NewsWelcome to Brazil
We preview this weekend's Brasil Telecom Ironman Triathlon Florianopolis
Published Thursday, May 25, 2006
Set on the beautiful island of Florianopolis, Brasil Telecom Ironman Triathlon Florianopolis will be enjoying its biggest day on Sunday. A record 1,220 competitors from 40 countries are registered for the event, led by an impressive professional field that includes last year's defending men's champion Olaf Sabatschus and Brazil's very own triathlon superstar Fernanda Keller.
Not that either will have an easy time claiming the title on Sunday. While last year's champion Joanna Zeiger is a late scratch due to illness, Keller will take on a field that includes former Ironman champions Bella Comerford and Barbara Buenahora, not to mention Lisbeth Kristensen, who owns a 9:08 Ironman-distance P.B. While Sabastchus won't have to try and keep up with Torbjorn Sindballe on the bike - the Dane pulled out of the race last week - the two-time winner here in Brazil won't be the favorite in many eyes because Aussie Luke Bell is here to race. (The word is Raynard Tissink is also in the field, but I haven't seen him around Florianopolis yet.) Both (or should that read "all three") will be kept honest by the likes of Argentina's Oscar Galindez, who won here in 2003, and Eduardo Sturla, the 2001 champion.
Comerford might not have the same recognition factor here in Brazil, but she is a three-time winner of Ford Ironman Florida, not to mention the fact that she’s one of the toughest competitors the sport has seen. She’ll likely be chasing through the bike and the run … but you know she’ll be chasing hard.
Sabastchus arrives in Florianopolis in much better shape than a year ago, when he started the race unsure of whether or not he would be able to complete the run. This year he’s coming off a training camp in Costa Brava, Spain, where he spent a month riding the same mountains that Lance Armstrong once climbed to prepare for the Tour de France.
Bell is also in good shape, a fact he demonstrated in fine style with his impressive win at Ford Ironman 70.3 California in March. After becoming an uncle for the first time in December, he got married (to Lucy) in January, and appears relaxed and confident.
While Tissink didn’t defend his title at Ironman South Africa earlier this year, he was a close second, and he is keen to win an Ironman on every continent. He’s got Africa, North America, Europe and Asia covered … it’s not hard to figure out what he’s doing in Brazil this weekend!
The pros will join the huge group of age group competitors on this beautiful course that includes a cool ocean swim (the water temperature feels in the mid- to high-60s), a relatively flat bike course with a few rolling hills, and a relatively flat run course … well, flat other than the hill that people refer to as the “on-your-hands-and-knees” climb. It is short, though, and the hills on the run course all come in the first 18km – after that the course consists of two relatively flat 10.5km loops.
It will all make for an exciting day of racing, one which we’ll bring to you live right here on Ironman.com. There will be “athlete tracking” coverage for the event, so tune in to catch up with your friends and family starting Sunday morning.
