19 May 2013 – In his first middle distance competition, Javier Gómez Noya spectacularly won both the Half Distance Triathlon European Championship and Challenge Half Barcelona this Sunday.  Camilla Pedersen (DEN) took the women’s title for the second year in a row.

Gomez dominated the competition throughout, scoring his dream debut in Calella. “I only have one word: spectacular. In the beginning, I tried to manage my effort in the very demanding cycling segment, but when I saw myself getting comfortable and securing enough margin, I decided to enjoy the run course and its public. I am very happy with my result, the atmosphere and the great organization of this Challenge competition.” 

Jens Toft was the first to complete the 1.9km swim course, followed only three seconds later by Javier Gómez Noya and by Russian Yaroshenko in third position.

After the T1 start, the Dane led the first kilometers of the bike segment. The Spaniard started in second position at 13 seconds. Yaroshenko and Italian Alberto Casadei came next. In the downhill part, Gómez Noya launched an attack and managed to overcome the Dane and get in first position.

After that, the Spaniard continuously increased his advantage, making the final 21km run look easy. He finished with a six-minute advantage on the runner-up, Martin Jensen, and eight minutes ahead of bronze medalist Jens Toft.

Four-times world champion Chris McCormack, finished sixth. “I travelled a long way looking for a challenge, and I found it. It was a hard race, a very good training at the beginning of the season. Furthermore, I have been able to enjoy it alongside Javier Gómez Noya, an incredible person with whom I can find no fault; he is extremely talented and very classy. I would feel privileged if he would succeed me in this distance; it has been a real pleasure to compete with him in a town like Calella and with the spectacular organization provided by Challenge.”

In the women’s race Camilla Pedersen managed an impressive victory taking the European title and her second consecutive win at Challenge Half Barcelona.

After the swim course, Maria Czesnik and Ricarda Lisk were leading the competition, together with Holly Lawrence and Camilla Pedersen.

At the start of the 90km bike leg Great Britain’s Holly Lawrence headed the race, followed by Pedersen and Lisk. The Danish athlete imposed a strong rhythm and achieved the best intermediate mark of this course. Pedersen then managed to leave her rivals as she showed her strength on the challenging cycle course.

Pedersen maintained her advantage all along the 21-km run course and reached the finish line with a wide margin over her rivals. Ireland’s Eimear Mullan made the finish line five minutes and 35 seconds after the Dane and won the silver medal. Mullan maintained a constant pace throughout the three segments. Polish athlete Maria Czesnik finished seven minutes after Pedersen and scored the bronze medal.

Upon reaching the finish line, Pedersen declared “it has been incredible… a real challenge with this new cycling course. I had problems with my bike a couple of times, but everything ended up well and I managed to enjoy the circuit, where I felt really comfortable. I love this circuit, it is fun and constitutes a real challenge. I never expect anything specific before starting a new race, I just go out there planning to give my best and it makes me really happy to win.”

Huatulco, Mexico (19 May 2013) – Before the temperatures really heated up in Huatulco, Brazil’s Pamela Oliveira showed her strengths when she recorded her first ever World Cup win, leading from line to line on Sunday.

Austria’s Lisa Perterer put the hammer down on the run, closing in significantly on Oliveira, but it wasn’t quite enough as she took second for her highest World Cup finish ever. Ukraine’s Yuliya Yelistratova posted an impressive final bike lap to bridge up, which put her in prime running position to earn her first World Cup finish since 2010.

Oliveira is no stranger to the course – she finished second here in 2012, which was just the advantage she needed to take control of the race.

From the start, the Brazilian Olympian distanced herself from the field, exiting the water first from the 1,500-meter swim with Gaia Peron (ITA) and Anne Tabarant (FRA) not far behind.

After lap one of the bike, Oliveira had a nearly 30-second lead on the first chase pack, which included Tabarant, Mexico’s Maria Eugenia Barrera, Canada’s Joanna Brown and Austrian Lisa Perterer. Claudia Rivas (MEX), who took bronze in this race last year, was riding solo at the start of the bike but quickly joined the lead chase pack by the end of lap two.

