Gold medals go to French and Swedish runners on day two of the World Mountain and Path Champs as Naomi Lang of Britain earns a bronze medal.
French runner Frédéric Tranchand and Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson have been topped world champions within the Quick Path occasion on the second day (Sept 26) of the World Mountain and Path Working Championships within the city of Canfranc within the Spanish Pyrenees.
Tranchand dominates males’s race
Within the males’s class, two-time champion Stian Angermund was aiming for a 3rd title, a very powerful problem given the excessive stage of his rivals. Through the first main ascent to the summit of La Moleta (2572m), he was working within the main trio alongside Tranchand and Spaniard Manuel Merillas, a veteran and former winner of the Canfranc-Canfranc Marathon.
Tranchand managed to interrupt away on the technical descent from La Moleta to Canal Roya, arriving there with greater than a minute’s lead over Merillas and Angermund. In the meantime, the remainder of the Spanish staff started transferring up the ranks from behind.
By the 35km mark, the Spanish resurgence was in full swing, with Tranchand main, adopted by Merillas, Andreu Blanes, and Alain Santamaría, 2, 8, and 9 minutes behind, respectively. On the essential last mountain cross earlier than the descent to the end line, Tranchand launched a full-throttle assault, crossing the road as the brand new world champion.
Tranchand took the gold with a time of 4:42:10, setting a course document. Merillas secured silver in 4:45:33, kicking off a Spanish triple podium with Blanes incomes bronze in 4:51:52 and Santamaría fourth in 4:55:48.
Tranchard stated: “Immediately I felt nice proper from the beginning and loved the entire race. I attacked aggressively on the descent from La Moleta, being cautious to not overdo it, and managed to maintain a robust tempo the remainder of the way in which. I had a slight cramp in direction of the top however stayed absolutely centered and obtained the win.”
Merillas added: “I lived on this space for six years, and these are the paths the place I grew up as a mountain runner. It’s been a very long time since I gained the Canfranc-Canfranc Marathon, and it’s very particular to return right here for the World Championship. As a staff, we educated very well and carried out in accordance with the work we put in. I am comfortable for all of us.”
Group scores within the Quick Path are primarily based on the mixed occasions of the highest three finishers from every nation with Spain successful from France after which Italy.
Alexandersson enjoys ladies’s win as Lang wins Britain’s first medal
Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson had already proven her large potential on this course a couple of weeks in the past on the Canfranc-Canfranc, the place she set a ladies’s document of 5hr 38min — regardless of struggling a tough fall that required medical consideration.
Immediately, with these stitches on her eyebrow nonetheless contemporary in reminiscence, she delivered an much more beautiful efficiency. From the very begin, Alexandersson launched her private mission, reaching the highest of the primary main 6km climb to La Moleta with over three minutes on her closest chasers. By no means easing up, she stored rising her lead, which had grown to 22 minutes by 28km in Candanchú.
Behind her, the race for silver and bronze was heating up. Britain’s Naomi Lang excelled on the technical descent from La Moleta to take second on the Canal Roya checkpoint (16km), adopted by Austria’s Anna Platner and Spain’s Sara Alonso, who swapped locations a number of occasions later within the race.
By Candanchú, Lang was nonetheless in second, however Alonso stored preventing and managed to overhaul her earlier than Estiviellas, holding on to the place all the way in which to the end.
In the long run, Alexandersson was topped world champion with 5:04:20, breaking the earlier course document set by Thibaut Baronian in 2020. Alonso took silver in 5:38:15 and Lang claimed bronze in 5:38:54.
Alexandersson stated: “Immediately I used to be extra cautious on the descents to keep away from repeating the accident I had right here three weeks in the past. Firstly, I felt slower on the way in which as much as La Moleta, as I couldn’t fairly run at my normal tempo. General, I had a very good race and loved the course loads.”
Lang added: “It was my first mountain race in Spain, and I cherished the environment. I arrived final Saturday and was ready to take a look at some sections — I felt the course actually suited me. The battle with Sara was nice, buying and selling locations on the climbs and descents. I believed I might catch her on the ultimate downhill, however she didn’t give me an opportunity.”
Sweden took the staff title from Spain and France.
Uphill and Quick Path have already topped the primary world champions at CanfrancPirineos 2025. Beginning on Saturday the occasion enters its second half.