Host city Almere has a long standing history in the sport of triathlon. It will be the host of the ETU European championships for the third time, with also a World Championship already being held once in this Dutch city that is renowned for its dykes and electricity producing windmills.
Bart Colpaert, Markus Fachbach, Dirk Wijnalda, Heleen bij de Vaate, and Celia Kuch are some of the athletes to keep your eye on this Saturday, 13 September. Over 2.000 athletes will participate in various races taking place over the course of three days, including Elite and Agegroup European championships on Saturday and finals for the Dutch Eredivisie team competition on Sunday. Furthermore, the 92nd finisher of the long distance race on Saturday will be hailed as the 15.000th finisher of the triathlon in Almere!
Elite Men's Preview
With the European titles at stake, a very interesting field is lining up to race the potentially very fast course in the Amsterdam-Almere region. Last year's winner Bart Colpaert is amongst the candidates for gold, although the Belgian athlete had a difficult season battling injuries and isn't sure where he stands at the moment. Former winner Georg Potrebitsch and Markus Fachbach are the German favourites for the title, while Dutchman Dirk Wijnalda will look for the support of the home crowds. Winner of several national titles, the 41-year old Dutchman now aims for a medal at the European Championships. Experience is also what the likes of Petr Vabrousek from the Czech Republic and Gerrit Schellens from Belgium have to offer in their attempts to win a spot on the podium.
Elite Women's Preview
In the women's field Celia Kuch (GER) is one of the favourites. The German took silver from last year's European Championships and will have her eye on the gold this time. She will have to deal with up-and-coming Victoria Gill from Great Britain, who manifested herself last year during the Powerman European championships in Horst aan de Maas as a gold winning agegouper and now takes a shot as a pro in Almere. Also in the mix is Dutch professional athlete Heleen bij de Vaate, winner of the event in 2008 and 2012, a former Hawaii top-ten finisher. Bij de Vaate will toe the start line in Almere for the eighth time in her career as a triathlete.
Fast Racing On Flat Roads
The race will feature the classic distances, with a 3.8 km swim in the Weerwater in the immediate vicinity of Almere's Esplanade in the heart of the city. The two-loop 180 km bike course is flat and fast, with long straits, emphasizing the Dutch 'polder' landscape. Lots of spectators will await the athletes during the six-lap 42.2km run in and around Almere's city center, where the athletes pass the specially built stadium on each of the laps.
Spectator Friendly Event
Spectators have lots of opportunities to follow the races, both live and from their homes. The weather forecast predicts excellent conditions for the crowds, so several hotspots will draw enthusiastic spectators. The Esplanade will be the highlight of festivities, well into the evening as even the last of finishers are welcomed with great applause. Live coverage will be visible on the big screen in the finish line area and on the website of Challenge Almere-Amsterdam (www.challenge-almere.com or live.challenge-almere.com). For those on the road, there is also a newly launched app, containing all sorts of updates and information during race day. The app Challenge Almere-Amsterdam can be downloaded for free via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