The gap continued to grow through the eight laps of the bike, despite the rising temperatures and the major hill facing athletes on each lap. By the final lap, Oliveira had stacked up more than two minutes between her and the five women in pursuit. The second chase group, comprised of Yelistratova and Mateja Simic (SLO), made a last ditch effort to join the hunt for podium finishes by bridging up to the five-woman chase group.

Even with a solid lead on the rest of the field, Oliveira worked to maintain her lead throughout four laps over a hungry chase pack. Perterer quickly slid into second position, followed closely by Yelistratova, chiseling away at the distance to Oliveira. With one lap to go, the pair had gained a full minute back against Oliveira.

But it wasn’t enough to overtake Oliveira, as she cruised home to victory to claim the win after a fully solo race in two hours, 16 minutes, 10 seconds. With an impressive run performance, Perterer held off Yelistratova for second 38 seconds later. Yelistratova crossed over just slightly more than 10 seconds after Perterer for bronze.

Huatulco ITU World Cup – 19 May 2013

Final Results – Elite Women – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

1.     Pamela Oliveira           BRA        02:16:10
2.     Lisa Perterer               AUT          02:16:48
3.     Yuliya Yelistratova     UKR       02:16:57
4.     Claudia Rivas                MEX       02:17:35
5.     Joanna Brown              CAN        02:18:13
6.     Maria Barrera             MEX        02:20:33
7.     Mateja Simic               SLO         02:21:32
8.     Anne Tabarant           FRA      02:22:39
9.     Paola Diaz                    MEX      02:24:08
10.    Romina Palacios Balena     ARG        02:24:50

Huatulco, Mexico (19 May 2013) – Artem Parienko (RUS) threw down a monster run on Sunday in Huatulco to take a late lead in the run and win his first ITU World Cup.

“It’s my first World Cup win, and it’s a new experience for me. I’m very excited and happy,” Parienko said. “The first two laps after the bike were not easy because of the size of the group. On the run I just gave everything I had and I won.”

In a late surge, Parienko gunned for the leaders who were more than a minute ahead on the start of the run. But by the second run lap, the Russian had pulled even with Luciano Taccone (ARG), who had broken away on the bike behind France’s Aurelien Raphael. Parienko smoked the final two laps for the win, followed closely by Taccone. While Raphael faded under the hot conditions, Mexico’s own Irving Perez stormed ahead for bronze.

Raphael was at the helm from the start, driving the lead pack, who all entered T1 within 35 seconds of each other. The leaders then worked to build a distance over the chasers, which included some lone riders and small packs riding more than a minute back.

At the end of lap four, Raphael had broken away from the pack, tackling the scorching hills on his own and putting a distance of 30 seconds between himself and the competition. The pack fractured in lap 5, with Taccone and Italy’s Luca Facchinetti staging their own breakaway from the main pack of 14 who had fallen to almost a minute back from Raphael.

As he continued to push the pace on the bike, Raphael’s quick transition to the run gave him an edge of nearly a minute over Taccone in the final leg of the race. The main pack was close to two minutes back, having fallen off the pace with the full run still looming ahead.

“I tried to make a difference on the bike,” Taccone said. “I know perhaps going with Raphael wasn’t a good idea but I tried it for myself. I knew the others could come to me and I could run with them. I was confident of my running.”

However, despite a strong lead, chasers Taccone and Parienko reeled in Raphael, cutting his advantage to just 14 seconds after two laps. In the third lap, Parienko surged ahead to take the lead, with Taccone keeping distance behind him. While the men have each finished 33rd in Huatulco in previous years and lined up in nearly identical positions on the start list on Sunday, it was Parienko who won out on Sunday.

The Russian took the top podium spot in two hours, 3 minutes, and 12 seconds. Taccone posted his highest ever ITU World Cup finish with silver 12 seconds later. Meanwhile, Perez held off a pair of Brazilians to take bronze in 2:03:44.

