A record-breaking win for Caroline Pohle (GER) and convincing win by Frederic Funk (GER) marked an exciting day’s racing at the sold-out Challenge St Pölten. Pohle not only set a new course record in 4:14:17 but also smashed the bike course record in 2:20:05.
The pro women started the day 20 minutes ahead of the pro men and Pohle quickly took control in the swim, exiting the water in 27:00. Right on her heels were Lilli Gelmini (ITA), Juliette Lucet (FRA) and Luisa Iogna-Prat (ITA) but with a fast transition, Pohle started the ride with a 14 second lead and from that moment on she was untouchable. By 60km she was 5:30 ahead of the chasers and she eventually came into T2, 5:41 ahead of her nearest rivals with a new bike course. She smashed the previous record by a massive 4:02, setting a new standard in 2:20:05.
Behind her was where the battle was happening, for the first half of the bike it was Lucet, Abigail Bedwell (GBR) and Iogna-Prat playing catch up. But behind them Diede Diederiks (NED) and Sarah Schönfelder (GER) were riding up the field and as they hit the second big climb moved into second and third respectively. Diederiks entered T2 in second nearly a minute ahead of Schönfelder.
At Challenge St Pölten, the pro women start 20 minutes before the pro men and notably, this was the first time in the race’s history that a woman came into T2 first off the bike. It took until 5km on the run before men’s leader, Frederic Funk (GER), was able to catch Pohle. Pohle continued to be super strong on the run, extending her lead over chaser Diederiks who in turn pulled away from Schönfelder who was sitting in third. Pohle crossed the line with a new course record of 4:14:17, making it three wins from three races following last week’s victory at The Championship and her win at Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria in April. While Diederiks secured second, crossing the line in 4:21:30, everything changed in the final kilometre for third. Finland’s Minttu Hukka had been working her way up the field and took the final place on the podium in 4:26:57, just seconds ahead of Schönfelder.
“I’m really, really proud of today,” said Pohle. “It was a really tough week after my win in Šamorin so I’m really proud of today. It was a hard day as I was alone the whole time and my body didn’t work so well but I found my rhythm on the bike and had a good run. A win is never sure and it’s always hard work. I had a bad swim for me and on the bike I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted but I had really good legs on the run and now all eyes are on Challenge Roth!”