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1/2 Ironman Astana Brad Kahlefeldt Cycling davide rebellin emma snowsill International Road Ironman ITU Javier Gomez Levi Leipheimer Marathon matt reed new york city marathon Olympic Olympics Paris Nice Running Slipstream Chipotle Swimming Tour de France Training triathlon Uncategorized vanessa fernandes
May 8, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 Lisbon European Champs
from Triathlon.org…
For the first time since 1999, the 24th edition of the ETU Triathlon European Championships head to Portugal to welcome Europe’s finest triathletes. With world class calibre fields comparable to most world cups, this Saturday’s event is one of the most coveted titles of the year. It will be the final ITU Continental Championship of 2008 and the men’s and women’s winner will earn their countries automatic spots at the Beijing Olympic Games. With such high stakes on the line, the best will be at the top of their games.
The home crowds will no doubt be vocal in its support of world champion Vanessa Fernandes, one of Portugal’s biggest sports stars who’s quickly becoming one of the greatest triathletes of all time. No woman has tasted European glory for the past four years as Fernandes won every year since 2004. In fact, every year she has taken the start line at an elite European championships, she has won gold. In 2003 Fernandes won the junior women’s title. This weekend she races for a record-breaking fifth consecutive European crown. Only the Netherlands’ Rob Barel has won four straight European titles from 1985 to 1988.
May 8, 2008
Astana invited into Giro lineup
From the AP…
GENEVA (AP)—Giro d’Italia organizers have invited the Astana team to compete in the race, reversing an earlier decision to ban it because of doping scandals.
Astana officials confirmed Saturday they are hurrying to get elite American rider Levi Leipheimer from California to Palermo, Sicily, for the start of the three-week race next Saturday.
“It is a good moment for us. When we were told in February that we were not invited it was a disaster,” Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens told The Associated Press.
Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour de France, will also be at the starting line for Astana. The had been shunned by cycling’s biggest events this year, including the Tour, for involvement in doping scandals. It was asked to leave the 2007 Tour after team leader Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for a blood transfusion.
The Kazakhstan-backed team brought in Johan Bruyneel, the Belgian who guided Lance Armstrong to seven Tour victories, as director to overhaul its image and operations. It also signed Contador.
May 4, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Women’s Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup
from Triathlon.org…
Her previous world cup best was an eighth place finish in 2005 but none of that mattered as the elite women took to the start line in South Africa today. Carolyn Murray of Canada pulled off quite an upset, winning today’s Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup, the first world cup title of her career. Aussie Felicity Abram took the silver while last year’s silver medalist Magali Di Marco of Switzerland made the podium for the second straight year, holding on for bronze.
American Olympic hopeful Sarah Groff emerged from the water first and was up 22 seconds over the rest of the field. Riding alone on the 40-kilometer bike course, Groff had to work hard to build a 35-second lead. A large chase pack was in hot pursuit and cut the lead to just 13 seconds by the midway point of the bike segment. In the fourth lap, Groff was swallowed up by the chase group that included all the major pre-race favorites including German Ricarda Lisk, South African Mari Rabie, Nicky Samuels of New Zealand, Abram and Di Marco, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist.
May 4, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Men’s Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup
from Triathlon.org…
It’s not often an athlete wins a world championship before a world cup but that’s exactly what German Daniel Unger has done. After a stunning performance in Hamburg last year to be crowned world champion, Unger won his first world cup today in another thrilling finish in Richards Bay. He becomes just the third German man to win a world cup and the first since Maik Petzold won in Salford in 2004, out-sprinting American Matt Reed and South African Hendrik DeVilliers down the final stretch.
Powerful swimmer Marko Albert of Estonia led the men out of the water and into T1. Just behind him were Swiss Sebastien Gacond and Volodymyr Polikarpenko of the Ukraine, last year’s silver medalist. Other notables were Matt Reed of the U.S. who was 12 seconds back of Albert and defending champion Hendrik DeVilliers of South Africa who was a further four seconds behind Reed.
