Challenge Family CEO Zibi Szlufcik has confirmed that five races in North America will lose their prize purses, describing it as a ‘necessary’ decision made after long consultation.
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The announcement comes just three months after the organisation set their 2015 prize purse for the Americas, pledging to pay out across all 15 races, with $50k on offer at full distance triathlons.
The races which will no longer offer prize money to the pros are:
– Challenge Atlantic City Full
– Challenge Quassy Half
– Challenge Pocono Mountains Half
– Challenge Maine Half
– Challenge Cedar Point Full
“While we have of course received messages from disappointed pro athletes, we have also been overwhelmed by messages of support and understanding, expressing frustration at the current state of the North American triathlon market that necessitated these changes,” says Szlufcik on Challenge Family’s Facebook page.
“What we hope will come out of this decision is a strong Challenge Family race series in North America that continues to provide an outstanding athlete experience to all athletes, all ages, ability and gender. Some races will focus on strong quality pro fields, celebrating the pinnacle of our sport. Others will deliver a world-class age group experience.”
Prize money will still be available at a number of Challenge races in the US however, including Challenge Penticton, Challenge St Andrews, Challenge Knoxville, Challenge Williamsburg and Challenge Florida.
All Central and South American races will also offer a pro purse, including Challenge San Gil, Challenge Maceio, Challenge Florianopolis and the newly announced Challenge Puerto Varas.
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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
Triathlon’s definitely being picked up by growing numbers of students around the UK, as shown by the record number of entries to this year’s British Universities, College and Schools Sprint Championships.
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With that in mind, we had a quick chat (via email) with the fundraising officer of Birmingham University’s tri club, Tom Powell.
Can you tell us a little about the club?
We’re the triathlon club based at Birmingham University and have members with a wide range of experience.
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Some have been competing since young ages and have international experience, others have transferred from individual disciplines, as well as a fantastic crop of upcoming talent who are now addicted to this amazing sport!
How many members do you have?
We’ve had consistently around 100 members for the last few years, with the vast majority of these being active members and we always have big numbers in all the training sessions.
We’re lucky enough at Birmingham to have the best University Cross Country team in the UK and we’re constantly inspired by their success and feel we definitely have the potential to match it.
Is there a club A-race?
The main races we target are the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) events of which there’s four events throughout the year. A duathlon, a biathlon, a sprint triathlon and a standard triathlon.
Tabby Rodgers racing at the British University, College and Schools Sprint (BUCS) Sprint Championship
Our women’s team managed to secure a bronze medal in the Duathlon and Biathlon and were narrowly pipped to third place in the BUCS sprint champs last weekend.
We have some fantastic endurance athletes at the club and feel we have a great chance with both individual and team medals in the men’s and women’s categories at the standard tri.
What’s the best thing about Birmingham University Triathlon Club?
The best thing about us is the friendly nature of the club, unlike other sports there aren’t too many big egos in triathlon and it’s very much team orientated.
Elliot Packham acting as guide for blind club member Jack Garner
On a personal level prior to October I was solely a runner, however following a lengthy hamstring injury I took up triathlon as cross training. I soon fell in love with the sport and have never looked back since!
What I love about the club is the way that I’m able to train with the same group of people and receive quality coaching despite being a good county level runner yet never having previously received a swimming lesson.
The coaches and committee were fantastic at encouraging me through my early sessions and are a credit to the University.
On top of this Jodie Stimpson often trains with us during our early morning swimming session, and provides the team with a great moral boost – it’s definitely needed at that time in the morning.
Most recent victories?
The biggest victory by a club member recently was Rosie Davies who won the European standard distance duathlon championships.
The club currently has 10 UK age-group athletes, and with many more of our members being inspired by Rosie’s example, we are hoping for an additional five over the coming season.
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Are you part of a university triathlon club? Let us know in the comments below!
As if a 180km bike leg in an iron-distance race wasn’t hard enough, The Bastion course has been designed by a former Royal Marine – and with just under 2,000 metres of ascent it represents one of the toughest long courses in the UK.
