From Sardinia, Italy to the Warmian-Masurian region of Poland, World and European Triathlon Cup action continues with several British athletes taking to the start line. Elite triathletes also travel the continent to take on the middle distance at Challenge St. Pölten in Austria.
2021 World Triathlon Cup Arzachena
Double Olympic champion, Alistair Brownlee, returns to the start line this weekend. He returns to Arzachena after taking home the bronze in last year’s ITU Triathlon World Cup race in October. Brownlee’s most recent World Cup performance came one month later in Valencia in which he finished in 2nd place, sharing the podium with Vincent Luis (FRA) and Jelle Geens (BEL).
Jonny Brownlee joins his brother in Italy in his first World Cup outing since beating Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) to 2nd place at the Lausanne ITU Triathlon World Cup 2018. The Brownlee brother’s will be accompanied by Tom Bishop and Grant Sheldon.
Bishop races for the third week in a row after competing at both the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Yokohama and the 2021 World Triathlon Cup Lisbon. Sheldon raced alongside Bishop in Portugal as part of an active year of racing thus far, seeing him compete at three European and World Cup events since April.
2021 Europe Triathlon Cup Olsztyn
The largest city in Poland’s Warmia and Mazury region welcomes seven British athletes to race across its landscape of famous monuments, old city walls, vast forests and numerous lakes. Jack Willis is the first British name on the start list. Willis has raced in the European Triathlon Cup already this year, traveling to Caorle with Grant Sheldon and Christopher Perham. The latter will also be starting in Olsztyn for his second Europe Triathlon Cup start of the year.
Harry Leleu also joins the start list for the first time since 2019. He was part of the relay team that took gold at Valencia ETU Triathlon U23 European Championships and finished in 12th place in the individual race over that weekend.
Cameron Main and Oliver Turner make up the final names on the men’s start list. Main finished 3rd at the recent Sospan Sprint Triathlon Llanelli as well as the GBR Sprint Triathlon National Championships back in 2019 where he was closely followed by his compatriot, Oliver Turner in 4th place. Turner joins Main on the start line once again at Olsztyn.
Two British names grace the women’s start list for Olsztyn as Sophia Green and Iona Miller are set to compete for the Polish podium. Green took bronze at the Sospan Sprint Triathlon Llanelli, sharing the podium with Olivia Mathias and Olympic bronze medallist, Vicky Holland. Joining Green, Iona Miller finished in 6th place at the GBR Sprint Triathlon National Championships in 2019.
Challenge St. Pölten
Boasting crystal clear lakes for the swim, a closed-road bike course and final run through St. Pölten’s downtown area, Challenge St. Pölten welcomes a number of British athletes to compete in Lower Austria at one of the oldest middle distance races in Europe.
Tom Davis is the first British name on the pro start list. The Brit will be hoping to improve on his year after crashing out of the race in Gran Canaria. He’ll be joined by three-time British duathlon champion (2012, 2013, 2015), Mark Buckingham and James Teagle.
The British women racing in Austria are four-time IRONMAN champion, Laura Siddall, alongside India Lee, who finished in 2nd place at Challenge Riccione in Italy earlier on in the year, and 2012 Olympic triathlete, Lucy Hall.
Ten age group athletes will also take their place on the start line to represent Great Britain.