May 4, 2008
Race Results: 2008 Wildflower
from InsideTriathlon…
McCormack wins a record-tying fourth Wildflower, McGlone takes her third
McGlone just 30 seconds off her 2006 course record on a perfect spring day in California.
Modern Wildflower masters Chris McCormack and Samantha McGlone extended their domination of the legendary toughest half Ironman on the planet Saturday.
Australian Chris McCormack broke a race long duel with Spain’s Eneko Llanos, surging away pell-mell down steep Beach Hill in the last mile of the run to take his record-tying fourth Wildflower long course triathlon Saturday by 19 seconds.
McCormack’s win in 4:00:33 makes him four for four at Wildflower (2001, 2002, 2004, 2008) and ties him with Boulder’s Cameron Widoff (1995, 1997, 1998,1999) for the most overall victories at the place they call The Woodstock of Triathlon.
May 1, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 Wildflower Triathlon Festival
from InsideTriathlon…
The course, the party, the mystique - TrainingBible’s Nick Tuttle’s rundown
For many triathletes, the Wildflower Triathlon festival weekend has served as the exciting and competitive start of the summer triathlon season for over 25 years. This year marks the 26th annual offering of the popular Central California race brought to life by professional and highly regarded organizer, Tri California. On the weekend of May 2 through 4, over 7,000 athletes will flock to Lake San Antonio, just east of King City, to participate in one of the weekend’s many challenging races. Known for its challenging terrain and competitive field of racers, Wildflower is an event that every triathlete should experience in his or her lifetime because of several unique factors.
FESTIVAL FUN
Wildflower’s festival atmosphere sets it apart from other races throughout the world. A tent city of vendors, musicians and athletes is created overnight at the campgrounds surrounding Lake San Antonio. The vast majority of racers elect to stay at campsites adjacent to the transition area. Thousands of peers enjoy the atmosphere of the weekend together. Many friendships have been forged around a campfire or while waiting in line at one of the restrooms throughout the campground.
May 1, 2008
Race Preview: 2008 St. Croix 70.3
from Ironman.com…
It’s no wonder that reigning Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae, and 2006 Clearwater champ, Craig Alexander, rank the St. Croix Ironman 70.3 among their most favorite races. Both athletes won the race in 2006 (Carfrae setting the course record) and Alexander repeated in 2007.
Mostly, though, it’s the beauty and friendliness of the island that attracts these two Aussies, along with over 40 other professional triathletes from 10 different countries, who will compete for the $50,000 prize purse. Alexander even lists St. Croix on his website as his “favorite holiday.”
Men’s Race
This year’s race, on Sunday May 4, will be no holiday for Alexander, however. With the likes of four-time world champion, Simon Lessing; former Ford Ironman World Champion, Faris Al-Sultan; Frederik Van Lierde, second at this year’s Ironman New Zealand and South Africa 70.3; last year’s second place finisher, Richie Cunningham; the always tough Michael Lovato, and Marino Vanhoenacker, fifth in Kona last year. Alexander will need a complete day in all three disciplines to win this race for the third year in a row. Last year, he ran four minutes faster on this tough run course than any of his competitors (1:15:43) to give him a 4:03 victory over Cunningham.
“It’s an old race with a lot of history and prestige,” says Alexander of this event. “All the best triathletes in the history of our sport have raced and won there. The race is hard because of the course and the conditions. It also always attracts a great field; so, to win on Sunday, it will take a consistently good performance across all three disciplines.”
Women’s Race
The women’s race also features a very strong line-up, led by last year’s St. Croix Champion, Julie Dibbens of Great Britain, and 2006 St. Croix Champion and 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae. Dibbens’ 4:29:11 placed her 10th overall in 2007, ahead of many of the male pros in the field, as well as beating Carfrae’s course record by over a minute. These two appear to be the cream of the crop on the women’s side; but, others to watch include Germany’s Nina Kraft; former ITU and Ironman World Champion (and crowd favorite) 46-year-old Karen Smyers; and the equally popular 44-year-old Brazilian, Fernanda Keller.
