Europe Triathlon

One weekend it was Sprint and Standard, the next it was Cross and now, in Denmark, this weekend it is the combination of ETU and Powerman that delivers the long-distance feast to the duathlon specialists.

10k run, 60k bike, 10k run. No drafting. On your own. Racing for medals and for glory.

Age-Group athletes are filling up the city. They are there to join the Elite and Para-athletes. As we might expect, the biggest team attending the championships is from Great Britain and once the racing has concluded we will be checking the medal tables to see just how effective Team GB is. The German Age Group team makes the short trip with a small but strong team of 24. Sandra Morawitz (35-39), Susanne Apfel (55-59) and Andrea Thamm (PT4) will hope to defend their titles. Thamm has had a series of victories in her category and will be hoping that this race goes her way.

Apfel will have a tough battle against Kim Isherwood, DEN who holds two European titles over the middle distance but with an added swim (Paguera and Rimini). Morawitz won bronze in Kalkar but perhaps the longer distance here might suit her racing style more. Angel McGurk, double Zofingen world title holder (2014 & 2015) will do her British best to add this title to her collection.

Denmark’s young athlete Ann-Kathrin Scholtyssek race well in Kalkar and the local crowds will hope that to her gold from Germany she can add a home gold in the 20-24 category. Daniel Bluff GBR, took world silver in Adelaide. Can he add a European Gold in his category? Fellow Brit, Kurt Sanders holds the European title from Horst and will do his best to defend his gold.

In the 25-29 category it is Rosie Davies who will try to win her second European gold after Horst. On paper she is the favourite. Danny Blase GER missed the podium in Zofingen and will be hoping that he can set the record straight with a medal here but against Jonas Vandevyvere BEL who won a Host bronze he will have a battle.

France’s Loic Echardour has to be one of the most experienced in his category (30-34). In 2014 his 6th place in Zofingen showed that he had potential. 2015, he placed 4th after a 2015 silver in Horst but a medal is not assured with Stefan Meißner GER who won the Zofingen silver. His 10th place in Kalkar suggests a preference for the longer distances and that is what Copenhagen has to offer.

The men’s 35-39 category has traditionally been an exciting battle. This year, with two Zofingen bronze medals behind him, Switzerland’s Sebastian Bräuer will hope to add a different colour to his collection.

In the women’s 40-44 category, Germany’s Janet Fieker was a silver medallist in Zofingen but only managed 7th in Kalkar. She will however, face not only the current World and European champion in Melina Olsen but also a Danish woman racing on home territory. Kirsty Prior GBR, is a tough athlete. Last year her gold in Castro-Urdiales was followed by a rapid flight down-under to race in Adelaide. Top ten was the reward. She was back and race fit this year with back to back bronze medals in Kalkar and Târgu Mureș.

The men’s 40-44 category will have a huge amount of media attention due to the participation in that wave of the Danish Olympic hero, Eskild Ebbesen (see Tri247 article). Whilst not a regular on the international triathlon or duathlon circuit, this man is a living legend. Fellow Dane, Søren Kirketofte, with a silver from Kalkar will seek to test his power against Ebbesen. Danish support in this category will be immense.

In the women’s 45-49 category, the race favourite will be Annete Corydon 2014, 2015 golds in Zofingen, 2015 gold in Horst sets the record. She is the one to beat. As current Danish champion she will be well-known to the Danish fans. Perhaps Louella O’Herlihy GBR can challenge. 2015 Alcobendas champion and a silver in Kalkar might just see her push the home favourite.

Another home favourite will be Steen Jespersen. With a narrowly missed podium in Zofingen in 2014, he improved this to win his category in 2015 and added the world title to his European title won in Horst in 2015. He will have to work though, as the 2013 and 2014 Zofingen gold medallist, also from Denmark, Michael Mynster will be stepping up to the line with him. In the same category will be Simon Ward. He was the GB Team Member with the most spectacular crash in Transylvania. A former resident of Copenhagen he will be out to make a point and has made it very clear that he is not in any way sponsored by a luxury Japanese car manufacturer.

The women’s 50-54 category sees Britain’s Gill Fullen as a clear favourite. 2012, European gold in Nancy. 2013 World gold in Belfort. 2013 World gold in Ottawa. 2013 World gold in Zofingen. 2014 European gold in Horst. A silver in Pontevedra at the Worlds in 2014 was upgraded to gold in Adelaide. A clear race favourite but with a battle on her hands from her two compatriots. Karen Haley with a 2015 Zofingen silver and Kate Morris with Pontevedra gold and Kalkar gold will make this a fierce battle at the front end. There is still no guarantee of a British clean sweep of the medals here as Germany’s Birgit Schelloeh, current World Champion after her domination in Zofingen last year is also on the start lists.

New to the 50-54 category and therefore in a strong winning position is Denmark’s Jens Oluf Eriksen. A silver in Horst last year, at the older end of his category suggests he will arrive at the start line with a good chance of a medal. For him though, the man to beat is Italy’s Tiziano Favaron, who is the current World Champion after his powerful display of riding and a final run in Zofingen last year.

Swiss athlete Aeneas Appius, with a gold from Kalkar will hope to do the double but a sprint gold performance is a far thing from a Classic Powerman performance and the man who knows best in this category is Dutchman Henry Dullink. In the past he has raced and then, armed with his camera, provided great photos of the other athletes. His 2014 Weyer and 2015 Horst golds put him as race favourite here.

German Bernd Hauser in the 60-64 category, comes to this race as a silver medal winner from Zofingen. He looks, on paper, to be the strongest of all. In the 65-69 category, it looks like Mick Anglim GBR has the best chance. His consistent racing for over ten years is witness to his chances of a medal here but over this longer distance he will be up against Konrad Puk GER, who holds Zofingen silver from 2015. Great Britain’s Peggy Crome has been racing with a smile for as long as many of us have been involved in triathlon. With a massive collection of 13 medals covering European and World events she is Britain’s medal hope for the fine vintage category, 70-74. Sweden’s Åke Jonson with a silver last year in Horst after a gold the year before will have a fight on his hands with local athlete Jørgen Ladegaard who is familiar with the longer distances after his 4th in 2015 in Zofingen.

Oldest competitor will be Great Britain’s Kevin Robinson. Born in 1935 he came 6th in Edinburgh on the very hilly World Duathlon Course back in 2010.

So, whilst we have the Elite racing, there is also the massive army of athletes, coming from all over Europe that makes up the Age Group wave. Every bit as exciting and without them … well, we wouldn’t have such great events, would we!

Good luck to them all.