MADRID, 16 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spaniard Javier Martín was crowned world duathlon champion in the sprint category in Townsville, Australia, on Friday, surprising and beating French favourites Benjamin Choquert and Thomas Laurent.
The Spaniard surprised in the final stretch of a race full of emotions and with many changes in the lead. The Frenchmen Choquert and Laurent dominated the first five kilometres of the race, although they did not have enough cushion in the transition to the bike to ride calmly.
In the 20-kilometre cycling section, a group of up to nine riders took the lead, some 20 seconds ahead of their rivals. It was in the last 2.5 kilometres of the race that Martin took the lead, overtaking Choquert, who changed the pace to win, without counting on the best version of the Spaniard, who was proclaimed world champion in a sensational final push.
The Madrid native, who was second in the European Championships in Coimbra (Portugal) this year, crossed the finish line for gold with a time of 52:25, leading a podium completed by the Frenchmen Choquert (52:26), who was already left without gold last year in a very similar finish against the winner Mario Mola, and Laurent (52:31). The next Spaniard was Antonio Benito, in eleventh position, with 53:14.
“I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Martin at the finish line. “Last year I couldn’t run this race in Ibiza because I ran the Marathon des Sables. It’s a very different race, but I love it,” said the Spaniard in statements published by World Triathlon.