Fredericia Ready for 2006 ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships

Thursday, 25th May 2006

In just a few days, the ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships will again visit the port city of Fredericia, Denmark for the second time in three years. The athletes will race the 15km run, 90km bike and 7.5km run through the scenic city streets to the expectant cheers of thousands of spectators.

The ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships will be the fourth world championship to be raced in Fredericia in just six years. Add to this two European championships and the city has opened their doors to 6 major international multi-sport championships since 1997.

"We ourselves are quite baffled that we are in fact now facing our fourth world championship," said race director Ole Nikolajsen.  "What looked like an impossible dream back in 1998, to get a world championship to Fredericia, has now almost become a tradition. We are extremely pleased to have been able to cope with four such challenges, and without the many fabulous assistants and great back-up by the entire city, this would have been downright impossible." 

Sixty of the worlds top long distance multi-sport athletes will hit the pavement on Sunday including both current world champions, Benny Vansteelant (BEL) and Erika Csomor (HUN).  Both are back to defend their titles but the large field is prepared to try and stop them. 

Csomor will face stiff competition on the women's side though from pre-race favourite Ulrikke Schwalbe (GER), the winner of the 2004 World Championships in Fredericia on the very same course.

Source:  www.triathlon.org
More info:  http://www.triathlonfredericia.dk/index_e.phtml