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Starting and finishing at Hever Castle in Kent on 12 July, this is a three-lap affair with each lap counted as 60km long and taking in some of the stunning sites of the Weald and Ashdown Forest – an area of outstanding beauty.
The circular route itself will take competitors out of Hever Castle, up through the High Weald of Kent before passing through and over the Ashdown Forest and into the village of Maresfield.
Those familiar with the various bike courses at the Hever Castle Triathlon will know all about the sharp climbs out of the Castle and the longer drags past Hartfield and up into the forest. Gear selection, fitness, pacing and nutrition will all play a big part in successfully completing the challenge.
After a quick tour of the village, competitors retrace their steps to the top of the forest before returning to Hever via the historic and quintessentially English villages of Groombridge, Fordcombe and Penshurst. There is plenty of support for the riders on the course, particularly whenever they pass Hever Castle and see their friends and family.
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Forewarned is forearmed and a recce of the bike course is very much recommended. Despite the fearsome looking course profile, competitors from the 2014 event rated it as one of the best cycle courses they had taken on with many returning for 2015. The event has a few remaining spaces and it is well worth adding this iron-distance race to your calendar this year.
For more information on this year’s race head here.
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Welcome back Non! Britain’s 2013 World Triathlon Series winner makes her long-awaited return to competitive racing at WTS Yokohama this weekend, facing up against current series leader Gwen Jorgensen, while in the men’s race a resurgent Alistair Brownlee will go head-to-head with Spanish duo Javier Gomez and Mario Mola.
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Non Stanford was forced to sit out the 2014 season due to injury, but left the ITU circuit on a high as she beat Jorgensen for the 2013 World Championship title in front of a home crowd in London’s Hyde Park. Stanford is one of the few women that can rival Jorgensen down the finish chute, making their meeting highly anticipated.
Jorgensen has been simply unstoppable this season so far, and is undefeated since her victory in Yokohama last year. The only other British athlete on the start line will be Heather Sellars, with Vicky Holland having a rest after her impressive victory in Cape Town.
Jorgensen’s teammates Katie Zaferes and Sarah True will also miss this race, but Americans Chelsea Burns, Jessica Broderick and Renee Tomlin will look to keep the US winning streak alive. Other rivals include Emma Moffatt (AUS), Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Barbara Riveros (CHI).
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The women’s race will get underway at 10:05am local time (2:05am UK time) on Saturday (16 May), full start list here.
Americans currently dominate the WTS leaderboard, with Zaferes top on 2905 points, followed by Jorgensen with 2400pts and True third with 1947pts. The highest-ranked British athlete is Vicky Holland in 17th position with 800pts.
Men’s race
Alistair Brownlee is looking to make up for lost time after injury and currently stands in 16th position with 800 points, all of which he gained at WTS Cape Town a few weeks ago.
Younger brother Jonathan (2186pts) won’t be racing this Saturday, meaning that Alistair’s main rivals will be the Spanish trio of Javier Gomez (2707pts), Mario Mola (2273pts) and Fernando Alarza (2221pts).
Others in the top-10 on Saturday include Brits Tom Bishop and Adam Bowden, and some lesser known names looking to break through like Crisanto Grajales (MEX), who has posted two top-10 results already this season.
Ryan Bailie (AUS) posted a career high fifth in Auckland and has raced consistently this season. Portugal’s ITU veteran Joao Pereira (1175pts) will also be racing.
The men will get underway at 13:05pm local time (5:05am UK time), full start list here. Brits can watch the action live on BT Sport 2 or triathlonlive.tv (£), and there will be repeats on BBC Two from 4:30pm on Sunday 17th.
We’ll be carrying full reports of both races right here on the 220 website shortly afterwards.
(Images: Delly Carr / Janos Schmidt / ITU)
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Who do you think will win this WTS Yokohama? Let us know in the comments below!
Ironman have agreed to forfeit the amount after the US Department of Justice decided that the Kona lottery system, whereby potential entrants can pay a fee and potentially get an entry by ballot rather than qualify on merit, fell foul of US lottery and gambling laws. The 100 successful entrants from the lottery would then have to pay the original $850 entry fee, but the $50 fee was non-refundable for unsuccessful entrants.
