ITU
Winter Triathlon World Championships 2002 Brusson
Italy
For
the 6th time since 1997, world class Winter Triathletes
are gathering next weekend for their annual International
Triathlon Union Winter Triathlon World Championships.
After Malles,Italy, Les Menuires, France, Bardonecchia,
Italy, Jaca, Spain and Lenzerheide, Switzerland, the
event will be hosted this year in the picturesque
resort of Brusson, situated in the Italian Aosta region,
home of former World Champion Paolo Riva. Brusson,
1323 m above sea level, is known for top winter sport
action, especially cross-country skiing, www.brusson.org
gives an idea of the region and its tradition.
With
the perfect snow conditions in Brusson, confirmed
on Tuesday by Paolo Riva and the
2002 Winter Triathlon World Cup leader Benjamin Sonntag
(GER), the basis is laid for exciting World Championship
races. Starting on Saturday at 10 am is the individual
race for elite, juniors and age-group athletes, followed
on Sunday at 10.30 am will be the team relay race.
The individual race will be held over a 7 km (3 laps)
run on a flat course, a 12 km mountain bike section
featuring 3 laps over a mainly flat course with a
slight climb and descent, and then finally a 3 lap
cross-country skiing course of 10 km.
Top
favourites in this year's ITU Winter Triathlon World
Championships are German rookie Benjamin Sonntag and
the ever strong Dutch woman, Marianne Vlasveld. The
21 year young Sonntag accumulated not fewer than eight
wins this season including the sunny World Cup races
in Wildhaus and Stoos. But Marc Ruhe (LIE), the prince
behind the king, challenged the German successfully
last weekend in the Jaca World Cup, when lots of new
snow made biking nearly impossible. Defending world
champion Zibi Szlufcik (GER), the Lenzerheide Bronze
medallist Christoph Mauch (SUI), Iwan Schuwey (SUI),
Spain's Juan Carlos Apilluelo and Pedro Anarbe, Thomas
Schrenk (GER) will do their best to challenge the
pair of Sonntag and Ruhe. While two time world champion
Paolo Riva ended his career and last year's silver
medallist Martin Lang (GER), is concentrating on his
job (dentist) and his family, the 1999/2000 world
champion Nicolas Lebrun (FRA) won't be starting this
weekend either.
In
the women's race defending Champion Sigrid Lang (GER)
is the one to challenge Marianne Vlasveld. Lang is
preparing for her final university examinations to
come next week while this year's unbeaten Vlasveld
has enjoyed training in Davos (SUI). The 2001 silver
medallist Karin Möbes is back on the trainings
tracks after having broken 2 ribs in the series opener
in Wildhaus but she is still not racing. So the third
step on the podium could be for German Gabi Pauli
or Spaniards Anna Serra, Immaculada Pereiro or Ana
Casares.
More
than 120 athletes from13 countries will be competing
in Brusson. Results, post race story and pictures
will be available shortly after the race at www.triathlon.org.
Media
contact: Reinhard Standke, rstandke@gmx.ch, mobile
phone +41 79 350 92 40