When asked what it will take to beat course record holder and returning champion, Dibbens, Carfrae is her usual straight-forward self: “It will take a huge effort and I will definitely have to be on my game on the day. The plan is to try to limit the damage on the swim and do my best to put together a fast 90 km bike and hope that I’m close enough after the bike to catch her on the run.” In her 2006 victory, Carfrae ran a phenomenal 1:22 while last year, en route to her win, Dibbens ran a 1:30.
Read More
May 1, 2008
Tour of Pennsylvania offers US$150,000 purse
from BikeRadar…
With 18 domestic and international teams already selected to compete in the inaugural running of the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania Presented By Highmark Healthy High, race organizers today released the details of the demanding 450-mile, six-day race route.
A complete field of 20 to 22 teams will compete June 24 through June 29 in this first-of-its kind U-25 cycling stage race that will showcase the sport’s next generation of superstars, and guarantee a prize purse of US$125,000.
The cyclists will battle for the leader’s jersey along a historically rich route. Beginning on hallowed cycling ground in Philadelphia, the route passes through towns and countryside that roughly follow Forbes Road (U.S. 30), which was forged in 1758 by British General John Forbes and Colonel George Washington. The race culminates in Pittsburgh as part of the city’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Seven Pennsylvania towns and cities will host the official race starts and finishes, with communities along the way gaining a first-hand look at the world’s best young talent in the kind of competition that is normally found only in Europe. In addition to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the host cities include Downingtown, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Bedford, Latrobe and Ligonier.
“The Tour of Pennsylvania offers $150,000 in total prize money, the richest in the world for Espoir class riders, plus it is the only UCI sanctioned race in the U.S. specifically for riders under age 25,” said David Chauner, Pro Cycling Tour president and executive director of the race that is being organized as part of a statewide celebration of Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary.
April 30, 2008
Astana invited to Tour of Spain
from BikeRadar…
The Astana team will be allowed to contest this year’s Vuelta a España, the organiser Unipublic announced Tuesday.
After being refused entry to the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, the team of the 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was expecting to target the Vuelta in the latter part of the season. The team had received a word of support from the Spanish Tour director Victor Cordero in February, but had to wait for the official invitation to be certain.
Of the 18 ProTour teams, only Team High Road is not on the list, having withdrawn its application for the race. Three wild card teams were invited, making a total of 20 teams for this year’s edition. The Spanish Karpin Galicia team of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey winner David Garcia Dapena earned a nod, as did the Andalucía - Cajasur team of sprinter Francisco Ventoso, a former Vuelta stage winner. The Tinkoff Credit Systems team rounds out the roster.
The Unipublic statement said that 33 teams had requested to be included in the 2008 edition and that the teams which were chosen “meet the necessary requirements in terms of ethics, image and administrative matters” and are categorized by the UCI as “wild card” teams – a label which requires teams to adhere to the biological passport program and other considerations.
April 30, 2008
Race Preview: Richards Bay - BG Triathlon World Cup race #5
from Triathlon.org…
After back-to-back world cups in Asia, the series shifts to Richards Bay, South Africa this weekend for the third consecutive year. The Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup on May 4 marks the 199th world cup event in ITU’s history.
Last year a historic milestone took place as Hendrik DeVilliers became the first African triathlete to ever win a world cup and he did it in his home country, thrilling the locals. He’s back this year to defend his title while teammate Erhard Wolfaardt, the runner-up to DeVilliers at this year’s African Championships looks for his best world cup performance on home soil. Fellow South Africans Kate Roberts and Mari Rabie, this year’s African champion, look for similar success in the women’s field.
