Palmer Wins The Challenge Championship–The Biggest Victory of His Career

Heading down a perfectly calm but chilly 16C Danube, as expected, it was Hannes Butters from Germany who led out the 1900 m river swim. Butters sat solo about 30 m off the front while the rest of the field remained packed until the turnaround, where groups started to form. A lead chase pack of eight, including Kieran Lindars (GBR), Jannik Schaufler (DEU), Michele Sarzilla (ITA), Valdemar Solok (DEN), and Henry Rӓppo (EST), closed that gap down to mere seconds by the end of the swim.

Solok Dominates the Flat and Fast Bike Course

Heading out on to the flat, fast out-and-back bike course, it was Solok who took the lead, with Rӓppo working hard in second. But Solok pushed the pace and extended his lead to about two minutes by the halfway mark. Rӓppo was joined by Butters and Schaufler to form the first chase pack, but behind them, an incredibly strong group formed that ultimately included Lindars, Harry Palmer (GBR), and Ivan Abele (AUS).

Favourites Fred Funk (DEU) and Will Draper (GBR) worked hard (Draper without a visor or sunglasses, presumably from a malfunction in T1) to catch the pack, their efforts only showing gains in the later stages of the bike.

Solok completed the 90 km bike in 1:52:04, but the more important time was 3:11–the time of his leading gap. Once all the chasers started to come into T2, athletes streamed in constantly, with small but noticeable gaps throughout the field.

Unfortunately, Kurt McDonald (AUS) walked into T2 for a DNF, his rear derailleur and chain hanging over his bottom bracket.

Two Charging Brits Shake Up The Run

Draper came in 3:52 back but made quick work of transition, shaving 20 seconds off his deficit, and was the fastest man on course in the opening kilometers. But Palmer, who came into T2 ahead of Dra…