Europe Triathlon

Holten. A name that so many triathletes know so well. But what is so special about this unremarkable town with a lake nearby in the middle of the Netherlands?

Well, if you want to be part of this event as a volunteer then you have to apply and go on the waiting list. In other cities one of the Organisers’ biggest challenges is finding enough volunteers. Holten is proud to have the event coming each year to fill the streets with excitement. Holten welcomes our athletes and the very special festival that has become Triathlon Holten is really a focal point. The action has already started as this report is being written, with Friday evening hosting a kids race, sponsored by Rabobank. Two waves of aspiring children will race a short course. Later in the still light evening there is a 5k and 10k sponsored by Vivera. The party really kicks off as darkness descends with the Opening Ceremony that will see celebrations go on long into the night.

Small wonder then, that Triathlon Holten was nominated last year as ETU Event of the year and only lost out to the massive Geneva event.

The racing for ETU starts tomorrow with a mixture of Elite and Junior races. A stellar line-up will take to the water and be seen on the famous Holtenberg as the crowds line the climb, Tour de France-style. €25,000 in the prize-purse for the Elite. It will be a hotly-contested race.

Who will be racing for the Junior & Elite Women?

Well, the Junior Women will see 42 athletes launch themselves into the water. 10 flags will be seen, including one athletes racing under the ITU badge. GB is sending a massive team of 11 and they are led by Sian Rainsley whose selective racing gave her a silver in Alanya back in 2014 and then a top ten place in Lisbon. It is good to see that development runs so deep and it is certain that the team coaches will be carefully watching the performances of these new juniors.

France sends 8 athletes. They are led by Jessica Fullager who won a solid bronze in the recent L’Aiguillon sur Mer ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup and who can be expected to be either leading the swim or at least in the top group. Alongside Audrey Ducornet who won silver at that race, the French team looks on paper at least, strongest.

The hosts have fielded six athletes. On recent form, it is Marije Dankelman who should be watched but the combined efforts of Elianne Huitema, Rani Škrabanja and Quinty Schoens who all come race-fit may well provide serious challenge to the French and British athletes.

As always, a very special ETU welcome goes to our visitors from outside Europe. From South Africa and from Canada, we have athletes who are using our races to hone their skills and we know we can assure them value for money and a hearty welcome.  Jayme-Sue Vermaas won silver at the Sardegna Cross Triathlon Championships last year and announced her form with a silver at the 2016 Bloemfontein ATU Triathlon Junior African Championships (Junior Women). She is joined by Maude Elaine Le Roux who is the title-holder from those championships. They will both be trying to beat the strong Canadian, Andreanne Brière-Dulude, whose racing over the standard distance in Weert gives her higher points.

For a full start list, please click here.

The Elite Women are led by Ukraine’s Yuliya Yelistratova. She will be racing against athletes from 17 nations. At the front end it will be a truly exciting battle and comes to the event with a European silver medal from Lisbon, where her final run split was the fastest and from the Châteauroux ETU Aquathlon European Championships where her run speed was not quite enough to catch Valentina Zapatrina RUS who will also be racing in Holten. Europe’s fastest swimmers will be there. Zapatrina will face stiff competition in the water from Lucy Hall and Jessica Learmonth. Three Golds and a Silver this year to Hall and a Gold and a Silver for Learmonth. These two Brits have dominated in the swim / bike segments this year and if they get together, you can expect them to build a massive lead on the bike. They will, however, this time have not only Zapatrina but also Anastasia Abrosimova RUS and Maya Kingma NED. If these athletes come out of the water together it will be down to the run for teh medals to be decided.

A welcome to athletes from Australia, Canada and New Zealand and leading them in the rankings is Emma Jeffcoat AUS. This year in the OTU Circuit she has already amassed a Bronze, three Silvers and a Gold.

For a full start list, please click here.

For the Junior Men, we will see 69 athletes racing for glory. 14 flags will be flown at the start and the Dutch have fielded the biggest team. Of the 15 Juniors, watch out for Youri Keulen. His top ten in Burgas in tough conditions will have prepared him well for this event. 11 French athletes make up their national team here.  Ugo Hersent, will be hoping to vastly improve his 25th place here last year. Valentin Damman with an 8th at this year’s L’Aiguillon sur Mer ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup has shown good form and will be hoping to continue with his collection of points.

Topping the rankings is Canada’s Oliver Blecher who raced in Kitzbühel at the ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup and came away with a bronze after a battle over the super-sprint format. He will have to work hard to keep South Africa’s Nicholas Quenet back but his real challenge will come from GB’s Sam Dickinson who is currently on fire and who will be hoping to pull along Jack Willis for support.

For a full start list, please click here.

For the Elite Men 74 athletes, from 21 nations will got for gold and for the all-important points. In this Rio Year, ETU has agreed to increase the prize money for the Ranking Final in Alanya and by so doing, to offer those athletes who missed out on a Rio ticket with exciting and rewarding racing on the ETU circuit.

Wearing number 1 and from Australia, is Luke Willian. A top ten in Chengdu will have delivered him into close proximity of some of the other competitors due to line up in Holten and he will be hoping to improve on his 17th place last year here. Last year’s winner, Aurélien Lebrun FRA is back as is local hero Jorik Van Egdom. His 6th last year may well improve as his cycling has come on this year and the shorter wim will suit him. Léo Bergère FRA is in good form and will be hoping that team mate Tom Richard with a gold already in Weert this year will bring medals back for France.

Against them will be Ivan Ivanov and Yegor Martynenko. The Ukrainian clean-sweep in Châteauroux at the ETU Aquathlon European Championships will have given them confidence over the shorter distances. Joined by Vladimir Turbaevskiy RUS whose recent form suggests he is over the injuries that hit him in 2015.

For a full start list, please click here.

For Livestream follow the links on the Triathlon Holten page.

En nu - Koffie koffie lekker bakkie koffie

Wish we were there !