Salomon 4 Trails

Third Stage - Caballero unstoppable, Fischl takes a nosedive

Press Release / 11.07.2015

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In the third stage of the SALOMON 4 TRAILS, Spanish racer Miguel Ortega Caballero confidently increases his lead, but calls it the “toughest day” so far. The defender of the title fights his way to second place. In the Woman's class, Russian racer Zhanna Vokueva has a perfect day, favorite Tina Fischl drops behind by a wide margin. A new face appears on the winner’s podium. In the Master Men, there is a preliminary decision.
Spaniard Miguel Ortega Caballero continues to dominate in the SALOMON 4 TRAILS. The 33-year-old Catalan celebrated his third Winner of the day success in a row on the 37.5 km stretch from Weißbach to Lofer in Austria and increased his lead in the overall ranking to more than 15 minutes. Greek titleholder Dimitris Theodorakakos battled his way to second in the overall ranking, ahead of Daniel Jung from Italy, and to third place in the daily ranking. In the Woman's class, Russian racer Zhanna Vokueva celebrated her success as Winner of the Day, climbing to second place in the overall ranking. Frontrunner Helen Bonsor from Scotland increased her lead with her second stage victory, while German mountain master Tina Fischl ran across the Finish line as fourth of the day, lagging behind by almost 18 minutes. In the Master Men’s class, Josef Vogt from Liechtenstein took over the lead from Stefan Holzner from Bad Reichenhall.

The conditions before the 3rd and, therefore, penultimate stage of the SALOMON 4 TRAILS could barely have been better. When the remaining 480 racers were lined up at the Start, - which had been moved from Ruhpolding to Weißbach – at 9:30 AM, temperatures were pleasant in the 20s (C) and the atmosphere was marked by a mixture of anticipation and respect. Anticipation due to the amazing trails awaiting the runners like the legendary Weißbach gorge, respect due to the formidable early ascent to the top of the Ristfeuchthorn mountain at 1467 m (4812 ft.). Here, the runners had to overcome 950 m (3117 ft.) on a stretch of just 3.7 km (2.3 mi.) - the toughest and steepest ascent so far in the 5th SALOMON 4 TRAILS. To boot, rising temperatures in the valley created extreme conditions. “Just like a sauna,” was the unanimous opinion. And the climb to the top of Ristfeuchthorn? “That was real torture, especially the steps“, exceptional athlete Miguel Ortega Caballero even admitted.

In the Men’s class, Italian runner Daniel Jung, seemed unimpressed. Jung was the first to reach the first food & drink station at 11.8 km (7.3 mi.) after 1:20.22 hours, a mere 16 seconds behind frontrunner Miguel Ortega Caballero from Spain and 1.20 minutes ahead of last year's winner, Theodorakakos from Greece. "Things were super, the technically challenging ascent was right up my alley. I wanted to attack, and attack I did,” commented the 32-year-old former mountain bike racer on the first section of the course. But he wasn’t able to hold the lead for long.

On the flatter section between Sellarnalm and Unken, Jung didn’t only surrender his front position to Caballero: he forfeited it to Theodorakakos as well.

The expert marathon runner from Thessaloniki effectively played his trump, a tough pace, so that he was already 1.26 minutes ahead of Jung at the last food & drink station at 26 kilometers (16.1 mi.). Not even the titleholder was able to keep up with Caballero’s even pace. When the 33-year-old from Catalonia reached the Finish in Lofer (Austria) after 37.5 km (23.3 mi.) and 2068 m (6784.8 ft.) of elevation change (15 minutes faster than the fastest time forecast), he had his third stage victory in his pocket. It doesn’t look like anyone will be able to steal the victory from this pleasant Spaniard anymore. “Even if it doesn’t show, today was definitely the toughest day. The heat didn’t agree with me”, explained the runner from the Pyrenees: “But the winner’s jersey lent me extra strength and motivation.

All I have to do now is get through one more day.“

In the Woman's class, the previous days’ trials were especially noticeable in German mountain running champion Tina Fischl. On the climb up the Ristfeuchthorn mountain, Fischl dropped almost eight minutes behind the strong Russian runner, Zhanna Vokueva, and seven minutes behind frontrunner Helen Bonsor from Scotland. “It looks like I’ve lost my second place, too, now,” the 39-year-year-old had a hunch right after she passed the Finish line. And she was right. She was all of 17.39 minutes behind Vokueva, who had taken second place behind Bonsor in the overall ranking – a good three minutes ahead of Fischl. By contrast, Scotswoman Bonsor appeared to take the heat and mountains in stride. “Zhanna was strong on the mountain stretches, and I was strong on the flat ones, it was a constant tug of war," said the 30-year-old from Edinburgh, who had done her training in the Scottish Highlands, but didn’t have any trouble with the heat, contrary to clichés.

What other highlights were there during the second-to-last stage of the SALOMON 4 TRAILS? Christoph Lauterbach - just 24 years old - successfully defended the unofficial title of Best German Runner against 47-year-old Stefan Holzner (Bad Reichenhall). “This is my first stage run. I didn’t know what to expect,” admitted the student of medicine: “Now I have to defend my fifth place in the overall ranking, but I’m not entirely confident yet, it’s going to be a tough battle.” Local matador Stefan Holzner lost the duel against his competitor from Liechtenstein, Josef Vogt, in the Master’s ranking of the men when he dropped behind in Stage Three. The day before, they ran across the Finish line in Ruhpolding together.