The 2017 ITU Triathlon World Cup in Cape Town saw a sprint finish between two British athletes determine Gold and Silver. What chance something similar this year?
Not much racing action on the schedule, so South Africa will be the focus in this weeks weekend preview.
Cape Town ITU Triathlon World Cup
The 2018 ITU World Cup season kicks off early on Sunday in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. Last year’s race was really a tale of two countries, with the men’s race dominated by the home nation – a podium sweep from Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman and Wian Sullwald – while the women’s race saw a gun-to-tape domination (and sprint finish), where Lucy Hall just took the win from Jess Learmonth, for a British one-two.
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A sprint distance event once again, $60,000 is up for grabs and with plenty of athletes having the early season target of the Commonwealth Games, a good quality field will start on Sunday.
Murray and Schoeman will wear #1 and #2 for the men, with the Brits represented by Grant Sheldon and Calum Johnson. Neither Hall or Learmonth will return, but Vicky Holland and Non Stanford provide a strong British entry, alongside Hannah Howitt who was 23rd in this race 12 months ago. Both Holland and Hall had injury-impacted seasons in 2017, so will be looking for a confidence-building start to kick of 2018.
IRONMAN and Challenge Family?
No racing from IRONMAN this week, while it is also another week before Challenge Family kicks of their year at Challenge Wanaka in New Zealand.
Closer to home
Tewkesbury Triathlon Club will be hosted the latest in their Winter Aquathlon Series (400m / 5km) at Tewkesbury School on Sunday, while East London Triathletes are the hosts for the latest Velopark Duathlon, which already has the ‘sold out’ signs up, held in the shadow of the Olympic Velodrome.
Otherwise – as you would expect for early February – it’s pretty quiet on the racing front, so no excuse not to get another good weekend of training in!
