Lucy Gossage : ETU Powerman win

Lucy Gossage defends her European title

 

Lucy Gossage withstood the pressure this weekend to produce an amazing win at the ETU Powerman European Long Distance Duathlon Championship in Horst, successfully defending her 2012 title.

Dominating the race from start to finish the CRC / Vitus Bikes athlete held off a late challenge from Sweden’s Eva Nystrom crossing the line over a minute ahead.

Lucy set a fast pace from the start, quickly forming a lead group alongside Sabrina Monmarteau (FRA) and Schulz (GER) with Nystrom and compatriot Camilla Lindholm 15 seconds behind

By lap four, Gossage, Monmarteau and Schulz had increased their lead with the run out of transistion being led by Monmarteau. At the end of the first bike lap Gossage had powered into a healthy lead on her VITUS Chrono.

With some strong riding by Eva Nystrom she closed the gap behind Gossage to twenty seconds and on the final 20km lap into transition she caught Lucy with both girls heading on the run in quick succession. However, Gossage excelled again on the final run segment as she pushed hard to leave Nystrom trailing. With two laps to go she had increased her lead to ten seconds and by the last lap her victory was never in doubt.

This is the first time Gossage has defended one of her titles and it’s an amazing start to the season for her: “Psychologically that’s a big battle for me to win today, to actually defend my title. It’s different being expected to do well but I kept cool and ran a better race.”

A defeated Nystrom commended Lucy : “(Lucy) is a great runner and I am happy with my second place. I was a bit off the pace after the first run, more than I thought, and I had to work hard on the bike.”