September
12
Tags
CANFRANC CANFRANC WMRA WORLD CUP CLASSIC 2022: GOLD FOR JOYCE NJERU (KEN) & ROBERT LOIC (FRA)
CANFRANC CANFRANC WMRA WORLD CUP CLASSIC 2022: GOLD FOR JOYCE NJERU (KEN) & ROBERT LOIC (FRA). Our WMRA MOUNTAIN RUNNING section continues in Spain, after the Vertical race, and bring us yesterday’s results of the Canfranc-Canfranc Classic Race.
Canfranc-Canfranc has closed this 16th edition this 202 as the best in history, so far. It is a vital event for mountain sports in Aragon, whose reputation continues to grow year after year supported by the beauty of the ten peaks of the Aragonese Pyrenees that it crowns, the passion of the entire population of Jaceta and the proven solidity of its organization, with more than 400 volunteers from the land.
CANFRANC CANFRANC WMRA WORLD CUP CLASSIC 2022: GOLD FOR JOYCE NJERU (KEN) & ROBERT LOIC (FRA)
This 2022 has provided four key novelties: A spectacular Vertical Race, from Rioseta to Tuca Blanca; a live streaming over three days with 17 hours broadcasted on national television, regional television plus youtube,; the upgrading of elite prizes up to €15,000 plus WADA doping control implemented to deliver highest worldwide guarantee.
Photo: Canfranc-Canfranc – (C) Yhabril
CANFRANC CANFRANC 2022: FOUR DAYS MOUNTAIN SPORTS FESTIVAL AT THE ARAGONESE PYRENEES.
Back on Friday at 6:00 p.m., the inaugural edition of the Canfranc Vertical (4k/D+927m) kicked off the event, racing from Rioseta to Tuca Blanca. A classic track of Aragonese ski mountaineering hosted a spectacular Vertical Kilometer for the WMRA Vertical World Cup, where the Spanish Daniel Osanz and the Kenyan Joyce Njeru were the best
On Saturday, the pioneering race of the event was held, the Canfranc-Canfranc Marathon with its 45k/D+4,000m sharing the finish line over the day with the Canfranc Ultra 70k and Canfranc Ultra 100k for a non-stop fill third day Pyrenean festival. There just remained but one race to enjoy today Sunday as the topping of the cake.
Photo: Canfranc-Canfranc – (C) Yhabril
WORLD CUP WMRA CLASSIC FINAL IN CANFRANC
Today, Sunday, we enjoyed the final stage of the WMRA World Cup Classic series, with the Canfranc Classic 16k, which runs over a scenic route including a 16k/D+1.400m going up & down La Moleta (2,574m). A course that sums up a scale reproduction of the entire Aragonese Pyrenees. Charming village, deep forest trails, rocky climbing, challenging descent on to a mountain lake and the final rush to the end over the Camino de Santiago.
The field at the start displayed a very high level: Two-time champion Antonio Martínez faced the number 2 in the WMRA world ranking, the Kenyan Philemon Kiriago, and the young Frenchman Robert Loic (runner-up France 2022 and MIUT Madeira Marathon champion. Serious challengers were also Raul Criado (WMRA LD 2021 world cup champion) Noel Burgos (Canfranc marathon champion) and Alex García Carrillo (National Spain Classic 2022 champion)
The women’s race included the WMRA world ranking leader, Kenyan Joyce Njeru as the favorite against the Italian Camilla Magliano (Bronze Nid d’Aigles 2022, 4th Challenge Stellina 2022). Also there were two runners from the Spanish European Champs team Laia Montoya and Julia Font (Spanish Marathon Champion 2022) who will fight for the title to stay in our country. Leire Fernández Abete was a great unknown quantity, as the former Zegama junior champion chose Canfranc to return to competition after successfully battling a tumor for the last two years.
JOYCE NJERU SIGNS A DOUBLE (2h02)
From the very start, Joyce chose to lead from the front and took off with enormous power again, while the Italian Camilla Magliano struggled behind her hoping for her downhill technique to overcome her later on. Behind them Laia García Montoya soon got into podium positions while Julia Font and Leire Fernández Abete completed the top5
Joyce reached La Moleta summit after 1.11.21, which predicted a good time at the finish line but far from the impressive record of 1h57 that Grayson Murphy (USA) left behind as 2021 champion. Camilla passed in just 1.23 fighting for the Victory while Laia was third very much on her own, with 5m behind the Italian but another 5min ahead of Julia and Leire
The descent dreamt by the Italian was not to be. Joyce proved she continues to progress day by day and in a descent as fast as it was technical and ferocious, she not only maintained her advantage… but increased it remarkably
In the end, Joyce Njeru champion with 2.01.58, silver Camilla Magliano 2.08.24 and Laia Montoya closed the podium with 1.17.28. Julia Font with 2.16.29 and Leire Fernández Abete with 2.20.41 completed the top5.
ROBERT LOIC WIN GOLD FOR FRANCE.
Meanwhile, in the men´s event Kenyan Philemon Kiriago shot out for the kill right from the station, with Frenchman Robert Loic as the only one who dared to stay on his wake. It was gold or DNF for him. Behind the leaders, spaniards Raul Criado, Noel Burgos and Antonio Martínez followed their own strategy, as experts on the course.
Kiriago summited La Moleta with a new ascent record at 1.00.08 slicing out 2 minutes on Daniel Osan’s 2020 time. Also at a record pace, Robert Loic stayed second, trusting on his upbringing at the French Pyrenees to overcome the 1.42 lost on the climb in the descent. He bet right.
Half way down, Loic’s technique and courage risking everything paid off and he took the lead, while behind them both Robert and Philemon saw a crazy descent by world descent VK record holder Raul Criado who despite summiting fourth 5m behind Philemon was blasting down the mountain spurred by the dream of every one of the 600 Canfranc volunteers for him to win the World Cup at his home village.
The Canfranc finish line welcomed Robert Loic as champion with 1.43.11 which left us a new record, way below that off 1.47.35 by Antonio Martíne. Kenyan Philemon Kiriago took the silver with 1.43.53, just 42” behind the champion, while Raul Criado signed a sensational bronze with 1.45.00 The Spaniards Antonio Martínez and Noel Burgos closed the top5 with 1.49.50 and 1.50.48
Canfranc-Canfranc 2022- (C) Mayayo
IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU READ,
CLICK THIS BUTTON TO SUPPORT US IN PATREON.COM/MAYAYO