Huatulco ITU World Cup – 19 May 2013

Final Results – Elite Men – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

1.     Artem Parienko       RUS       02:03:12
2.     Luciano Taccone     ARG        02:03:24
3.     Irving Perez              MEX       02:03:44
4.     Bruno Matheus        BRA        02:03:58
5.     Danilo Pimentel       BRA        02:04:18
6.     Anton Ruanova       ESP        02:04:21
7.     Fabio Carvalho        BRA       02:04:45
8.     Gonzalo Raul Tellechea     AR 02:05:02
9.     Sergio Sarmiento    MEX       02:05:16
10.     Ivan Rana               ESP        02:05:34

Durban is set to host the inaugural TRI ROCK half ironman distance triathlon in Septmeber of this year.

The challenge of completing a swim-bike-run combination of events is one many athletes aspire to complete. Durban, in association with partners and the KZN Triathlon Association, are happy to welcome a new event to the capital of sport in SA, to accommodate these aspiring athletes. Tri-Rock Durban is set to proverbially “rock” the town with its fresh ideas, race format and organization on the 22nd September 2013.

Grant Kunneke, of TriRock events, and organiser of TriRobben Island, has identified Durban as the ideal venue to host a swim of 1.9km, a cycle of 90km and a run of 21km. Kunneke commented, “Durban has everything we need to make this event happen. It has been years in the planning and we are finally getting closer to the race date of 22nd September.” The swim is to be held in the calm waters below uShaka Marine World, while the cycle will offer beautiful views of the coastline as it winds its way up toBallito and back. The run route is an out-and-back route on the newly refurbished promenade on Durban’s beachfront and finishes on the green lawns of SunCoast Casino. The route makes for compelling views but is also undulating enough to offer variety and enjoyment for all abilities. Durban will roll out the red carpet for the all those wishing to join the action. The City will focus on festivities and events in the month of September and have a full programme of activities for all wishing to enjoy the sunshine and experience the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The event will accommodate individual athletes as well as those wishing to compete in a relay-type format.

For those unable to finish the longer distance event, there will be shorter options to choose from.The weekend will be a sporting festival for the whole family with a unique event, Chics Rock, on Friday evening putting a new meaning to the term “paint the town red” as all participants will experience a Neon Splash dash as part of a 10km run. For youngsters and budding triathletes there is Urban Rock Sprint Triathlon on Saturday morning while Tri-Rock Saturday (and Sunday) will bring the music “rock” to the event featuring top SA music artists in a celebration of the fun and festivities. Kids Rock at midday on Saturday gives the next generation a chance to join in the fun. Entries for the event are currently open, and all aspiring triathletes can find a distance that suits them. Visit www.trirock-durban.com for full details. To be part of all this amazing action, take advantage of the “early bird” registration discounts and involve all in the family.

Credit: 369 communications (az.oc.snoitacinummoc963null@maharg)

Yokohama, Japan (11 May 2013) – Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee started his season in a now familiar way in Japan, as he led from almost start to finish in an all-round perfect performance at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama.  

Just last month Alistair Brownlee made his 2013 ITU debut in San Diego, and blew away the field there despite not being confident of his run form. In Yokohama it was a similar story, except Jonathan had the added complication that his layoff was because of an ankle injury. That made his performance even more impressive, as he showed no signs of weakness on the run, burning off Spain’s Javier Gomez and Portugal’s Joao Silva over 10km to record his fifth career series win in a time of 1 hour 44 minutes and 59 seconds.

Brownlee was emotional afterwards as he revealed that he thought his entire season would have to be ruled out because of that injury.

“At the start of the year I was told I wouldn’t be racing at all this season, so I got a bit emotional towards the end because this year I thought I wouldn’t be here at all,” he said. “I thought the season was over two months ago.”

If one thing is becoming clear through the opening rounds of the ITU World Triathlon Series in 2013, it is that the men’s swim has been taken to a new level. Hot on the heels of a low 16 minute swim in San Diego, the field was again strung out behind the leaders out of the water in what became the decisive leg of the race.

From the first transition Brownlee, Gomez and Silva positioned themselves safely in a small but powerful lead group of eight and then went to work on the bike, casting aside the slippery conditions to further extend their lead on the chasers.

Meanwhile amongst those to miss the break were Richard Murray (RSA), as he along with most of the field could only watch his podium chances disappear up the road. An early casualty on the bike leg was last year’s Yokohama bronze medallist Dmitry Polyanskiy (RUS), the Russian not taking a corner in the tricky conditions and ending up on the pavement and out of the race.

