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The fastest woman in Austria's Alps: Tanja Spielberger wins the Austria Extreme Triathlon

2022-08-18T07:35:32.839Z


The fastest woman in Austria's Alps: Tanja Spielberger wins the Austria Extreme Triathlon Created: 08/18/2022 09:29 By: Thomas Benedict Tanja Spielberger (right) was overwhelmed with joy at the finish. Together with her assistant Malin Gren, she holds the women's winning banner. © Private Tanja Spielberger from Germeringer has faced the next extreme competition. In the end, only two men were f


The fastest woman in Austria's Alps: Tanja Spielberger wins the Austria Extreme Triathlon

Created: 08/18/2022 09:29

By: Thomas Benedict

Tanja Spielberger (right) was overwhelmed with joy at the finish.

Together with her assistant Malin Gren, she holds the women's winning banner.

© Private

Tanja Spielberger from Germeringer has faced the next extreme competition.

In the end, only two men were faster than them in the AutXtri.

Germering – An Ironman in itself is an enormous challenge, even for true endurance experts: 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and then a marathon.

Tanja Spielberg from Germeringer (Tri Team Fürstenfeldbruck) has upped the ante.

At the Austria Extreme Triathlon (AutXtri), similar distances are required of the athletes - but in combination with many meters of altitude in the Alps and a swim course that partly runs against the current.

The route leads from the Mur near Graz to the Dachstein.

Spielberger's pre-competition goal was simple: finish, maybe in the top ten on a good day.

But it turned out quite differently.

After 14:16 hours, the 31-year-old was the first woman to cross the finish line.

Overall, only two men were faster than her.

The preparation

Five weeks before the competition, the woman from Germeringer visited the route for the first time and got information from experienced AutXtri athletes - including the 2019 winner Barbara Tesar.

"It was worth its weight in gold," says Spielberger.

The last important tips came from her swimming coach the day before the race – especially with regard to the current of the river.

“From the outside, the Mur looks quite peaceful.

But it feels different inside in the water,” says the Germeringer.

In water

And the tips paid off.

When the cowbells rang at 4.30 a.m. at the start, the 31-year-old chose a different tactic than most of her opponents.

The first 150 meters of the route go against the current, then turn at a buoy.

Spielberger's trick was not to swim to the buoy too early.

"Rather a bit past it, because the current is pushing you back," she explains.

In order not to miss the right turning point, her friend stood on the bank with a glow stick.

And the plan worked.

Spielberger only swung to the buoy later and was literally catapulted past a whole row of swimmers by the current.

After 58:30 minutes she finally climbed out of the Mur - a new best time for Germeringer.

When a camerawoman asked her what her best discipline was before she switched to the bike, Spielberger had no choice but to answer: "Unfortunately, that's just over."

on the bike

But the pessimism proved unnecessary.

On the bike, things ran like clockwork for the woman from Germeringer – even if she had to bite her teeth at times during the 186-kilometer route – including 3,900 meters in altitude.

A section of around 20 kilometers with a persistent gradient of two percent, plus a strong headwind, made the Germeringerin tired.

But Spielberger didn't let her good mood take away from her.

She called out to her team, "Could you turn off the fan?"

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She finally had to really fight on the last big mountain section: the Sölkpass.

4.5 kilometers with a gradient of over 14 percent.

"I had the feeling that I was going to fall over at any moment and weaved my way up the serpentines from the left to the right side of the road," says Spielberger.

After that it was all downhill, but that also had its pitfalls: because of a flat tire – the rims were hot when the brakes were applied – the Germeringer native's team had to change a wheel.

Nevertheless, she came to the transition zone after 7:38 hours on the bike.

The running track

The first few kilometers of the run really flew by for the 31-year-old – regardless of whether it was uphill or downhill.

Only in the flat sections did Spielberger feel less comfortable.

"Like a lame, stomping hippopotamus." At least until her companion asked her if she really wanted to keep up this high pace.

"He's kidding me," she thought at first.

"But the clock actually indicated that we were quite quick."

At some point the body made itself felt.

After 35 of a total of 44 kilometers, the ball of my right foot hurt - even ice baths could not relieve the pain.

"But since I found out that I was currently on two, the feelings of happiness outweighed the pain," says the Germeringerin.

She wasn't able to hold the place until the end - another man passed - but Spielberger continued to struggle.

"Panting like a walrus." Kilometer after kilometer.

"Then I heard cowbells, applause and cheers," she says.

After 14:16 hours she had made it: No woman was faster.

(Thomas Benedict)

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2022-08-18

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