There’s no ITU World Cup or World Series action taking place this weekend, although we’re starting the countdown to WTS Abu Dhabi already with the start lists having been published. However, there’s plenty of other action! Triathlon makes a nod to the Winter Olympics with the ETU Winter Triathlon Championships in Italy. There’s also Age Group duathlon and middle distance racing taking place.
2018 Catania ETU Winter Triathlon European Championship
The Great Britain Age Group team is represented by six athletes at the Winter Triathlon European Championships. Athletes compete across the Piano Vetore on Mount Etna, Italy with elites on Friday and Age Groupers on Saturday. There are no British Elite athletes racing, but the Age Group athletes will take to the mountain to cover a 6.25km run, 12km mountain bike and 10km cross country ski.
The Great Britain team includes last month’s ITU World Championship medallist, Simon Hedley, and British Triathlon President, Ian Howard. Full start lists can be found here.
2018 ITU & 2019 ETU Standard Duathlon Qualifiers Anglian Water Duathlon
On Sunday, Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire will host Age Group athletes at the 2018 ITU and 2019 ETU Duathlon qualifiers. The race takes place over the standard distance and limited on the day entries may be available but check with the organiser first. (https://nicetrievents.com/events/anglian-water-standard-duathlons/#2_66251B)
To find out more qualifying events, please visit here.
Challenge Wanaka
Arguably one of the world’s most scenic triathlon locations hosts the likes of Javier Gomez against the backdrop of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. The multiple world champion starts his season in the middle distance race, which runs alongside the long distance race on Saturday. British athletes Joe Skipper, Laura Siddall and Debbie Greig also take part in the middle distance pro race.
Siddall, who was second at Challenge Roth last year, and is going on to IRONMAN New Zealand in two weeks’ time, commented: “I’m pretty excited, with the usual mix of nerves too, but can't wait to get racing again.”
Event website: http://www.challenge-family.com/race/challenge-wanaka/
