said Björn Steinmetz, organizer of the event.

For further information see www.challenge-kraichgau.com