Sights & Sounds of Challenge Rimini

Filip Ospaly (CZE) and Kaisa Lehtonen (FIN) were crowned European Triathlon Union Half Distance Champions at Challenge Rimini, located along Italy’s Adriatic (East) Coast.

Sixth out of the water, Ospaly headed out on the bike in the front group, led by Giulio Molinari who was defending his European title earned last year at Challenge Mallorca. The chase group included Alberto Alessandroni (ITA) and Jonathan Ciavatella (ITA) justa couple of minutes behind.

Coming into T2, Ospaly had dropped to1:40 behind the leaders. However, Ospaly stormed home in 4:06:14 to become European Champion, ahead of Molinari who finished in 4:07:23 and Bart Aernouts (BEL) who rounded off the podium in 4:08:09 after posting the fastest run split of the day of 1:13:54.

RIMINI, ITALY – MAY 24: Athletes compete crossing Monte Grimano town during the biking curse of the 2015 ETU Challenge Rimini European Championship Half Distance on May 24, 2015 in Italy. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

We not only got an interview with the 1st place male, we also got an interview with the man who finished #18. Brad Williams, the relocated Yankee living in the UK, was horrible, or as he put it on his twitter:

Onwards and upwards we go………Rough day at the office, 18th @ChallengeRimini . Back to work 2m & focusing ahead! pic.twitter.com/1b9u3mACrA

— Brad Williams (@BW_Tri) May 24, 2015

Check out this in-depth interview as fellow American fast cat, Melissa Alfano, puts Brad on the hot seat.

RIMINI, ITALY – MAY 24: Winner of the female category athlete Kaisa Lehtonen from Finland crosses Monte Cerignone during the biking curse of the 2015 ETU Challenge Rimini European Championship Half Distance on May 24, 2015 in Italy. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

In the women’s race, Margie Santamaria (ITA) was first out of the water, 20 seconds ahead of Vanessa Raw (GBR) and two minutes ahead of Lehtonen who was down in sixth place. By 30 km on the bike the situation had changed dramatically. Lehtonen had taken the lead and she continued to extend this lead, arriving at T2 six minutes ahead of Raw and Santimaria. She finished with a time of  4:41:14.

The run of the day went to Dossena who ran up from ninth off the bike to take second place in 4:46:39, posting a 1:19:02 run split. Raw held onto third, finishing in 4:51:07.