TRANSGRANCANARIA 2023 CLASSIC 128KM: RACE PREVIEW AND FAVORITES, WITH COURTNEY DAUWALTER AND PAU CAPELL

Posted by Héctor Rubio on February 22, 2023 in trail running spain, transgrancanaria 2023, transgrancanaria races, transgrancanaria results | Leave a comment

TRANSGRANCANARIA 2023 CLASSIC 128KM: RACE PREVIEW AND FAVORITES, WITH COURTNEY DAUWALTER AND PAU CAPELL. This time our TRANSGRANCANARIA section presents us with the queen event, its Classic, where more than 600 runners will face 128 kilometers and 7,000 meters of positive elevation gain to cross the entire island.

A spectacular Transgrancanaria Classic, which will be the icing on the cake for a week of trail running, with Courtney Dauwalter and Pau Capell as favorites at the start of Las Canteras beach on Friday, February 24 at 11:59 p.m. We start with a video summary of the great 2022 edition and the duel Pablo Villa, Pau Capell, Pere Aurell.

TRANSGRANCANARIA CLASSIC 128KM: RACE PREVIEW AND FAVORITES, WITH COURTNEY DAUWALTER AND PAU CAPELL

The Transgrancanaria trail party will have its climax next Friday, February 24, at 11:59 p.m. on Las Canteras beach with the Classic modality.

More than 600 runners will face the 128 kilometers and 7,000 meters of positive elevation gain this year to cross the Island from north to south to Maspalomas. The American Courtney Dauwalter, the best ultra-distance runner in the world, will be at the starting line along with other names such as Pau Capell or Claudia Tremps.

TRANSGRANCANARIA 2023 CLASSIC 128KM: FAVOURITES

WOMEN’S RACE: COURTNEY DAUWALTER, ULTRA TRAIL LEGEND

The American arrived on time and has spent several days in Gran Canaria reconnoitering the trails along which the race runs. This is how he explained to us just landing the contrast with the fierce cold where he has been training these months in Colorado, where he lives.

Dauwalter is the heavy favourite, in her own right. And it is not in vain that he has won 16 of the last 18 events in which he has participated, partly with the vitola of the main favorite among the women, without ruling out that he is fighting for the top positions in the general classification as has already happened in other renowned tests such as UTMB, with a seventh position in 2021; Hardrock 100, where she finished sixth in 2022; or in the last edition of Diagonale Des Fous, when he crossed the finish line in fourth position.

Courtney Dauwalter, at UTMB Chamonix. Photo Mayayo

CLAUDIA TREMPS, LOWTHER, KLANCNIK, VAN MECHGELEN…

Dauwalter will face Claudia Tremps, who starts with the advantage of knowing the entire route in detail after finishing third and second in the last two editions of the Transgrancanaria Classic, and the Canadian Jazmine Lowther, fourth last year in CCC and winner of The Canyons Endurance in the United States.

Other athletes who will fight for the top positions will be the Slovenian Martina Klancnik, the Belgian based in the Canary Islands Dominique Van Mechgelen, the German Katharina Hartmuth, the Swedish Anna Carlsson or the Basque Sandra Sevillano.

MEN’S RACE: PAU CAPELL LOOKING FOR HIS 5TH VICTORY

Pau Capell intends to regain the throne three years later. The winner of four editions of the Transgrancanaria Classic aspires to get his fifth gimp to reaffirm his recovery after the injury suffered in 2021. His experience in the event works in his favor compared to rivals such as his teammate in The North Face, the Chinese Shen Jiasheng who debuts in the mountain race.

Considered the best Asian runner of the moment, Jiasheng took victory last year in European tests such as Eiger Ultra Trail, as well as finishing fourth in CCC and third in Lavaredo Ultra Trail.

Others who will be among the top positions are the Catalan Andreu Simón, who arrives in top form after winning the French Asics SaintéLyon in December; Ionel Cristian Manole, Fotis Zisimopoulos, Luis Fernandes, Mario Olmedo, Tyler Green or Abel Carretero.

Pau Capell at the Transgrancanaria 2022. Photo: Mayayo

TRANSGRANCANARIA 2023: COMPLETE PROGRAM

The Transgrancanaria 2023 will debut a new model, which will last for almost a week.

• 22FEB Wednesday, the first of the modalities will begin in San Pedro de Agaete, from where the El Gigante Vertical Kilometer of 5.5 kilometers and 1,130 positive meters will start.
• 23FEB, Tejeda will concentrate all the prominence with the arrivals of the Promo races, of 12 kilometers and starting in Artenara, and Starter, which in 2023 will start from Tunte so that the runners face a tough climb up the Camino de La Plata up to Roque Nublo and down to the Cumbrero town center after 24 kilometers and 1,800 positive.
• 24FEB Friday, February 24, Tejeda will once again become one of the neuralgic points with the start of the Marathon, which will finish in Maspalomas. That same day, at 11:59 p.m., it will be the turn of the queen test, which will once again start at Las Canteras beach. The Classic recovers the 2021 route, with a slight modification in the Summit section.
• 25FEB The last of the modalities will start at 08:30 am on Saturday, February 25. The Transgrancanaria returns to the Puerto de Las Nieves de Agaete with the Advanced modality, which extends its distance to 80 kilometers and 4,500 meters of positive elevation gain. The finish line, as in the Classic, will be located in the Parque Sur of Maspalomas, a setting that repeats after the great reception it had in the last edition by runners and fans.

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