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This means that as things stand the only way to get into Kona will be by achieving a qualifying time or through the ‘Legacy Program’, which grants 100 places to entrants who have previously raced in at least 12 Ironman-branded events.
Ironman are looking at other models with which to open up the 100 slots that can’t be given out through the lottery from 2016 onwards; although it is unlikely they will make a similar arrangement quickly because of the risks with falling foul of their agreement with the US Government.
Ironman cooperated fully with the investigation and the settlement was arranged out of court; however Ironman Chief Executive Andrew Messick stated that they believed the lottery system was legal but were forced to bow to pressure. It was reported that ironically Jimmy Muench, an Assistant US Attorney in the case against Ironman, is an 8-time Ironman Florida finisher.
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Do you think the system was fair? Let us know in the comments!
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Victoria Pendleton is one of Great Britain’s most successful and admired cyclists.
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We caught up with her at the Halfords Bike Show in London and asked her for some tips on how women can get the most of the sport…
Invest in some good kit
“You want to be able to focus on the effort rather than how comfortable you feel, so invest in some good shorts for training in to start with! I’m not sure how you triathletes do it with the thinner shorts but if you are spending hours out training definitely get comfortable and invest in some good kit.
In the winter especially, a good windproof jacket that fits well can make a big difference, as your not going to enjoy your ride if you feel cold or uncomfortable from having poor fitting kit.
In my career probably one of the biggest things that changed was the improvement in technology with kit, it actually works now and does either keep you cool or warm. My mum actually used to make my cycling shorts for me as they didn’t make them in the right size at the time for teenage girls, and I used to borrow my dad’s woolly socks and pull them up over my knees!
Rope your pals in
Cycling is a social sport, obviously if you need to do a specific effort then you sometimes have to go it alone, but going out with a group of pals or getting involved with a cycling club can make all the difference.
You’ll improve your bike handling skills and you won’t get bored, plus it’s great to ride with people who are better than you –even if you can’t sit at the front you can go in the slipstream and just get a bit more out of yourself that you would on your own.
When you bonk it’s horrible!
It’s so important that you’re prepared nutritionally for the distance you’re riding, and a lot of people wait too long before they eat which can make the end of your ride unpleasant. When you hit the wall it is horrible, a can of coke and a chocolate bar from the service station will get you home but it’s not ideal, so it’s essential to prepare some snacks before you go out.
Having a strategy and planning is important, so making your own snacks or even preparing what you would eat in a race is always useful, because you shouldn’t try anything new for the first time when you’re racing. And keep an eye on your watch or computer, so you know when you need to eat or drink something according to what strategy you’ve set out for yourself.
Being disciplined and remembering to take on fuel at scheduled times will make your training so much more enjoyable and manageable – if you’re uncomfortable and hit a wall it’s hideous!
My dad always said…
…when you start cycle training it takes around 12 months to actually get proper enjoyment out of it. That first 12 months is a bit of a battle because you’re still learning the sport and building your skills. But when you get there it’s so great, you’re comfortable with the distances and the pace you’re doing and have that feeling of flying along, that’s when it becomes absolutely addictive!
It sounds a bit strange to start a sport knowing full well that it’s going to be hard and you will hate it sometimes, but you just have to strive towards that feeling of floating along, and you’ll never want to give up then!
My experience of seeing people out on the roads…
…has changed dramatically since I started training at the elite level, I think I see ten times as many people out training on the roads at the weekend nowadays – and lots of ladies as well! I remember when I used to go out with my dad it was a really special day if I saw another woman out cycling, I’d point it out and be totally surprised!
I had to race with the boys because there wasn’t enough women to create our own races. When I started out on the GB sprint team I was one of the only women, now it’s pretty much a 50/50 split which is awesome.
(Image Credit: johnthescone)
To keep cycling popular…
…obviously on the roads the success of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome has really helped get people into road cycling. Training facilities and cycling provisions are improving, and the more that improves the better.