At the front of the race, Ivan Vasiliev, Brownlee and Gomez just kept getting faster and put an average 10 seconds into the closest chase in each lap. It meant that the lead group of eight, that included Marco Van der Stel, Henri Schoeman, Andrew McCartney and Benjamin Shaw, entered T2 one minute and 30 seconds ahead of the next bunch.

Once on to the run an eight man production quickly became a two man show, the only question was who was the leading actor in this show as Brownlee and Gomez bid farewell to the rest of the competitors.

The answer most emphatically was Brownlee as the young Brit simply powered away on the second lap of four on the run. It was his fifth WTS series win, which means he is now equal second in the overall WTS winners list with Gomez. The Spainard held on for silver, followed by Silva whose third consecutive bronze medal was enough for him to hold onto the top spot in the series rankings. Murray ended-up with the second fastest run split of the day to finish fifth, just overtaking fellow South African Henri Schoeman who recorded his best WTS result.

The 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series continues in Madrid, on June 1 and 2.

ITU World Triathlon Yokohama – 11 May 2013

Final Results – Elite Men – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

Yokohama, Japan (11 May 2013) – If San Diego hinted at it, Yokohama has well and truly confirmed the USA’s Gwen Jorgensen as the leading contender in 2013, as she took back to back ITU World Triathlon Series titles and the overall series lead in Japan on Saturday. 

Conditions played a huge part with constant rain and cooler temperatures making for a treacherous race at times, with numerous crashes on the bike. But it was Jorgensen who reigned supreme, first running down Emma Moffatt (AUS) and Jodie Stimpson (GBR) and then simply flying off into the distance to win by 14 seconds in a time of 1 hour 57 minutes and 5 seconds.

Jorgensen initially stayed back after the first lap of the run, but pulled out another negative split 10km to pull back in the difference in the final lap and said it played out to her race plan.

“I wouldn’t say it was a repeat of San Diego, there were different conditions out there today, a choppy swim and the rain on the bike, but it was an exciting race for sure,” Jorgensen said. “I just started the run and to be honest I was a little worried those girls really took it out fast and I just tried to focus on my race. I just tried to maintain pace the whole way.”

In overcast conditions with light rain at the start, Mariko Adachi (JPN) led out the swim, taking Moffatt (AUS) with her as they established a lead of 10 seconds out of the water. Moffatt immediately pushed the pace on the bike, dropping Adachi as Stimpson (GBR) closed quickly, aware of the danger Moffatt would pose should she break away solo.

That urgency soon dissipated however as the chase group caught and formed one group of 13 athletes, with all the favourites in attendance including Jorgensen (USA), Moffatt, Stimpson, Kate McIlroy (NZL), Maaike Caelers (NED) and former junior ITU world champion Kirsten Sweetland (CAN), who was racing her first WTS event in two years.

Caelers, who won bronze in Yokohama in 2012, didn’t have a great start to the bike as she took a tumble early on but the brave Dutchwoman quickly remounted though and joined the chase, 30 seconds down on the lead group.

Aside from that crash, not many other major moves happened across the next 25 km with the leaders keeping a gap of between 45 and 55 seconds from a chase group of seven being led by Great Britain’s Katie Hewison. But it all quickly changed in the final two laps, just as the chase managed to cut that to about 30 seconds, the rain started to pour and another crash splintered that pack, putting Caelers, Natalie Van Coevorden and Ai Ueda off the back.

But Hewison kept pushing the pace and on the second last lap of the bike leg, bridged to the lead group bringing a few others, including Caelers and Charlotte McShane, with her. It meant that T2 suddenly became busy, with 18 athletes hitting it together.

From there, Stimpson and Vendula Frintova went to the front and were quickly joined by Moffatt. While Frintova dropped, Stimpson and Moffatt kept pushing and for most of the run it looked the podium would be between them. However behind them Jorgensen, Ashleigh Gentle and Caelers started to move through the field.

