Epic matchup in Hamburg loses a pair of big names
With two big names now out of the race, Ironman Hamburg returns to being the Jan Frodeno show
Photo by:
Ingo Kutsche
This weekend’s Ironman race in Hamburg was supposed to feature a stellar match up – Jan Frodeno’s final long-distance race in Germany had been billed as a classic match up between the man many consider to be the GOAT taking on two-time Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee and the man who suprised the world with a huge win at the PTO European Open in Ibiza, Max Neumann.
Frodeno was always going to be the headline act at the race, but in the end he won’t be taking on either of the other two big names were were expecting to see race on Sunday. Neumann has decided to head back to Australia to regroup after a “slight niggle” got in the way of his prep for the race in Hamburg.
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Brownlee has also decided not to toe the line on Sunday.
“I entered the race to give myself an option and I’ve been doing everything I can to get Ironman fit since the European Open, but after a tough few weeks, my body has struggled to be ready in time for this race,” he wrote on Instagram today.
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With Neumann and Brownlee out of the race Frodeno’s main competition is likely to be France’s Denis Chevrot, who will be wearing race #1 on Sunday, Denmark’s Kristian Hogenhaug, American Matt Hanson and fellow German Florian Angert.
You can see the start list for Sunday’s race here. Hamburg serves as a pro men’s race, with the women’s Ironman European Championship slated for Frankfurt on July 2.
As the European Championship with $75,000 and five pro qualifying slots for the Ironman World Championship in Nice, the race in Hamburg has attracted a large pro men’s field. The race  features a number of athletes who should provide some excellent racing opportunities for Frodeno. Aussie Josh Amberger should provide some excellent company for the swim and on the bike. Angert and Hogenhaug are likely to push the pace on the bike, too. On the run Frodeno will be challenged by the likes of Hanson and Chevrot, two excellent runners.
So the race is setting up as a perfect part of Frodeno’s farewell tour as he winds down his pro career through the year. The field is strong enough to force the three-time Kona champ to need to perform at, if not his best, close enough to it to take the win. The race is likely to attract a huge crowd, which will likely spur the German star to a big day.