I think people are generally more tolerant of cycling nowadays – if you’ve never been on a bike and experienced a lorry coming past giving you three inches it’s hard to understand how that feels, so obviously the fact more people are cycling now has meant that isn’t such a regular occurrence, though I’d still like to see cyclists have even more respect on the roads.
Seeing your progress is key to improving
I always loved my training and I loved the repetition, because I knew exactly my reason for doing it. I never lacked motivation and I loved charting progress and seeing my peak speeds going up week by week, that was what I lived for!
Obviously sometimes you plateau or overtrain, but keeping track of your overall improvement should keep you going. Rewarding yourself is important as well, if you can get round a cycle route a minute faster than you could a couple of months ago then sit back and take that in, think about where you started from and how far you’ve come!
If you don’t try you’ll never know what you’re fully capable of
There are so many cynical people out there who live in their comfortable world and never properly challenge themselves – if you don’t try these things, whether it be an Ironman race or whatever you might always wander what you could have been capable of. It’s easy to be stuck in your comfort zone doing sweet FA, so I have respect for anyone who goes out and does these things, whether they win, lose or fail!
I’m not involved in British Cycling any more
I’m concentrating on my new passion at the moment which is horse riding, and it still feels too early for me to go back into cycling in any capacity. I am doing a corporate coaching course at the moment, but I could see myself in a role as a more holistic, lifestyle coach type thing – I don’t think I’d be the best person for shouting at athletes at the side of the velodrome, I’d definitely have more skills in a mentoring role!
My swimming is terrible
My Australian husband had a look at me swimming once and didn’t know where to start, he said it looks like my legs are peddling underwater! For that reason I don’t think I’ll be doing a triathlon any time soon, but I did run in a triathlon relay team last year so I think a duathlon might be an option for the future!
On making sushi (we went slightly off topic…)
You have to rinse the rice at least three times, then put exactly the right amount of water in to cook it. And get really good quality sushi rice, this is important. You put a small amount of water in and jiggle it around a bit then rinse it again, then keep doing that in little steps and add your seasoning and filling after, lovely!
There is also a contraption you can get called a Sushezi which does it all for you, you just wack everything in and out comes sushi so it’s a Sushezi! I do like making sushi… Anyway where were we?
Victoria Pendleton CBE is Britain’s most successful female Olympian, winning 2 gold and 1 silver medals over two Olympics. She also won 9 world titles and was European and Commonwealth champion during her career.
Victoria has recently set her sights on becoming a jump jockey, and is aiming to gain a Category A amateur licence to ride at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival by qualifying for the Foxhunter Chase.
Victoria’s ‘Pendleton’ range of bikes and accessories are available exclusively at Halfords.
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The Sushezi is priced from £19.95, available at a very limited number of online retailers!
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The Jenson Button Trust Triathlon organiser have managed to get closed city roads for the bike leg of this year’s race, taking place in Derby on 12 July.
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“This is huge and exciting news for the triathlon, it really marks the event moving to the next level,” says Jenson. “The closures will create a fast flowing course that should be a real thrill for all competitors and spectators. It will be fun to be racing on a street circuit!”
Competitors will start the triathlon with a 200m swim in Markeaton Park lake. They will then swiftly change into cycling gear and head out of the park onto Markeaton Lane on a 10km circular route along Kedleston Road to Five Lamps and around the Cathedral Quarter.
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Back at the park, they will then complete a 2.5 km run. Individuals and three-person teams will have the opportunity to race twice – once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Individuals and three-person teams will have the opportunity to race twice – once in the morning and once in the afternoon. In the individual event, the top performers will go on to the final, 400m swim, 20km cycle (twice around the cycle stage) and 5km run, with the runners up entering the wooden spoon race.
The UK’s favourite tri magazine will have its own corner of the bike route near Five Lamps, with planning underway for what ‘220 Corner’ may include…
For more information and to register for the event visit www.jensonbuttontri.com, and for latest news and training tips, follow @JBTrustTri on Twitter.
