The success of this weekend’s Challenge Fuerteventura was marked by a remarkable comeback victory, record numbers plus a touch of Formula One. Camilla Pedersen (DEN) and Andreas Dreitz (GER) took the race titles while Jenson Button raced in the age group field.
This was Pedersen’s first race since a serious bike crash last year which left her in a coma for a number of weeks. That she was able to race was impressive, that she won shows the drive and determination of remarkable athlete. She led from the start, exiting the water in 25:42 and also posted the fastest bike split in 2:36:39. Her run was seven minutes slower than second place Eimear Mullan (IRE) who ran a 1:20:29 but was still quick enough to post a convincing win in 4:30:13, just under six minutes ahead of Mullan who crossed the line in 4:36:08. Daniela Sämmler rounded off the women’s podium in 4:36:08.
Pedersen celebrated her win with an emphatic, “I’m back!â€
