Europe Triathlon

The third edition of the Andorra Winter Triathlon ended last Sunday with a new day of competition at Naturland at 2000 metres above sea level with events for age groups, mixed relay teams and the open category. The third edition of the winter triathlon enjoyed successful international participation and very satisfactory results in the European Championship while also hosting the Franco-Spanish and French championships.

The Andorra Winter Triathlon has become an international event supported by hundreds of triathletes from 13 different countries. Also important is the increase in female participation: 29% of the participants who registered in this 2023 edition were women, 9% more than last year. In the junior category, the number of women was higher than the number of men. This event is the only winter competition held as part of the Andorra Multisport Festival, made up of five endurance and adventure sports events that will take place throughout Andorra in 2023, organised by The IRONMAN Group.

Great results in the European Championship

After hosting two consecutive World Championships in 2021 and 2022, this time Andorra was the setting for the Europe Triathlon Winter Championship 2023. The champions in the men’s and women’s elite categories were the Italians Franco Pesavento and Sandra Mairhofer, respectively. The new European champions in the sub23 category were the Italian national Mattia Tanara (men) and the Slovak national Zuzana Michalickova (women), while Italian triathlete Ricardo Giuliano (men) and Spanish triathlete Sofia Lozano (women) won the junior category.

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For the first time, the Andorra Winter Triathlon 2023 also held the Franco-Spanish championship in Andorra, mainly due to the joint organisation by both federations, and the French championship, which had not been contested in a long time. All together, these events strengthen the Principality and its triathlon federation and puts it on the map in the organisation of various types of mountain sports events, such as trail running, cycling, MTB and triathlon. The general director of The IRONMAN Group in Andorra, Spain, Italy and Portugal, Agustí Pérez, said: “The weekend was a success due to the level of participation, the quality of the snow and the circuit, but also because of how important this event is to promoting the triathlon and sports in Andorra. Last week’s snowfall and freezing temperatures, in conjunction with the work of the organising team, made Naturland’s facilities the ideal setting for this winter triathlon weekend”. He also gave a very positive assessment of the French and the Franco-Spanish championships, because they are “competitions that are the first material result of the agreement reached by the French and Spanish federations to work together to promote the triathlon in Andorra, providing support, resources and more to train coaches and judges”.

Italy also wins the elite relay event

Italy dominated the elite mixed relay team competition just as they triumphed yesterday. Made up of European champions Franco Pesavento and Sandra Mairhofer, the Italian team won with a final time of one hour and 25 minutes. The Slovak team finished next, followed by the Romanian team.

In addition to the elite mixed relays, age group competitions were held throughout the morning with the participation of Andorran triathlete Eduard Barceló. Once the events were over, Barceló said: “The cycling part was very enjoyable. The weather conditions were great for it, with ideal temperatures, making the terrain hard and very fun”. “You just put your wheel out front and everything came together! This is the best winter triathlon I’ve ever done!” The Andorran athlete added that he was unable to finish the race because he inadvertently skipped the detour at the finish line and had to withdraw.

Naturland, an ideal setting

The other stars of the weekend were the good condition of the natural snow, following the snowfall of the last few days, and the venue that once again hosted the Andorra Winter Triathlon, Naturland adventure park. Located in southern Andorra, this park provides over 15 kilometres of cross-country skiing tracks at between 1,600 and 2,000 metres above sea level in the Rabassa area.

One of Naturland’s strengths is its ideal capacity to host various sports events, so it should come as no surprise that part of the cycling circuit that the triathletes did this weekend will also be the first stretch of the fourth stage of the Andorra MTB Classic-Pyrenees, the mountain bike stage race that is also part of the Andorra Multisport Festival.