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No surprises in Japan as Gwen Jorgensen (USA) continued her unassailable run of form at WTS Yokohama with yet another victory, while Britain’s Non Stanford finished an admirable seventh in her first competitive race for 20 months.
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Crossing the line alone with a lead of over one minute, the win for Jorgensen marks her ninth World Triathlon Series victory in a row and catapults her back to the number one position in the Threadneedle Rankings.
Taking the silver medal was Ashleigh Gentle (AUS), who raced perhaps her best performance of her career to earn her first WTS podium. Fellow Australian Emma Moffatt also joined her compatriot on the podium when she took bronze to earn her first medal since the 2013 WTS Grand Final in London.
Jorgensen looked back on a curious race, one in which she was more concerned about staying upright in the wet bike conditions than the actual pace that was being ridden.
“It was wet out there and I knew I had to be careful so rode at the front a little more to stay away from any crashes. I heard something behind me, I wasn’t sure if anyone went down or not but it is better to be safe.
“I came here knowing this is the last 10k before the Rio test event so I really wanted to get a good 10k in and push myself and really go hard.” She added: “The number one goal for this season is to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games, so I need to be top 8 at the Rio test event and first or second American, that is the thought top of mind.”
Water temp 19C this morning #WTSYokohama Bring your wetsuit on this cruise! pic.twitter.com/SNPQvLdsiR
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) May 15, 2015
Penalty for Non
Stanford seemed to be in with a chance of bronze right until the final stages of the run, despite serving a 15sec penalty for her wetsuit being out of the box in the transition zone.
“I’m happy but not satisfied,” said Non afterwards. “It was great to be back racing and my goal was always to get to the finish line in one piece, but after 20 months away, I can’t complain. If anything, today has given me more motivation to get it right come August 1st.” Fellow Brit Heather Sellars finished 43rd.
Choppy waters greeted the women elites as they started out the Japanese race that marked the halfway point of the 2015 World Triathlon Series. With wetsuits added to the uniform, it was USA’s Summer Cook, Japan’s Yuka Sato and Spain’s Carolina Routier who dominated in the swim. Pushing through the rough surface, the three athletes were the first out of the water and led into the first transition.
While an early lead group of 22 formed early on the bike, which included the likes of Jorgensen, Cook, Sato, Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Claudia Rivas (MEX), the lead was short lived.
The rain created wet-pavement conditions that saw riders focusing on remaining strategic instead of fast on the nine-lap course since each lap contained over 20 corners that could have caused crashes if the athletes were not careful. The initial leaders soon doubled in size and eventually increased to over 40 athletes as the chasers caught up and closed the gap with two laps to go before the run.
Happy…but never satisfied! Great to be back! Thank you to all who got me to the start and finish lines #teameffort pic.twitter.com/ua8vEG8Axg
— Non Stanford (@NonStanford) May 16, 2015
Gwen’s signature move
The large bike group caused a lot of congestion in the second transition that saw a pack of runners join together to start out the third discipline. However it did not take long for Jorgensen to bust out her signature move of breaking away from the rest and easing into a solo run that carried her well into the finish line with time to spare.
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Gentle also capitalised on a breakaway performance in the second lap of the run that positioned herself into the second-place spot. While the battle for the bronze seemed to be up for grabs for awhile between the likes of Moffat, Non Stanford (GBR), Renee Tomlin (USA) and Hewitt, Moffatt pulled away in the last lap to secure the medal and give Australia two spots on the podium. Full results here.
Elite women’s results
1.
Gwen Jorgensen
USA
01:57:20
2.
Ashleigh Gentle
AUS
01:58:33
3.
Emma Moffatt
AUS
01:59:03
4.
Renee Tomlin
USA
01:59:13
5.
Gillian Sanders
RSA
01:59:19
6.
Aileen Reid
IRL
01:59:22
7.
Non Stanford
GBR
01:59:22
8.
Andrea Hewitt
NZL
01:59:23
9.
Kirsten Kasper
USA
01:59:24
10.
Barbara Riveros
CHI
01:59:26
(Images: Delly Carr / ITU)
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What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments below!
