Last year’s winner, Lucy Gossage, will be making a triumphant return to defend her winning title against this powerful 2019 start list.
IRONMAN Wales is gearing up to showcase to the world what it takes to race in Tenby and we will see some of the UK’s best professional triathletes battle it out for the top of the podium. A repeat of the 2018 IRONMAN UK podium could be on the cards for Great Britain’s Lucy Gossage, as she has come out of retirement to race IRONMAN Wales. Along with many more standout names, the women’s and men’s professional fields for the September 15th race, in Wales, will be one not to miss.
The professional women’s field is stacked with very strong competitors, all who are set on being the first to cross the finish line. Powerhouse Lucy Gossage, who dominated IRONMAN Wales 2018 and 2017, will be back at the starting line and motivated by her “pure love for racing and for the sport”. Gossage has shown what strength, determination and heart can achieve. Gossage states that “With passion, and if you’re doing something for the right reasons, anything is possible. Crossing the finish line of my first IRONMAN is still one of my biggest achievements. I never really believed I’d be able to do it and for me that feeling of achieving the impossible is hard to beat”. Gossage is sure to be taking it all in, on the IRONMAN Wales course and expect her to be one of the leaders throughout the race.
Laura Siddall, a fellow British racer, will be at IRONMAN Wales for the first time and with her recent win at the 2019 IRONMAN Australia expect to see Siddall as tough competition for the lead. Another strong contender is Manon Genet, who is now in her third year as a professional triathlete. With a third-place finish in both the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy and the 2019 IRONMAN France, Genet’s natural strength, in all three disciplines, will help her take on the challenging course in Tenby.
Rebecca Clarke will be representing New Zealand at this year’s IRONMAN Wales. Clarke raced at IRONMAN New Zealand and was the first female pro out of the water. She will be one to watch during the swim leg, where this strength should see her be in the lead group coming out of the water. German pro triathlete Anja Ippach is no stranger to challenging bike courses, and we can expect to see her power through the IRONMAN Wales bike course. Following her third-place finish at the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 Austria, St Polten race, Ippach is looking to improve on this finish and will be a strong contender for the top of the podium.
On the professional male’s side, the competition for top of the podium runs deep. Great Britain’s, Philip Graves, will be aiming for a first-place finish after his second-place finish at IRONMAN Wales in 2018. Graves became the youngest triathlete to win an IRONMAN competition, at age 20, and as a strong swimmer, look to see him be one of the first to exit the swim.
Fellow British racer, Joe Skipper, will be a threat on the bike as he currently holds the third fastest IRONMAN bike split. With his first-place finish at the 2018 IRONMAN UK, Skipper will be a fierce competitor. Romain Guillaume of France, will add pressure to the men’s field, following his second-place finish at the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 Luxembourg. With his natural talent for triathlons, Guillaume will look to push the pace throughout the entire race.
Victor Del Corral, from Spain, will be returning to IRONMAN Wales after his fourth-place finish in 2018. Del Corral is no stranger to technical bike courses, but it will be on the run where his marathon skills will help him compete for the lead. Bryan McCrystal of Ireland, will be another powerhouse on the bike course. McCrystal had the fastest time on the very challenging and hilly bike course at this year’s IRONMAN Cork, leading him to a second-place finish. McCrystal will be a threat throughout the race and expect to see him push for a first-place finish.
From a spectator perspective, the ninth edition of IRONMAN Wales will offer an exciting experience given the depth of professionals racing. Spectators in Wales can look forward to watching the race from locations such as Saundersfoot, the Tenby town centre, and the stunning swim start at Carmarthen Bay. There are also numerous pubs along the course where spectators can enjoy the race atmosphere.
Alongside the strong professional field, over 2000 individual athletes from over 35 different countries are expected to line up at the ninth edition of IRONMAN Wales on Sunday, 15 September 2019.
For more information please visit the event website, www.ironman.com/wales
PROFESSIONAL MEN
Philip Graves (GBR)
Romain Guillaume (FRA)
Joe Skipper (GBR)
Victor Del Corral (ESP)
Bryan McCrystal (IRL)
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN
Lucy Gossage (GBR)
Laura Siddall (GBR)
Manon Genet (FRA)
Rebecca Clarke (NZL)
Anja Ippach (DEU)
