Previewing Challenge Walchsee Kaiserwinkl

This Sunday Tyrol Challenge Walchsee Kaiserwinkl returns to the Austrian Alps for one of the most beautiful half distance triathlons in Europe and along with the scenery, there will be some the sports biggest names to watch.

Bracht meets Cunnama again.

In the men’s fieldlat Tyrol Challene Walchsee Kaiserwinkl, the one probably has to beat Timo Bracht to win on 1 September. The reigning German long-distance champion, who starts in Walchsee for the third time, challenges none other than the South-African James Cunnama. Both are members of the elite club of athletes, who have conquered a long-distance race in less than 8 hours and take advantage of the strong field of starters to see where they are in their training. The two exceptional athletes were involved in a gripping duel at this year’s Challenge Roth, where Cunnama as second came in ahead of Bracht. They are challenged – among others – by a top-motivated Markus Fachbach who will do his best to make up for his fourth place at the Challenge Roth.

Csomor, Van Vlerken, Swallow or…?

In the women’s competition too an exciting race is guaranteed with an expected duel between the likeable Dutchwoman Yvonne Van Vlerken and Erika Csomor from Hungary. Van Vlerken knows the Tyrol like the back of her hand and will give her best to tip the scale in her favour and win in the Kaiserwinkl for the third time after 2010 and 2011. Aside from Erika Csomor, who has already demonstrated that she can be a better sprinter than Van Vlerken, Jodie Swallow is the hottest candidate for winning. The race will show whether the partner of James Cunnama has already recovered from the strains of the Ironman Sweden, where she won in a world-class time. Along with the three top stars, Daniela Sämmler and Kaisa Lehtonen will have a say in the matter of who stands on top of the podium. Sämmler, who ran into the top 10 at this year’s Ironman Frankfurt, wants to – having already achieved two third places at the start of the year – eventually win a race of the Challenge Series. And one can’t hold it against the Fin Lehtonen, an excellent cyclist who secured the sixth place at the Ironman 70.3 in Wiesbaden, that she wants to win in the Kaiserwinkl. Last year she demonstrated that race suits her when she secured the third place with an incredible demonstration of strength.

Challenge Walchsee Kaiserwinkl takes place on Sunday 1 September. For full results and tracking, visit www.challenge-walchsee.com