ROTH, Germany—Their eyes on fast times, some of the world’s top long distance triathletes are gathering in Roth for a chance to make history on a course that is lightning quick and famed for its thousands of triathlon-mad fans.
Leading the charge will be defending champions Chris McCormack and Yvonne Van Vlerken of the Netherlands.
McCormack, a four-time winner here who has twice dipped under the eight-hour barrier in Roth, is perhaps the biggest question mark in the field. The Aussie is just one week out from a win at Ironman Germany in Frankfurt, where he was again under eight hours.
“This is really a race that I feel I’ve grown up in,” he said at Thursday’s pre-race press conference, pointing out that when he started racing in Roth in 2003 it was only his third long-course race. “I love the course. I’m back here mainly for this race. I believe in the Challenge brand, I believe in this event. I’m looking forward to the race.”
About his chances for another win so close on the heels of his exploits in Frankfurt, McCormack said, “I’m a realist. I also don’t disrespect these guys to think I’m that good [that] I can do that.”
Men looking for speed
A target for the men is the world record of 7:50:27, set over this course by Luc van Lierde in 1997. But as Denmark’s Torbjørn Sindballe, last year’s third place finisher at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii and twice a world long course champion, pointed out, it’s most important to concentrate on doing the best race possible—and good weather helps as well.
“You can use it as focus but you can’t know until race day how it’s going to turn out,” he said.
Legendary German triathlete Thomas Hellriegel agreed. “You race and you see what’s going to happen. If you do a record it just happens. Maybe you can plan it if you’re a hundred-meter runner but in an Ironman race so many things can happen.” Hellriegel speaks from experience—in 1997 he was part of the record-breaking effort, finishing under eight hours when van Lierde put up his world-best time.
“I’m looking forward to Sunday and going back to climb that Solarer Berg. There’s nothing in the world like that. I’m saying with conviction, the Solarer Berg is the best climb in triathlon in the world,” McCormack said.
Who will reach it first this year? That’s a tantalizing question. The bike course is sure to be a site of fireworks as power cyclists like Sindballe and Hellriegel take on its signature climbs like the Solarer Berg and Kavalierenberg and roll through the “beer mile” in the roaring village of Eckersmühlen. But Hellriegel and Sindballe said simply they’ll be giving it their best.
“We’re gonna have some fun,” the smiling Dane said.
Joining them on the start line will be: Germany’s Stephan Vuckovic, silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney; Australia’s Pete Jacobs, third in Roth last year; hard-charging South African and five-time Ironman winner Raynard Tissink; New Caledonia’s Patrick Vernay, a two-time winner of Ironman Australia; Australia’s Chris McDonald, winner of Ironman Louisville; Kieran Doe of New Zealand, winner of Ironman Canada last year; Frenchmen Francois Chabaud and Sebastian Berlier; Canada’s Luke Dragstra and Germany’s Marc Pschebizin, recent winner of the Challenge Wanaka race in New Zealand. Fellow Germans Markus Forster, Olaf Sabatschus, Steffen Liebetrau, Sven Sundberg, Konstantin Bachor und Christoph Fürleger will round out this deep field.
Showdown among the women
The women’s race is wide open and will provide plenty of drama as Van Vlerken tangles with a field stacked with athletes such as 2005 Roth winner Belinda Granger, who has two Ironman wins to her name already this year. The pair faced one another at Ironman Malaysia earlier this year, with Granger coming out on top.
“My preparation has been absolutely super so far but there are six other women who’ve won Ironman races [in this field], so we’ll have to see,” Van Vlerken said.
“What I think is great about this year’s women’s field is so many great up and coming athletes who have nothing to lose,” Granger said, pointing to rising stars Leanda Cave, Gina Ferguson and fellow Aussie Rebekah Keat as serious contenders on Sunday. “I love this race and I’m really looking forward to racing against all these girls on the weekend.”
Also taking the start will be German star Nina Eggert, Hungary’s Erika Csomor, a frequent top-five finisher in Roth who claimed a win at Ironman Arizona earlier this year, American Hillary Biscay, Aussie Charlotte Paul and New Zealand’s Merryn Greenwood. They’ll be facing a host of Germany’s best long-course exponents, including Celia Kuch, Christine Waitz, Anja Ippach and Ute Mückel, who was unable to start last year after a bike crash. Mückel, who is racing for the 15th time in Roth, said she’d love to close out her career in Roth with a German national title.
Racing with Herbert
Athletes and race organisers will be racing on Sunday wearing black armbands that read “Danke Herbert” (“Thank you, Herbert”) in memory of longtime race director Herbert Walchshöfer, who died last October after a long illness. Walchshöfer took the reins of the race after its break with the World Triathlon Corporation seven years ago and was beloved by volunteers and athletes alike.
Watch for live coverage online, including streaming video, at www.challenge-roth.com on race day.
Quelle Challenge Roth’s sponsors include: Quelle AG, Deutsche Post AG, N-ERGIE, Sponser, Sparkasse Mittelfranken-Süd, Bayrische Versicherungskammer, Erdinger Alkoholfrei, Wöhrl, Arndt, Fiegl & Konrad, Hofmann, Mavic, Nürnberger Nachrichten (Nürnberg Newspapers), County of Roth, City of Roth, City of Hilpoltstein, Pyraser, B&C, Arvena Hotels, Frankenbrunnen, Heinloth, Der Beck, Jura Kälte and Guttenberger & Partner.
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