British Paratriathlon Quartet line up in Madrid
6th May 2015International Paratriathlon returns to the event calendar this weekend as we look forward to the third World Paratriathlon Event of 2015 in Madrid.
A British quartet will start in Spain on Sunday (10 May), with many others choosing instead to focus on next weekend’s British Paratriathlon Championships in Llanelli, where selections for 2015 major championship events, including the World and European Championships, are on the line.
Joe Townsend goes in the Men’s PT1 race to open his 2015 international season following shoulder surgery. The 2015 British Paraduathlon Champion will face tough competition from Bill Chaffey, the Australian who is undefeated since 2010. Chaffey missed the ITU World Championships last August following a training crash just before he was due to board the plane to Canada. Geert Schipper (NED), the reigning world bronze medallist, also starts in a very competitive line up.
In the Men’s PT2 race, Andy Lewis is up against ITU World Paratriathlon Champion, Vasily Egorov (RUS). Lewis started his season well with a win in Buffalo City in March, but Egorov is yet to race internationally this year, so it’s all to play for.
James Smith goes for Great Britain in the Men’s PT3 event, whilst sole British female, Melissa Reid, tests her fitness in the Women’s PT5 race. She’ll face Spaniard, Susana Rodriguez, who has been a regular international medal winner, including having won the ETU European title last summer.
Following the 750m swim, the 21km bike course is famously hilly and technical, forcing athletes to work hard to maintain pace around the three-lap circuit. Being almost totally flat, the 5.2km run course will provide a fast final stage.
Madrid is the third of ten rounds of the ITU World Paratriathlon Event series. The rounds offer ranking points that help qualify starting slots at major Championship events. However, it is the British Paratriathlon Championships in Llanelli next weekend (16 May) that will decide which British athletes will be allocated British entry slots at events including the ITU World Championships in Chicago in September.
Racing in Madrid starts on Sunday 10 May at 8:30am local time.