Monday, August 10, 2009

Crippen And Nunez Win Traversee du Lac Megantic

Fran Crippen of the USA (shown on right with Damian Blaum of Argentina) and Esther Nunez of Spain are $3,000 richer for having won La Traversée internationale du lac Mégantic in very dramatic fashion over competitors from 7 different countries in the Quebec, Canada.


Fran finished just ahead of German Alexander Studzinski, Australian David Browne and Damian Blaum.

Like their endurance cycling counterparts, Fran, Alexander, David and Damian swam in the peloton throughout the 10K race before Fran finished in his usually dramatic and frantic style to win in the last ten meters, winning for the second consecutive year. Canadian Xavier Desharnais was fifth.

"I am very happy with my race. It was a very fast race and I worked hard to get ahead of [the others]," said Fran to a finish crowd of over a thousand people. "I plan to be back in 2010."

Esther prevented Australian Shelley Clark of Australia from defending her title...but it onlye came in the last five meters. Canadian Béatrice Pineau and Joanie Guillemette-Simard took third and fourth place.

La Traversée internationale du lac Mégantic results are as follows:

1. Esther Nunez (Spain), 2:37:35.85
2. Shelley Clark (Australia), 2:37:36.00
3. Béatrice Pineau (Canada), 2:37:51.11
4. Joanie Guillemette-Simard (Canada), 2:45:37.32
5. Noelia Petti (Argentina), 2:48:58.51
6. Caitlin Nolan (Canada), 2:49:47.49
7. Jasmine Frappier (Canada), 2:51:49.67
8. Édith Jochems-Tranguay (Canada), 3:04:54.25
9. Élise Jetté (Canada), 3:17:34.16
10. Nancy Thibault (Canada), 3:24:16.18
11. Vicky Desrosiers-Tassé (Canada), 3:31:01.06
12. Kathryn Gagnon (Canada), DNF

1. Fran Crippen (USA), 2:19:54.03
2. Alexander Studzinsky (Germany), 2:19:54.53
3. David Browne (Australia), 2:19:55.32
4. Damian Blaum (Argentina), 2:20:00.00
5. Xavier Desharnais (Canada), 2:30:55.78
6. Henrique Fructuozo (Brazil), 2:35:36.44
7. Antoine David (Canada), 2:37:45.47
8. Alexandre Lemieux-Fortin (Canada), 2:47:33.76
9. Alexandre Day (Canada), 2:48:25.53
10. Étienne Couture (Canada), 2:52:40.80
11. Christopher Bojanowsky (Canada), 4:09:05.50
12. Jean-Sébastien Cournoyer (Canada), DNF
13. Raymond-Louis Laquerre (Canada), DNF
14. Olivier Hodgson (Canada), DNF

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

First, there was only a group of those 4 men. Second Fran was only drafting the whole way. Not fiar, as you discribed in an article below. Third the finish was real close and exciting to watch!

Steven Munatones said...

Thank you very much for your first-hand report. We received the information from the race organizer who was also present at the event. We are most happy that the race was exciting to watch and race.

Anonymous said...

That is sure. Great race and great organisers!