The first 20 men are within four minutes. Filip Ospaly still has the lead.
Unbelieveable!! Simone Benz (SUI) took the lead and has a comfortable 37 second lead. She is followed by Wutti (AUT) and Csomor (HUN).
After 40k Ospaly still has the lead. Michi Weiss, the Austrian hope, is amazing on the bike. He is on his
way through the field.
Filip Ospaly´s time on the swim was with 24:16min one second slower than in 2010. Last year he set up a new track record with 3:46:02. We are looking forward to see if he is able to beat his this time.
News from the track: Michi Weiss is the new leader! He passed Filip Ospaly after 52k´s. There are only several hundred meters between the first two athletes. But Weiss will try to get a bigger lead as he knows Ospaly is great on the run.
Michi Weiss is 20 seconds in front of Ospaly. 50 seconds after Weiss there is a six athletes pack: Hellriegel (GER), Amey(GBR), Göhner (GER), Wagner (GER), Widmann (GER) and Cyril Viennot (FRA) go after the Austrian.
The women´s track record is 4:18:56 by Yvonne van Vlerken. The womens field is very strong today. This record could fall today..
After 60k Michi Weiss still has the lead. Ospaly is one minute behind and the 6 men pack is 2:35min behind.
After the second split on the bike Michi Weiss still has the lead with 1:59:43. Filip Ospaly is on the second place, 2:07min behind the Austrian. The pack with Göhner, Widmann, Hellriegel, Amey, Berger and Viennot is 3:17min behind.
Michael Göhner looks pretty good. He will try to get closer to Filip Ospaly.
The pack behind Weiss is getting bigger. There are 8 athletes within 20 seconds. Sundberg (GER) and Degasperi (ITA) joined the other followers. Ospaly is still between the leader and the pack.
News from the women: Karin Thürig (SUI) passed the seond split in 2:13:51. Followed by Eva Wutti (AUT) + 0:25min and Erika Csomor (HUN) +0:27min.
The young Austrian Eva Wutti does her first IRONMAN 70.3 today and she is doing great so far. Meanwhile Simone Benz (SUI) passed the second split 3:20min behind Thürig.
The mens leader, Michi Weiss dominates on the bike. He upgrades his lead to 2:55min. Filip Ospaly is still in second place.
The womens winner of 2010, Yvonne van Vlerken, also passed the second bike split now. She is 4:46min behind. Another favorite for the win, Sonja Tajsich, is 8:12 behind the Suisse Karin Thürig.
We expect the first athletes in a few minutes for the second transition.
Michi Weiss (AUT) is on his way to the second transition. He finished the bike with 2:35:20. Now he has to hold his lead against his followers. They will try everything to get him from the top position.
Now we are waiting for the followers of the Austrian leader. Right now he is in the changing tent. His followers have not finished the bike yet.
Filip Ospaly just finished the bike with 4:09min behind Weiss. Hellriegel + 4:37min, Göhner +4:38. Then we have a three man pack with Sundberg + 4:56, Widmann +4:57, Viennot +4:59
Michi Weiss is on the run track. And passed the event arena for the first time! Ospaly shows his run strength on the first 1,1k´s and minimized the distance to +3:34min
Amey, Göhner and Viennot are almost 5 minutes behind and go after the first two men.
Ospaly is still minimizing the lead of Michi Weiss. After k1.7 on the run he is 3:27min behind the Austrian.
The Austrian athletes are doing a great job today! Michi Weiss leads the Austria IRONMAN 70.3 St. Pölten and Dominik Berger is on the 9th place
The first woman finished the bike and is in the transition area after 2:52:17. The female followers are on the last meters on the bike.
The first Austrian woman, Eva Wutti, just finished the bike. She is 3:09min behind the Suisse leader.
One minute after Wutti, Erika Csomor finished the bike. She is 4:05min behind Karin Thuerig.
Meanwhile men´s leader Michi Weiss passed the 4,2k mark with 2:57:14.
Filip Ospaly shows his strength on the run track. He minimized the lead to 2:51min after 4,2k´s
Paul Amey (GBR) is on the 3rd place. 4:27min behind Weiss
Michael Göhner is on the 4th place, 5min behind. Cyril Viennot is only two seconds behind Göhner after 4,2k`s
Karin Thuerig is still in the lead for the women. 2:28min after her is Eva Wutti from Austria, followed by Erika Csomor 3:40min behind Thürig.
The winner of 2010, Yvonne van Vlerken is on the 4th place, 6:57min behind the lead.
Simone Benz (SUI) is fifth 7:48min behind Karin Thürig (SUI)
Yvonne van Vlerken wants to get back into the race. She already came one minute closer to the leading woman.
Meanwhile Michi Weiss passed the 9,5k mark. He still has a comfortable lead. He looks very good. But Ospaly will try everything to defend the title from 2010.
Michi Weiss runs through the event arena for the second time. He just passed the 10,5k mark after 3:15:46
Ospaly goes after Weiss!! He passed the 10,5k mark 1:56min after Michi Weiss
The womens leader Karin Thuerig from Switzerland passed k4,2 after 3:17:16. Eva Wutti is 3:27min behind on 2nd and Csomor on 3rd with + 3:35min.
Paul Amey is on third place for the men, 4:02 behind the leader Michi Weiss.
The men still make their way to the finish. Ospaly goes after Weiss. We expect a very close finish
The women´s leader Karin Thuerig goes for her first win here in St. Pölten.
Ospaly hunts down the lead of Michi Weiss!! After 14,2k on the run Weiss is only 28 seconds in front of Ospaly
Paul Amey (GBR) is still on the 3rd place, 2:49 behind Weiss. Degasperi is 3:59 behind the lead
After 17km Michi Weiss lead is minimized to 15 seconds
Km 18- Weiss is 10 seconds in front. Ospaly gets closer...
Km 18,5- Filip Ospaly hunts the lead and overtakes the Austrian Michi Weiss!
The first 20 men are within four minutes. Filip Ospaly still has the lead.
Kevin Mackinnon