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GB Age-Group Team take on Almere’s Long Distance Challenge

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This weekend the Great Britain Age-Group Team is leaving UK shores once again in the hope of picking up even more medals for GB. This time they are hopping across The North Sea to Almere in the Netherlands, for the 2014 Almere-Amsterdam ETU Challenge Long Distance Triathlon European Championships on Saturday 13 September.

The event, run by Challenge, will hold a variety of races over the weekend. The 52-strong Great Britain Age-Group Team will be competing in the ETU Long Distance Triathlon European Championships for European. The age-group racing will kick off at 7:10am local time with the fastest athletes arriving at the finish line some 10 hours later.
 
The long distance race will see the triathletes swim 3.8km two laps at Weerwater, before taking on a 180km bike alongside the lake and through the reclaimed land and green scenery of Almere Haven. If the weather is clear the athletes will get a spectacular view of Amsterdam across the lake and the forecast is looking good so far. To top it off the athletes will complete the final leg of the race by running 42.2km over six laps through the modern city centre of Almere. The Netherlands’ flat as a pancake terrain and straight roads will enable athletes to cycle fast and run hard.
 
The only returning medallist from last year’s Championships, Rekha Ravichandran who won a bronze medal in the 35-39 age-group, will be looking to come home again with a medal. Rekha arrived in Almere earlier this week and says: “I'm getting really excited about the race as I watch it all coming together by the waterfront.  Almere is a beautiful city and a great choice of venue for the European Championships."
 
She is hoping to win another medal but says: “Another medal would be fantastic but you never know how the race will go or who else is on the course, so my main goal is to finish the race with a smile on my face.” 
 
Rekha competed in the Outlaw Triathlon in July and then moved house a few days later, adding: “I've spent more time moving furniture than on my bike during August - but hopefully my early season fitness will see me through, “she claims. She is hoping to beat her Outlaw time of 11:02; “it would be great to duck under 11 hours this time.” 
 
Dawn Hunter, Great Britain Age-Group Team Manager is not travelling with the team to the event but is optimistic: “Despite being late in the season for the UK, the GB team is still 52-strong and is raring to race at its best.”
 
Victoria Gill is the lone elite competitor.
 
Big Cow offers last chance for Geneva
 
In domestic competition, this Saturday hosts the final chance for athletes to qualify for next year’s ETU Geneva Triathlon European Championships, this time for the sprint distance team. 
 
The qualification race is the Big Cow Sprint and the final portion of the Great Britain Age-Group Team for Geneva in 2015 will be selected from popular race held at Emberton Country Park.
 
Athletes will complete a 750m swim in Heron Water before cycling 20km through Newport Pagnell and the surrounding area and will then run 5km around Emberton Country Park. 
 
Competition for a place in Geneva is sure to be fierce with this being the final chance to make the team. Dawn Vaughan, the 2015 ETU Geneva Sprint Distance Triathlon European Championships Team Manager, certainly thinks so commenting: 
 
“The remaining 3 qualification places for Geneva are being fiercely contended on Saturday. The calibre of age-group triathletes entered at the European Championship in Kitzbuhel this year was phenomenal, with fierce competition for those medals. The European Championships are going from strength to strength, and the places on the team are very much sought after."
 
She continued: “I will be at Big Cow supporting everyone as they chase down those places. Good luck to one and all.” 
 
The deadline to register your intent to qualify at the Big Cow Sprint on www.britishtriathlon.org is 5pm on 12 September 2014.
 

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