IM Hamburg (WPRO only): the next IM Pro Series race.
Results will give a clear steer how the IM Pro Series may play out for the top end/10. Contenders for the IM Pro Series racing here look to be: Hering, Matthews, Reischmann, Svensk, Lewis. I guess Løvseth might be, but she’d have to go and race IMLP (this is her IM debut).
Opportunity for the 5 x KQs so may reach down to #10 as several already KQ.
Hamburg is ‘rated’ several minutes faster than Texas so either or both will be looking to come closer to the 8 hour mark with good conditions. Philipp holds the best time here: 8:18.
Has Philipp’s bike stepped up as much as one assumes Matthews’ has in the last 5 months? Stand by to be surprised; or not.
Looking at the rest of the field, Clutterbuck will likely swim away and have several minutes on anyone else, and then ride as hard as, till caught: very much shades of Vitoria last year.
Matthews will be keen to start her bike clear of Philipp so must create a gap in the Alsters. We saw Pierré bike well in Aix, and bear in mind all but the descent in Nice, maybe she can ride with Matthews. Will the differences in power (as opposed to w/kg) make a difference on this flat course: Matthews (new Dowsett model) must have higher NP over 4 hours (than waif Pierré and Philipp).
Hering, who won here last year, was unable to ride at Findlay’s standard in St George but held her at Oceanside. Losing minutes on the bike seems a reasonable estimate. Would be good to see a run as good as last year’s 2:52 from her.
Reasonable to expect Løvseth to swim between Matthews and Philipp (on form) and either two riding together would be a dynamic duo, with Løvseth either keen to drop her company (young gun wants to win) or taking a pragmatic, debut approach and tucking in for the ride. Matthews ran faster than Løvseth in Tallinn and Taupo last year.
Forecast suggests that Sunday is the one day that’ll be hotter (27oC) than either the run up week or the week after.
I am wondering if Jackie Hering wishes she went straight to Cairns instead of trying to defend her title. If every second counts she may be losing out on some points this weekend.
General question - but why isn’t this a men’s race? I was under the impression that both Hamburg and Frankfurt were single gender, and that they’d swap every year.
Especially with the men in Nice, it makes sense that the men take Hamburg this year and the women take Frankfurt, since they have the later WC date.
Yes; when they announced the 2025 IM Pro series races/venues I failed to understand that. Having Hamburg for the September IMWC and Frankfurt for the October one seems entirely logical.
Unless just a cock-up, there must be a reason, if they stick with ‘single sex’ races, these two, why these were not swapped (cf 2024).
Clutterbuck will be alone after the first time under the bridge.
And at least the first hour alone with plenty of ‘someone cycling’ side images on the broadcast.
I expect Matthews to be leading the chase, maybe with Pierre, and clear of Loevseth and Philipp who may or not be together. I sincerely hope we see all these three elements and see how the gaps are or are not closing. I fear Reischmann and
Be entertained.
A fighting chance with all the favourites:
With no Clutterbuck, front pack of Matthews, Loevseth, Philipp and Hering well clear of rest (Pierre 2 minutes down) exits swim and first three away on the road. Matthews pushing already to get away (Philipp will not let her go though and Loevseth will follow Philipp).
Once again bike failure for one of the pros, Lovseth’s aero bars broke and she’s just on the hoods. Still smiling though, she probably has the power to stick with Laura and Kat despite that…
Pierre on her own but going roughly at the same pace as the front, just smoked Hering. It looked pretty much like Filippo Ganna overtaking me on a bike.
Interesting that,4 hours into this Pro Series.Euro Championship race,with the IM World Champ and Ironman fastest time holder racing, there have only now been 7 comments on this thread since the race started.
Not much love for the women here on ST…
