Posted: April 22, 2004

Triathlon: Quelle Challenge Roth attracts top men's field

Filed By: Steve Handwerker :: SLH Communications

More athletes than ever, Roth is again largest iron-distance triathlon in world

NÜRNBERG/ROTH, Germany (April 20, 2004) – Quelle Challenge Roth ultra-distance triathlon (3.8 km S/180 km B/42.2 km R) has rolled out the red carpet for the men’s professional field of the 20th anniversary of triathlon in Roth, the sport’s European Mecca. The deep start list, which includes eight Ironman champions – many with multiple wins – and six with top ten finishes at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, may lead professional triathletes back in the direction of breaking the long-standing world record set here in 1997. More than 100,000 spectators are expected on race day to line the course in the hilly, winding, Bavarian countryside, and 35,000 visitors are anticipated for the four-day expo. The expo and finishers’ stadium return this year to the newly named, completely redesigned and landscaped Triathlon Park in downtown Roth, a city of 24,000 people about 30 km south of Nürnberg.

The rematch that pits the König von Roth, five-time defending champion Lothar Leder (GER) – including four-in-a-row since 2000, against three-time Ironman Australia winner, Chris McCormack (AUS), who last July finished a world’s closest iron-distance second place ever – three seconds behind Leder in a thrilling, shoulder-to-shoulder Quelle Challenge Roth, will draw the attention of the triathlon world. McCormack, already on top of the world this year with his third consecutive win at Ironman Australia and a second place at the Pucon International Triathlon, vowed last July to return to Roth this year to avenge his heartbreaking loss in the final sprint. While Leder is the greatest sensei of the Roth course, his calf-muscle injury just two days prior to his chance to steal Macca’s crown in Forster-town caused him to post a “Did Not Start” on the 2004 Ironman Australia record book. Even so, this battle royale, dubbed the “Rematch at Roth,” would not be complete without a slew of ultra-distance stalwarts.

Top stars Michael Lovato (USA) and Oscar Galindez (ARG) have signed on for their first Challenge and will tri on July 4th to break Leder’s stronghold in Roth. Lovato, who lives in triathlon town Boulder, had an outstanding performance at Hawaii last fall with a ninth place overall finish – it was end-of-the-season icing on his win at the inaugural Ironman USA Coeur D’Alene last June and a confidence builder for his career. He finished fifth at this month’s Ralph’s California Half-Ironman. Galindez beat McCormack for the second year in a row in January at the Pucon half-iron distance event and won Ironman Brazil in 2003. He isn’t afraid of any of the other big dogs in the sport, and he isn’t afraid to push hard. With his 8:16.10 at Florianopolis last year, the South American super-star could put Leder and McCormack on guard.

Also new to Roth, Ironman winners Dave Harju (CAN) and Garrett Macfayden (CAN) will fight to put their maple leaf on the podium. Harju, who spent much time this past winter training in the U.S., won Ironman Wisconsin last year and finished sixth at the 2003 Ironman Florida, and if on Roth’s cyclist’s course he can improve on his 4:37.27 Panama City Beach ride, he will push the pace up front. MacFayden, who placed fifth at Penticton last August and won it the year before, hasn’t finished lower than eighth place in ten Ironman races. With a rough start to his 2004 season, the transplant to Down Under will scrap as rough as anyone else once his rubber hits the two-loop, County of Roth cycle course.

One Roth returnee, less widely known and perhaps hungrier than ever for a top five or even top three finish, is Margus Tamm (EST), who took eighth overall (8:42.00) at Roth in 2003 and ninth in 2002. Tamm, a fire fighter in Tallinn, has for some time been a low-lying fire waiting to catch the 8:30 boys by surprise, and his great familiarity with the Roth course could help him on his way. He’s also eyeing the top spot on the podium at the inaugural Long Distance Triathlon World Championship for Firefighters, a separate race category at Roth; to date, about 150 athletes have registered for the firefighters’ race, and they are also entered in their respective age group.

Stephen Sheldrake (AUS) recently re-committed to Roth as well. After posting the day’s fastest swim and leading for the first lap of the cycle, he finished well out of the money at Roth in 2003. If his January and February 2004 races, third at Port of Tauranga Half-Ironman, 3:57.26 (24.30 swim), and fourth at Ironman Malaysia, 9:23.43 (49.10 swim) are any indication, Sheldrake will be at the front again on July 4th.

The Germans

As always, the best German athletes compete at Roth, and again they will be on hand to attempt to knock-off reigning champion Leder in their homeland. Andreas Niedrig (Oer-Erkenschwick), Alex Taubert (Mannheim), Timo Bracht (Eberbach, near Heidelberg), and Faris Al-Sultan (Munich) have all shown their speed at the ultra-distance and could defy their countryman Leder in his quest for five straight victories here.

Niedrig, very much the senior of this group and many a spectator’s hero, was plagued by an Achilles injury in 2003, but he is looking forward to marking his comeback at Roth – where swelling crowds will look forward to his return and low-eights performance. Beyond his popularity throughout Germany, Niedrig has finished six times in the top five at Roth, and has an ultra-distance personal best of 8:03.54. In 2002, he finished second at both Ironman Florida and the Frederica Triathlon, and was seventh at Kona in 2001.