Halfway through the run it then looked like it was San Diego on repeat, as Jorgensen closed the deficit to six seconds with 5km to run and within another 400m she joined the leaders and then went past them.

The win puts Jorgensen on top of the 2012 ITU World Triathlon series rankings, with three races now completed in the season.

ITU World Triathlon Yokohama – 11 May 2013

Final Results – Elite Women – 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

7 MAY 2013 – Challenge Family has today announced its return to the Australian triathlon scene with three new Challenge Half events being added to their worldwide series.

Challenge Melbourne, Challenge Forster and Challenge Bateman’s Bay will spearhead the Challenge Family’s return to Australia. All three Challenge Half distance events will comprise a 1.9km swim, a 90km cycle and a 21.1km run together with a prize purse of over AUD$30,000.

Challenge Family CEO, Felix Walchshöfer, said the return to the Australian market is a significant milestone for the Challenge Family.

“Australia is an extremely important part of the world for us, we have received messages from athletes every day asking us when we will be back and I’m delighted to announce our return with three very different, but all equally compelling races,” he said. “Challenge Forster continues our commitment to the legacy of our sport with its strong roots in Australian triathlon, Challenge Bateman’s Bay has been chosen for its great location and athlete experience while Challenge Melbourne brings the Challenge Family to one of Australia’s iconic cities. We are very proud to work with all the communities and race organisers to bring a new triathlon experience to Australian athletes.”

Walchshöfer’s sentiments were echoed by four times world champion, Chris McCormack. “Challenge Family is all about bringing triathlon back to its roots, where you meet the people behind the event, where you’re welcomed across the finish line by them and where you are truly made to feel that you share the same passion. I’m beyond excited that Challenge is back in Australia and can’t wait to be part of Challenge Family on my home turf.”

A team of seasoned triathlon industry professionals have come-together to re-launch Challenge Family in Australia, including renowned race-directors David Hansen (SuperSprint) and Mark Emerton (Elite Energy). Hansen will oversee the Challenge Melbourne event, while Emerton will deliver the Challenge Forster and Challenge Batemans Bay events in collaboration with Challenge Family.

Securing Challenge Melbourne has been a big coup for Australia’s most experienced event manager David Hansen and his team at SuperSprint Events. Months of planning and preparation have culminated in Challenge Melbourne that will take place in the bayside suburb of Sandringham and will showcase the famous Beach Road and the miles of running tracks that follow the bay. The inaugural Challenge Melbourne event will take place on February 2, 2014.

“I have always felt a race over the half distance would be very popular in Melbourne along Beach Road. With the link to the world’s biggest long distance event in Challenge Roth, I believe that Challenge Melbourne will provide athletes with an incredible race experience, while enjoying the best of what Melbourne has to offer”, said Hansen.

Challenge Forster will see the return of international long-course triathlon to the traditional home of long-course triathlon in Australia. The hosting of a race in Forster continues Challenge’s commitment to the sport’s legacy with traditional long-course race locations such Roth Germany, Phuket (Thailand), Penticton (Canada) and Almere-Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Mark Emerton, Challenge Forster race director, has been instrumental in seeing the return of an international event to Forster and is looking forward to showcasing to a new generation of athletes the original course that made the town famous amongst endurance enthusiasts world-wide.

‘I am very excited that Challenge is coming to my old home town. I recall the days when legendary athletes like Jurgen Zack, Peter Reid and Bruce Thomas would come to town to test themselves on the challenging course. So it is with a great deal of pride that I can, along with the Challenge Family, show athletes what all the fuss was about’, said Emerton.

‘We will have a category that will encourage former champions from the early years to come and race each other again and to experience the Forster finish line again’, added Emerton.

Challenge Forster will take place in the idyllic twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry on the NSW Mid-North Coast on Sunday November 24, 2013.

Emerton and his team at Elite Energy will also organise the Challenge Bateman’s Bay event scheduled for March 16 2014. Bateman’s Bay, located on the NSW south coast, offers a brand new area for endurance athletes to call home.

