It’s race week for The Championship and it has kicked off with confirmation Gustav Iden will line up this Sunday, 22 May to take on an already strong field of the world’s leading athletes at the x-bionic® sphere in Šamorín, Slovakia.
Iden, currently at number two in the PTO rankings, joins a 50-strong international pro field that also includes Frederic Funk (DEU), Kyle Smith (NZL), Miki Taagholt (DEN) and Pieter Heemeryck (BEL), amongst others. Sadly, defending champion Florian Angert has had to withdraw, a move he said was “devastating”.
Iden knows the 113km course well having competed at last year’s Collins Cup and is looking forward to kicking off his season at The Championship.
“I’m very excited to be back racing here at the amazing venue at the x-bionic sphere!” he said. “After some sickness in the last few weeks, I am very grateful Challenge Family was able to give me this opportunity on such short notice. I don’t expect to be on my all-time high, but still really looking forward to being on the start line for my season opener.”
Winning Women’s Field
In the women’s field, defending champion, Lucy Buckingham, recently third at Anfi Challenge Gran Canaria, has strong competition in the form of Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR), Amelia Watkinson (NZL), Fenella Langridge (GBR), Daniela Bleymehl (DEU), Sara Perez Sala (ESP) and Ashleigh Gentle (AUS).
All already have at least one podium finish to their name in 2022 – Pallant-Browne has two wins at Challenge Riccione and Mallorca 70.3, Langridge has a win at OTSO Challenge Salou, Watkinson a win at Challenge Shepparton and second at Geelong 70.3. Bleymehl a win at IM South Africa, Perez Sala a win at Anfi Challenge Gran Canaria and Gentle a win at Clash Miami.
Over 1,130 athletes from 42 nations will race at The Championship on 22 May with a free-to-air broadcast at www.challenge-family.live. Coverage starts at 8:45am local time with the male pro start at 9:00am and female pro start at 9:10am.
