Defending champion and overall winner Dave Harju
(Canada) 8:52:33.
On the Madison crowd: "They were amazing, just
amazing!"
On his race strategy: "This is the race I wanted to
concentrate on . . . be in the top 3. Winning is an added
bonus . . . During the race I thought I might have to worry
about the runners, like Petr, but when we doubled back [on
the run course], I timed him and knew he couldn't catch
me."
Compared to last year: "It was at least as tough. I had to
work the bike myself. I knew I was the hunted duck on the
run."
Taking the lead on the bike: "I passed them hard - my heart
rate was about 150."
Before the interview he grabbed a PowerBar Protein drink
and said, "I've been waiting for this all day!"
Petr Vabrousek (2nd place man) 8:55:41
.
Coming down toward the finish chute, he veered over to the
fence and someone had a Czech flag which he proudly
carried across the finish line and then set neatly on the
interview table in front of him.
One his race: "I need to work on my bike more."
On the run leg: "I gave it all I had - at mile 18 I thought I
could get him."
Overall women's champion Nicole DeBoom (Colorado)
10:05:40
Right when she sat down at the interview table, Ironman
icon Greg Welch, who was covering the race for
www.Ironmanlive.com, handed her a cell phone with her
husband, Tim DeBoom, on the other end. They spoke for a
few minutes and we asked her what he said, "Tim said, I
was so smart - raced a smart race."
On winning the race: "It's unbelievable, I feel like I have all
this energy!"
Race strategy: "My game plan was to be conservative and
then I took the lead in a great section of the run where there
were tons of people cheering."
(She had to cut the interview short as her asthma was
acting
up. Otherwise I would have asked her about the little mini
wrap skirt she
was wearing on the run---everywhere I stood, from the line
at
Starbucks to the finish area, I could hear women discussing
whether or not they liked it. )
Lauren Jensen (2nd place woman) 10:13:28
On race: "I'm not great in the heat, I knew I had to stay in my
heart range and not focus on what others are doing."
(There were a lot of cheers on the race course for this
local favorite. I personally like the little fin on top of her bike
helmet.)
Steve Schell (Dunlap, IL) 10:25:52
"I was hoping to be faster but I was starting to bonk with
three miles to go. I got a PR by almost 10 minutes."
Andre Bennatan (Lake Forest) 10:36:56
On finishing his 12th Ironman: "The crowd was fantastic.
This is just fun." He was surrounded by his kids at the
finish area - who are now also competing in triathlons.
Chicagoans Jonathan Tenney (10:57:16) and Jerry
Pianto (10:57:30) finished 14 seconds apart.
Piano congratulated Tenney at
the finish line, "Jon, you
beat me fair and square." And they gave each other a hug. If
Tenney's name is familiar, it might be because he was
featured in the Second Glance photo in the July/August
issue of Chicago Athlete when he sprinted across
the finish line neck to neck with Evanston's Michael
Rubin at last year's Ironman Wisconsin.
Diane Faretta (Chicago) 11:56:13
On her first Ironman experience: "I wanted to be smart, have
fun, feel good and enjoy the experience."
Faretta looked better than anyone I saw finish the race -
like
she just completed a long run!)
Audrey McMurry (Chicago) 12:00:24
On the most memorable part of her race: "Having the
crowds along the bike course made it feel like The Tour de
France---being in the country and then the devil [a spectator
in a devil costume] chased me up a hill!"
Stephanie Stover (Chicago) 13:05:02
A former butterfly specialist out of Ohio University who trains
with the Chicago Triathlon Club, Stover completed the 2.4
mile swim in 57:33. "I placed myself up near the front about
three deep and I didn't know it, but I had to tread water for
about 10 or 15 minutes waiting for the canon to go off. I got
jostled around a bit but you have to stand your ground. My
strategy was to find a faster swimmer to draft off since it's
legal and I did that. I used a full wetsuit since that's all I
have, the water was pretty warm."
Top Local Finishers
Illinois
Rick Mann, (35-39), Bethalto, 9:37:04
Diane Faretta (40-44), Chicago, 11:56:13
Indiana
William Kessler (30-34), Indianapolis, 10:14:13
Lisa James (35-39) South Bend - 10:31:12
Wisconsin
Thomas Brunold, (35-39) Madison - 9:12:29
Lauren Jensen, New Berlin - 10:13:28
Michigan
David Farley, (30-34) Petosky - 10:46:00
Toni Barstis, (35-39) Nile - 11:42:28
With only 80 slots available for Ironman Hawaii here's a list
of Illinois qualifiers:
Rick Mann (Bethalto) 9:37:04, Ted Thome (Chicago)
10:11:01, Tom Estka (Chicago) 10:18:40, Barry
Schliesmann (Kenilworth) 10:28:48 and Andre Bennatan
(Lake Forest) 10:36:56.
Heather Gollnick, last year's champ and local
favorite
Was cheering on the racers from different parts of the
course and at the finish line.
Ironman Wisconsin 2005 has already sold out. In fact, it
only took 13 hours to fill up.
For complete results check out, www.chicagoaa.com/results/searchable.ht
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