220 Triathlon August 2016

Four years. Four whole years. Just think about that for a moment. That’s 48 months. Or 192 weeks. Or 1,461 days (including the extra one from a leap year). In other words, it’s a heck of a long time. Now think about having all that time to prepare for your ‘A’-race. To get your swim, bike and run skills up the point where they’re as good as they ever can be (preferably better). To make sure you’re fit and well. To avoid injury and illness. To organise your family and home life so nothing gets in the way of you achieving that peak performance. Let’s be honest, the usual three or four months of training for a big race most of us go through can sometimes feel pretty intense and…

NICK BUSCA CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, P44 “If you’re looking for an adventure that’ll combine a more ‘normal’ triathlon with a truly epic day out in the mountains, then a mountain tri might be just the challenge you’re looking for.” JAMIE WILKINS EXCLUSIVE CANYON REVIEW, P52 “The new Speedmax is arguably the most important and eagerly awaited tri bike of the year, so it was really exciting to get the first UK test ride and give it some welly.” TIM HEMING PRE-RIO BROWNLEES, P94 “The Brownlees helped design the course for the Leeds WTS, and the hill out of T1 proved decisive. Now for Rio. Different conditions, but still a hill out of T1... will that pave the way to gold?” JAMES WITTS CHASING GWEN, P106 “Spending…

“On a rare day release from 220 Towers, assisting our photographer like a pro on location at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard” Editor Helen Webster helen.webster@immediate.co.uk Deputy Editor Liz Barrett elizabeth.barrett@immediate.co.uk Art Editor Neil Donnelly neil.donnelly@immediate.co.uk Features Editor Matt Baird matthew.baird@immediate.co.uk “Completing the first UK ÖtillÖ race in Scilly with new Swedish buddy Göran. An amazing, tough, crazy, emotional day!” Staff Writer Jack Sexty jack.sexty@immediate.co.uk Deputy Art Editor Nathaniel Brain nathaniel.brain@immediate.co.uk Digital Editor Debbie Graham debbie.graham@immediate.co.uk…

CHALLENGE VENICE VENETO, ITALY • 5 JUNE ’16 What, no gondolas? Challenge made their Venetian debut in June at the first event in the Parco San Giuliano urban park. Dirk Wijnalda (NED) and Erika Csomor (HUN) were the victors of a rare Italian 226km race. EASTBOURNE TRIATHLON EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX • 12 JUNE 2016 A new race on the UK circuit is the Eastbourne Tri, taking in Beachy Head, the South Downs and the town’s famous promenade. Tri couple Ben Allen and Jacqui Slack took the sprint honours. IRONMAN AUSTRIA KLAGENFURT, AUSTRIA • 26 JUNE 2016 With a course designed by Mark Allen, Ironman Austria is a 226km classic. Belgium’s Marino Vanhoenacker earned his eighth win, while Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) broke the women’s course record. ÖTILLÖ ISLES OF SCILLY ISLES…

While the rest of the nation was digesting the news of Brexit, Saturday 25 of June 2016 was an auspicious day in the world of UK Iron racing. In the north of Scotland, the Celtman Extreme played host to over 150 hardened triathletes in Wester Ross, offering 247km of racing through cold lochs, a bike route at the mercy of the elements and a trail run over two Munros and razor sharp rocks. The Celtman is, simply, one of the toughest 226km days on planet earth. As Stuart Livingstone was crossing the line as the final Celtman finisher after 19:28:35 of racing, some 370 miles south in the Lake District, Cumbria, 17 athletes were still facing their day of reckoning on the boulder-strewn rock field of Broad Crag and the…

Following May’s Brit medal plundering at the European Champs in Lisbon, some 400 GB athletes continued the Iberian multisport pilgrimage in June at the ITU Duathlon Worlds in Aviles, Spain. And it’d be another journey home jangling with the sound of gold, silver and bronze medals. In the 10km run/40kmbike/5km run elite races, Brit Emma Pallant defended her title while South Africa’s Richard Murray took his first senior crown. GB’s Alex Yee scooped junior men’s gold and Kate Waugh junior women’s silver. A day later, the mixed relay GB team took silver. In the standard age-group races, there were 10 golds, eight silver and seven bronze for GB, with Tasmin Boam, Benjamin Hindley, Joanna Wright, Samantha Aplin, Samuel Pictor, Claire Steels, Lee Piercy, Gill Fullen, Nora Haggart and Elspeth Knott…