WTS Kitzbühel Features Unique Course, Competitive Field

This weekend’s ITU World Triathlon Series in Kitzbühel will showcase top athletes in a unique race format on a tough course.

It’s set to be one of the most unique races in the history of the ITU World Triathlon Series, that’s before even factoring in the stellar elite line-ups in Kitzbühel this Saturday. Instead of the usual Olympic distance format of a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run, this year’s race in the small Austrian alpine town has been designed around the famous Kitzbühel horn, with a 750m swim, followed by a 11.5km cycle leg and a further 2.5km run that together include over one kilometer of climbing. Kitzbühel will also host the first race of 2013 where all three London Olympic men’s medalists will race, and 9 of the top 10 women in the world are also on the start list as the WTS starts to reach the pointy end of the 2013 season.

Kitzbühel is significant when it comes to the 2013 WTS series, as it’s the first time 2013 that the London 2012 Olympic men’s podium will hit the start line together. While Jonathan Brownlee, Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez have so far won each of the four titles between them this year, it’s the first time the sport’s three heavyweights line-up against each other this year. What’s more, this race could be critical when it comes to calculating the overall 2013 ITU World Championship.

The USA’s Gwen Jorgensen has been on fire so far this year and will toe the start line in the No.1 in Austria, but how she has won so far throws up questions about this race. Each time, she’s started with a deficit from the leaders on the bike leg and then used her brilliant 10km run splits to reel in those in front. In Kitzbühel, there is only 2.55km of running track to do that. Unless Jorgensen can leave T2 with the leaders she might not have enough ground to catch them up.

Read the complete preview at Triathlon.org.

 PHOTOS: Olympic Favorites Go 1-2-3 In Kitzbühel

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