Menorcan Tina Ameller Triumphs in the Women’s 185km TMCdC

Press Release / 19.05.2018

There was an unexpected result in the women's event of the 2018 Compressport Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls. Victory went to local athlete Tina Ameller who took just under 27 hours to complete the 185 km around the island. Her race went from strength to strength. She steadily moved up the placings during the course of the event but took the lead with only 20 km to go.

The race began with Gemma Avellí as the clear favourite. The Catalan was the winner last year and she clearly wanted to repeat her victory. However, after a strong start, she was forced to abandon the race having run a little over 30 km.

The Italian Alice Modignani-Fasoli then took the lead, which she maintained throughout the day and almost all of the night. To begin with, it was Sasha Roig in pursuit. However, both these runners saw their lead reduced by the Menorcans Eva Orives and Tina Ameller who, although behind, had a faster pace. As dawn broke, Eva Orives took the lead, with a 15 minute advantage over Tina Ameller.

Ameller got the better of Orives in the last few kilometres of the south coast section. By the time she had reached Artutx (173.3 km) she was in the lead and decisively took the path towards Ciutadella. She crossed the finish line in first place to add this to her victories at the Trail dels Fars (also held in Menorca) and the Formentera All Round Trail earlier this year. The success of the local runner led to scenes of jubilation at the end of the race.

Quote from Tina Ameller: "I didn’t expect it as last year I had to retire. The only thing I wanted to do was to finish it one way or another. I corrected my mistakes. I ran very slowly for the first 100 km, but in the end it’s about your level of endurance. At Cala en Bosc I took the lead, but I had to run. During the last kilometres people were really encouraging me. I’m absolutely elated and now I’m going to enjoy it."

Núria Picas and Laia Díez were the protagonists in the ‘short’ races

As the 185 km TMCdC was coming to an end there were four other races underway, all part of the 2018 Compressport Menorca Camí de Cavalls. Interestingly, the highest expectations were for the shortest race, the 39 km TCN, in which well-known Núria Picas participated. She had no problems in achieving first place in the women's event and was seventh overall. Damián Ramis won the men’s event. There was also a high level of participation in the 56 km TCS with Laia Díez winning the women’s event and coming ninth overall. Robert Alert Ballesteros was the overall winner.

The night-time 100km TMCN was won by Scott Bennett and Mª Carmen Sánchez while in the 85km TMCS, the winners were Eduardo Pascual and Anna Macià.

PROVISIONAL FINAL RESULTS:

1. Tina Ameller (Menorca Trail): 26:56:53
2. Eva Orives: 27:31:09

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