Taubert, now racing full-time, placed a strong fifth place at last year’s race and turned heads by placing fifth at the 2002 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Of the other two rising stars of the sport, Bracht has won Half-Ironman South Africa, Ironman Florida, and Ironman France within the past 12 months, while Al-Sultan had an outstanding seventh place performance in Kona in 2003 and just missed the podium at the 2003 Ironman Canada with a praiseworthy fourth place. Like Leder and McCormack, Al-Sultan is a former Olympic-distance machine who has found success at the all-day affairs. These three hopefuls may be the next generation of strong German triathletes, but their results have certainly proven their current worth.

More pros to feed fire; Age-group field larger than ever before

The German contingent along with the other ultra-distance champions, aren’t the only accomplished professionals coming to Roth. Studs with stacked resumes like Christophe Bastie (FRA), Chann McRae (USA) and Justin Granger (AUS) are heading to Roth with thoughts of glory at the “Wimbledon of triathlon.” Bastie was fifth at last year’s Ironman Florida and placed well in European Ironman events in the past two years. He’ll lead a 200-strong swarm of French athletes at Roth – an 880% growth from the 2003 race. A former U.S. Postal rider and Lance Armstrong colleague, McRae has gone from the three big tours in Europe and a U.S. road cycling championship to the swim-bike-run scene – a move that qualified him for Kona on his first try. Granger, husband of second place Ironman Australia finisher and fellow 2004 Challenge Roth competitor Belinda Granger, recently placed ninth at Ironman Australia and notched top ten finishes at Ironman Malaysia and Ironman Korea in 2003. Athletes like these will heat up things up from behind and make the contest for any top ten finish as challenging as the winner’s spot.

“With this class of elite athletes for the 20th anniversary celebration, which will take place on America’s Independence Day, there will without a doubt be fireworks throughout the course on race day,” said TEAMChallenge GmbH president Herbert Walchshöfer. “The depth of this field, as well as the size and quality of the age-group and relay fields, shows that Quelle Challenge Roth is truly a special event.”

While the pros up front will battle for the top ten prize money, age-groupers from around the globe will head to Roth to experience its triathlon rich history, festival atmosphere and storybook Bavarian culture.

Leading the American amateurs to Roth will be Joe Bonness, 48, whose resume is in some ways more impressive than many pros’. At Roth in 1997, he stopped the clock at 9:14.19 for second in his age group after Kalli Nottrott. Bonness has raced 36 ultra-distance races to date, predominantly in the United States, holds nine top-ten overall finishes, eight age-group course records and two overall bike split records spread between 11 different courses. In addition to the various top-dog titles he’s earned from USA Triathlon, Inside Triathlon and Triathlete magazines and elsewhere, what’s most amazing about Iron-Joe is that he’s one of the few athletes in the world, of any age or race classification, to race three iron-distance events in about one month’s time – most athletes are fortunate to peak for one such race in a year. He did it twice. Not only did Iron-Joe finish them, but he blew these races open – 2001: Kona, age-group winner; GFT, overall winner; Panama City Beach, fastest amateur overall (9:11.13). 2003: Kona, fourth in age group; GFT, overall winner; PCB, age-group winner and personal best (9:09.18). Bonness has rivalries with a few Europeans, but they’ve usually met on Iron-Joe’s side of the Atlantic, and this summer he’ll try to beat them on their home course.

With the May 16th closing date for registration drawing near, the field, drawing from 40 nations, is expected to be full with 2,000 single entry participants and 550 relay teams. This brings the total number of participants to 3,650, eclipsing all Ironman events world wide in only its third year as an independent ultra-distance race. Known throughout the triathlon community as a draft-free race, Roth’s racers start in staggered swim waves and the high volume of marshals on the course keeps the drafting down and the course safe for all participants.

The race, said Walchshöfer, feels as strong as ever before. “Sponsorships have grown bigger and better, and we’ve introduced a special event – the fire fighters’ long-distance world championship – for a very special group of heroes including some of the New York firemen, and our on-site and on-line spectators will again be treated to the fascination of premiere triathlon at Roth.” For the second consecutive year, Challenge Roth will also host the Deutsche Triathlon Union (DTU) ultra-distance International German Championship; individual Challenge athletes may elect to also register for this race classification.

Quelle AG, the race’s title sponsor, is Europe’s largest mail order retailer. For years, athletes, media and spectators have often called the race “Quelle,” even when its title was Quelle Ironman Europe and now Quelle Challenge Roth. Sports such as tennis and golf have events known by simply by their sponsors’ names, but elsewhere this is unprecedented. Since the beginning of this 13-year relationship, neither Quelle nor race management imagined the name would stick so well, or that the bond, here, would be so strong.

Quelle Challenge Roth’s sponsors include: Quelle AG, Deutsche Post AG, N-ERGIE, DB Regio, Newline, Nürnberger Nachrichten (Nürnberg Newspapers), Bayrische Versicherungskammer, Maxim, Phillips, Erdinger Alkoholfrei, Sparkasse Mittelfranken-Süd, ADAC, Arndt, Recaro, PowerBar, County of Roth, City of Roth, City of Hilpolstein, Coca-Cola, Frankenbrunnen, Zeus Copy, Paladin, Hofmann, Jura Kaelte, Lorenz & Partner, INKO Energy, Flor & Sohn, Spedition Heinloth, and BIESTMILCH.

For more information on the July 4, 2004, Quelle Challenge Roth and Triathlon Festival, Deutsche Triathlon Union (DTU) ultra-distance International German Championship and Long Distance Triathlon World Championship for Firefighters, or to participate in the on-line forum, and to receive the event’s newsletter, please visit www.challenge-roth.com.