Elite Standard Distance Championships head to Windsor
14th June 2013Just a week after round one of the 2013 British Triathlon Super Series at Blenheim Palace, the second of four events in this year’s premier UK triathlon series heads to the 23rd edition of the Toshiba Windsor Triathlon.
Windsor has long been an iconic event on the British calendar and with a list of previous winners holding mulitiple World Championship titles, plus several Olympians have previously won there, a win at the Windsor Triathlon is a great addition to any athletes C.V. As well as Super Series status, the race is also the British Elite Standard Distance Championships and should further guarantee some close and exciting races with a British title up for grabs.
Leeds-based Tom Bishop will be hoping to make it two consecutive Super Series wins following his dominant performance at Blenheim Palace showed that his winter training has gone well. With Tom having won this title on the same Windsor course two years ago, he’ll be very familiar with the surroundings and how to perform well there and keen to see if his form over the Sprint Distance can be replicated over the longer Standard Distance.
Tom isn’t the only athlete with his name already in the Windsor record books though. London 2012 Olympian Stuart Hayes grew up not far from Windsor and is very familiar with the event, course and surroundings. His win came in 2009 and returning to the UK from a win in Austria last weekend, Stuart will arguably start as joint favourite with Tom to take the British Championship title.
Another local is Richard Stannard, who first raced at Windsor 16 years ago. Richard won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, and while a fifth place last weekend at Blenheim Palace showed he is not ready to retire yet.
The women’s race features recent convert to triathlon from an elite running background, Emma Pallant. Emma’s transition to multisport is being guided by Michelle Dillon, twice an Olympic representative for Great Britain at triathlon herself, and with a close second place to Vicky Holland last week at Blenheim Palace; Windsor offers another opportunity for Emma to continue her triathlon education. The potential to win a British Elite Championship so early in her triathlon career will be another motivating factor.
The event is based at Windsor Riverside / Alexandra Gardens, with the three-lap run course passing by Windsor Castle, Eton Bridge and Eton School. The Elite females start at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning with the Elite men at 9.20 a.m.