Many expected WTS Yokohama to be a straight duel between Britain’s Alistair Brownlee and Spanish duo Javier Gomez and Mario Mola – and it proved to be exactly that, with Brownlee narrowly beaten to gold by Gomez on the final stages of a thrilling run.
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After the rain and slippery conditions of the women’s race had largely abated, the men enjoyed largely dry roads and clear skies to cap off the fifth stop in the WTS circuit and mark the halfway stage of an exciting season that has now produced four winners in five races.
The run enthralled the large crowd lining the course and in the grandstand watching every stride on the big screen, with Gomez, Brownlee and Mario Mola (ESP) breaking clear early and taking turns to push the pace, with the medals only unfolding in the final kilometer for Mola and the final few hundred metres for Brownlee and Gomez.
Henri Schoeman (RSA) set the pace through the two laps in the water, and carried with him a small pack that would follow into the first transition. That pack, tallying seven, included the likes of Gomez, Brownlee, Igor Polyanskiy (RUS), Joe Maloy (USA), Aaron Royle (AUS) and Schoeman.
The lead group could not extend on the bike though, with the chasers highly motivated and well organised, soon closing to form a large lead bunch that would stay together till the end – that is apart from a brave solo bid by Marten Van Riel (BEL), the daring move saw the Belgian extend to over 30 seconds within touching distance of transition until he crashed inside smelling distance of the food vendors in Yahamshita Park and T2, ending his hopes of a brief time in front on the run.
Sven Riederer (SUI) was another to be prominent early on the run, the 34 year old winding back the clock with his laconic, rolling running style taking him to the lead inside the first kilometer, before the big three took control and made the race their own.
“I was probably running against the best runners in the sport in Mario and Alistair,” said Gomez afterwards. “I was feeling good and had something left, I tried with two k to go and dropped Mario but Alistair stayed and then surged.
“It reminded me a little of Cape Town but this time I kept up and it came to the last 200 meters and at that point anything can happen because we are both very tired and luckily I had a bit more than him and took the win which is great, the first one of the year.”
Alistair was more circumspect on his silver: “Three weeks ago if someone told me I would have a win and a second in the World Series, that is okay for now, I am pleased with that and hopefully it gets better from here.
“I knew Cape Town I wasn’t in great form and I thought I had come on from there and I probably have. I think this was one of those days, there was maybe a bit of jetlag and I thought I was better prepared but maybe now I can freshen up and be better for the next race.
“I am proud of that though, anyone can race well when they are having a good day and I have had some fantastic days over the years but a mark of you sometimes is what you can do on your bad days so I am pleased with that.”
For full results head here.
1.
Javier Gomez Noya
ESP
01:47:00
2.
Alistair Brownlee
GBR
01:47:02
3.
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Mario Mola
ESP
01:47:20
4.
Mark Buckingham
GBR
01:47:48
5.
Crisanto Grajales
MEX
01:47:52
6.
Sven Riederer
SUI
01:48:00
7.
Adam Bowden
GBR
01:48:04
8.
Fernando Alarza
ESP
01:48:14
9.
Jacob Birtwhistle
AUS
01:48:17
10.
Alexander Bryukhankov
RUS
01:48:28
(Images: Delly Carr / ITU)
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What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments below!
It’s confirmed – Challenge Oman will not be held this August, due to “current circumstances in the countries bordering Oman”, according to the organisers.
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>>> Podium change at Challenge Dubai after first three men cut the bike course
Planning is currently underway for an alternative venue to host the prestigious Triple Crown Series with its record-breaking $1 million prize purse, and this will be announced shortly.
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The triathlon world will watch as Daniela Ryf (SUI) and Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) battle against the world’s top pros to keep in the running for triathlon’s ultimate prize and the chance to become an instant millionaire.
“While we are disappointed not to be able to showcase the beauty of Oman to the world, cancelling the race and moving the Triple Crown for 2015 is in the best interests of both the athletes and the local community,” said Challenge Family CEO, Zibi Szlufcik.
For further information, visit www.challenge-family.com.
(Image: Pranav21391)
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