‘Bateman’s Bay is one of those hidden gems which athletes will fall in love with now that Challenge has come to town. Everyone is excited about the course and location and my team and I feel privileged to be hosting this event there’, said Emerton

The Challenge Family global series of long distance triathlons is changing the face of long distance racing around the world with its focus on athlete experience. Featuring spectacular courses in iconic destinations, Challenge Family events focus on delivering the race-of-a-lifetime to every athlete, and creating a memorable spectator experience that captures all the excitement and emotion of this inspirational sport.

The addition of the Australian races take the Challenge Family to 21 events around the world including the world’s largest long distance triathlon, Challenge Roth in Germany. Other Challenge Family races take place in Germany, Austria, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, New Zealand, Thailand and Taiwan.

5 May, 2013 – New Zealand’s Dylan McNeice has again made his mark on the international triathlon circuit as he took his second major title in only his second long distance race at this weekend’s Challenge Taiwan. Meanwhile Belinda Granger (AUS) won the women’s race, claiming her 15^th long distance victory in the process.

His two from two win provided that his victory at January’s Challenge Wanaka was no fluke as once he again he led from start to finish. The 27-year-old asserted himself early on, leading a competitive field by over three minutes out of the swim in 47:00 and never relinquishing his lead, taking the title in 8:16:21.

McNiece’s closest rival out of the water was Todd Skipworth (AUS), an Olympic rower-turned-triathlete and also a rookie in the professional long course ranks. Skipworth leapfrogged between second and third place throughout the bike course with Georg Potrebitsch (GER), eventually reaching T2 just ahead of the German with the fastest bike split of the day in 4:28:40. Within a few kilometers on the run Potrebistch managed to pull ahead and maintained his position to the finish line taking second in 8:27:06. Skipworth would ultimately drop back to fifth, passed by both Fredrik Croneborg (SWE) and Petr Vabrousek (CZE) who crossed the line in third and fourth respectively. But while Vabrousek’s finish marked an historic 125th long course race for the Czech athlete, Croneborg’s performance was equally remarkable. The smiling Swede was a swift yet silent achiever, working his way steadily through the men’s field and capping his stellar day with a race best run split of 2:52:33. Also of note in the men’s race was Guy Crawford (NZL) who, despite a debilitating mechanical issue on the bike fought hard to hold onto sixth place.

Typically humble, McNiece was disbelieving of his win. “I was running and I was at the front and I thought, ‘Geez I’ve been at the front all day again today. This is just what people are going to always expect of me!’ It really is a hard way to race. It’s a good way to race because you’re always in control and it’s your own race and your own pace, but today and in Wanaka both I suffered the last 10k. I was stopping and walking, I started cramping and my stomach was a mess.”

“It’s just like after Wanaka,” he continued. “I still don’t even know that I won. It takes a long time to settle in. At the moment I’m just happy to have finished, just happy it’s done. But in the next few weeks it will settle in and be a great feeling.”

The women’s race featured an equally dominant champion, with Challenge Family ambassador Belinda Granger (AUS) claiming her 15th title in 47 career long course finishes.

Fresh off of a two-week training camp in Phuket, Granger initially seemed too far in arrears to set the first women’s course record in Taitung. She exited the water 6:23 back from notably strong swimmer Hillary Biscay (USA) and 4:50 from fellow Australian Kate Bevilaqua. But the swim deficit only served to light a stronger than usual fire underneath the already powerful cyclist, and by T2 Granger’s 4:55:34 bike split propelled her to the women’s lead.

“My swim was shocking,” admitted Granger, “But sometimes that’s a blessing in disguise. It makes you kick it up a notch, where when you have a really good swim you can become complacent. So I had to chase from the start. Hats off to Hillary, she was having a storming bike and I didn’t catch her until 60k. Then she stayed with me, legally, until 90k. The only reason I got rid of her is because I knew she would stop for her special needs bag. I don’t use special needs on the bike so I took off like a maniac!”

Granger’s ride, followed by an equally strong run, built a comfortable buffer over Biscay, and she posting a winning time of 9:23:15. Biscay, who boasts an even more impressive long course resume with 59 finishes to her credit, held tough on both the bike and the run, finishing in 9:37:40 for second place. Kate Bevilaqua rounded out the women’s podium, despite struggling with stomach issues throughout the bike leg