Switzerland's Caroline Steffen on top at ITU Long Distance World Triathlon Championship

A killer bike leg helped Caroline Steffen to her second ITU Long Distance World Triathlon Championship, as she turned a lead at T2 into a world title winning margin ahead of Denmark's Camilla Pedersen and Great Britain's Jodie Swallow in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
 
Steffen - who also won this title in 2010 - paid tribute to the Spanish crowd, as thousands lined the streets to cheer on the elite and age-group athletes in Spain's basque country.
 
"Of course I'm very happy, it's another title, my second one, I'm really glad I had a good race today," she said. "I never saw as many people on a race course before. It was unbelievable on the bike and on the run."The eventual medallists emerged right from the start in Spain, as Swallow exited the water first, with Pedersen and Steffen just a few minutes behind. While Swallow pushed the pace at the front for the first lap, Steffen took the lead at the start of the second 60km lap and didn't look back. She left T2 with a six minute lead on the field, and with the third-fastest run split of the day, it was more than enough to hold on to win. Steffen crossed the line for gold in a time of 6 hours 4 minutes and 17 seconds, a full five minutes ahead of Denmark's Pedersen who claimed her first ITU World Championship medal.

The 2011 ETU Long Distance European champion was sitting in third leaving T2, but overtook a slowing Swallow at the 24 kilometre mark of the 30km run. It was another impressive result for Pedersen in just her second full year competing at the elite level. Swallow was one of three previous title winners in the field, but said her bronze medal marked an important point in her comeback from severe plantar fasciitis. Spain's Virginia Berasategi posted the fastest run split of the day, a time of 2 hours 2 minutes and 34 seconds, to finish fourth, while her teammate Maider Gaztañaga Dorronsoro finished fifth.
 
Vitoria-Gasteiz ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships - 29 July 2012
Final Results - Elite Women - 4km swim, 120km bike, 30km run  
1.    Caroline Steffen    SUI        06:04:17
2.    Camilla Pedersen    DEN        06:09:23
3.    Jodie Swallow    GBR        06:12:48
4.    Virginia Berasategi    ESP        06:20:36
5.    Maider Gaztañaga Dorronsoro    ESP        06:23:52
6.    Ewa Bugdol    POL        06:24:46
7.    Jeanne Collonge    FRA        06:35:15
8.    Olesya Prystayko    UKR        06:37:23
9.    Gurutze Frades Larralde    ESP        06:45:38
10.    Estefaia Gomez Villanueva    ESP        06:47:13

Follow on twitter @everymantri or view latest videos on YouTube.