Posted: January 5, 2004

Triathlon: German Ironman star set to take on Kiwi champion

German star Stormin' Normann (crrt) Stadler will challenge Cameron Brown and his place in history at the 20th anniversary Ironman New Zealand in March.

Stadler has twice been pipped for a podium placing by Brown at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships and is keen to reverse that in Taupo on March 6.

The German, a two-time Ironman winner and former world duathlon champion, confirmed today that he will take on the Kiwi champion who will be chasing a record fourth win in a row.

Stadler follows in a line of great German Ironman competitors in the race including the 1995 and 1996 Ironman New Zealand champion Stefan Holzner and Thomas Hellriegel, who was the last man to beat Brown at Taupo in 2000.

That was the year Stadler broke on to the Ironman scene when he cleared out on the bike to win Ironman Australia, and then successfully defended his title in 2001.

Other top rating internationals to confirm their entries include Sweden's Clas Bjorling and Canadians Garret MacFadyen and Gordo Byrn.

MacFadyen, the Ironman Canada champion in 2002, was third at Taupo two years ago and Bjorling was an impressive fourth on debut last year. Bryn, who is based in New Zealand, was third in Ironman Canada.

"We are thrilled to have Stadler compete in New Zealand. He's been on our hit list for the past few years and is one of the real stars of the sport,'' Ironman New Zealand event director Jane Patterson said. ``He is the newest of the big stars out of the German system that has produced so many remarkable endurance athletes.

"Cameron Brown is now firmly placed as one of the top three Ironman triathletes in the world and he presents a formidable figure for most internationals when they are deciding which of the early season races they will take on.''

The German said he is far from overawed with the prospect of taking on Brown on home turf.

"I like to compete against the strongest athletes in the world,'' Stadler said. ``I don't like going to races with less of the top pros racing because I want to test myself against the very best athletes. Cameron is a very good one and there will be other good ones in the race also.''

Stadler came on the scene as 21-year-old when he won the duathlon world championships, before moving up to the Ironman distance in 1999 when he was fourth on debut in Switzerland. He won Ironman Australia in 2000 and went on to finish third at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii that year.

After defending his Australian title in 2001, Stadler finished fourth in Hawaii after being passed late in the run by Brown. After missing the 2002 Hawaii race with injury, Stadler returned to again finish fourth in Hawaii in October - where he was again passed on the run by Brown.

The German threw down the gauntlet in Hawaii this year, overcoming a two minute deficit on the leaders out of the water, to hit the lead before the turnaround on the bike. Stadler rode a brilliant 4hr33min40sec for the 180km bike to break the field apart, taking a three minute advantage on to the marathon.

"He will definitely provide a real challenge to the field in Taupo. And he will come in top shape. Everyone knows that you can't come to New Zealand in anything but your best shape with Cameron Brown in the field.''

Ironman New Zealand organisers are still finalising details with other leading competitors for the first international Ironman race to celebrate their 20th anniversary.