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Ironman announces new multisport festival in Andorra

Festival geared to promote tourism to the sixth-smallest country in the world

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Seemingly taking a cue from the successful ITU Multisport world championships, Ironman has announced an interesting mix of multisport endurance events that will all be part of a festival in Andorra next year.

The small country in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France will host the new Ironman multisport festival next July. The racing in the beautiful mountains will start in March, 2021, with the Andorra Winter Triathlon. Then, in July, athletes will be able to take in the new Ironman 70.3 Andorra triathlon, the Andorra MTB Classic-Pyrenees mountain bike race, the Andorra 21 Ports road bike race and the Ultra-Trail 100 Andorra-Pyrenees trail running event.

“The selection of sports at the Andorra Multisport Event reflects the diversity the country and its landscape have to offer,” says Stefan Petschnig, managing director Ironman Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Racing to the backdrop of the Pyrenees mountains will be nothing short of stunning for athletes no matter which event they choose to enter.”

Renowned as a popular tourism destination for sports enthusiasts, more than 10 per cent of Andorra’s 460 square km are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to a release from Ironman, the capital, Andorra la Vella, has eight million visitors a year.

The Andorran government apears to be the major backer (visitandorra.com and Invest in Andorra are listed as partners) of the new events, no-doubt looking to provide exposure to a coveted demographic.

The goal is “to host a unique multisport eent in order to promote business around the industry,” says Jordi Gallardo, minister of presidency, economy and enterprises of the Andorran government, “the direct impact for the economy regarding this agreement is expected to be more than 10 million Euro.”