With the sun already making people dig into their bags for sun-block and with the wind just a bit stronger than yesterday, the Junior Men lined up for the start of the 2016 Alanya ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup. They would be racing for points that would be combined with those won yesterday by the Junior Women and which, combined, will help their federations in the Junior Rankings.
The one-lap swim was led by Gergő Soós HUN and Roman Afanasyev KAZ. Just a few paces behind came fellow Kazakh, Meirlan Iskakov KAZ, Ukraine’s Dmytro Shabanov and local hero, Gültigin Er. He has greatly improved over the past few years and, as current Turkish national junior champion, this was his chance to show good in an international field.
Out onto the bike and a lead group soon formed. Soós and Afanasyev were testing the others with small breaks off the front but they were soon caught and the leading group of 8 athletes worked hard to build up a lead over the chase group. In that group was also Kutluhan Konuk and Emirhan Altıntaş the vice-champion from Turkey. Would today be his chance to beat Er? Well-placed too was Botond Karai HUN. With a Zagreb bronze to his name, he would be hoping for a podium here today.
Behind them some really hard work was being done by Velizar Velizarov BGR who, along with Kereem Othman JOR, Hüseyin Hallaç and Oguzhan Cakir from Turkey, were lapping quicker than the leaders.
A crash sent Ukraine’s Kyrylo Novikov out of the race. Thankfully he was not badly injured. Armenian athlete, Gagik Soghomonyan also crashed but was able to continue.
The leading pack had kept ahead of the chase group long enough to get a clear ride into T2. Out onto the run, it was Hungary, Hungary and Kazakhstan out onto the two-lap 5k. The sunshine was now blazing down and water would be needed.
The lead was established by Soós in the first lap. He checked frequently over his shoulder for threats of a challenge but that was not to come until the final 150m when behind him, Karai, who was running side by side with Iskakov, suddenly kicked. He took the Kazakh by surprise and, watching his fellow countryman take the gold, secured for himself the silver.
Iskakov took bronze and, with Afanasyev in 5th place, it was a good day for Kazakhstan. The loudest cheers of the day were reserved for Er, who in 4th place, missed out on a medal but who showed such great improvement over his previous international performances.
