<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest articles from Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[GB medal rush in Holten]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5485.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[
The ever large and successful GB age group team were in action this afternoon at the ETU European Triathlon Championships in Holten, Netherlands. The provisional medal tally indicates five gold, nine silver and nine bronze medals, with the full listing below.
These were added to in the Para Triathlon Championships by a further three gold, two silver and three bronze, for a combined total of eight gold, eleven silver and twelve bronze - thirty one medals in total. 
The race, like those at Dorney Lake this weekend, was non-wetsuit. Tri247 columnist James Cracknell finished an excellent eighth in AG35-39. 
We&#039;ll update full results to the database once available. In the interim, provisional results can be found on the race website. 

  
    AGE GROUP TRIATHLON 
  
  
    Ladies
    Gold
    Silver
    Bronze
  
  
    20-24
    Kate Everley 
    &amp;nbsp;
    Nicola Threlfall 
  
  
    25-29    
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    Rebecca Adams 
  
  
    30-34
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    Karen Axelsdottir 
  
  
    35-39
    Shona Girdwood 
    &amp;nbsp;
    Nicola King 
  
  
    40-44
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    Vicki Wade 
  
  
    45-49
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    50-54
    &amp;nbsp;
    Alison Shepherd 
    Beverley Childs 
  
  
    55-59
    &amp;nbsp;
    Roz Layton 
    Christine Glew 
  
  
    60-64
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    65-69
    Hilary Stevenson 
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    70-74
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    Men
    Gold
    Silver
    Bronze
  
  
    18-19
    &amp;nbsp;
    Daniel Bailey 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    20-24
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    25-29
    &amp;nbsp;
    Roger Witz Barnes 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    30-34
    &amp;nbsp;
    Chris Standidge 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    35-39
    &amp;nbsp;
    Chris Stuart 
    Alan Copland 
  
  
    40-44
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    45-49
    &amp;nbsp;
    Stuart Robinson 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    50-54
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    55-59
    Barry Jameson 
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    60-64
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    65-69
    &amp;nbsp;
    Bill Shackcloth 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    70-74
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    Peter Norman 
  
  
    75-79
    Peter Howard 
    Arnott Kidd 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    Sub Total 
    FIVE
    NINE
    NINE
  
  
    PARA TRIATHLON
  
  
    Ladies
    Gold
    Silver
    Bronze
  
  
    TRI 4 
    Clare Cunningham 
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    TRI 6 
    &amp;nbsp;
    Sara Butler 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    MEN
    Gold
    Silver
    Bronze
  
  
    TRI 1 
    David Cooke 
    James Goddard 
    &amp;nbsp;
  
  
    TRI 3 
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    James Smith 
  
  
    TRI 4 
    &amp;nbsp;
    &amp;nbsp;
    Tom Perkins 
  
  
    TRI 6 
    Chris Goodwin 
    &amp;nbsp;
    Haseeb Ahmed 
  
  
    Sub Total 
    THREE
    TWO
    THREE
  
  
    TOTAL
    EIGHT
    ELEVEN
    TWELVE
  


]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Banana man chosen to join Alastair Campbell in triathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5476.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[One lucky athlete has been chosen to join charity Leukaemia Research&amp;rsquo;s  celebrity team and will compete with Alastair Campbell, and Olympic Gold  medallist, Tim Brabants, at the Bananaman Triathlon at Dorney Lake, Eton on  Sunday 12 July.

Tom Day, 33, has been chosen to complete the line up  which will see Tim Brabants swimming, Alastair Campbell, who is the charity&amp;rsquo;s  chairman of fundraising, cycling and Tom will bring the team home with a 7.5km  run for Leukaemia Research the charity dedicated to finding better treatments  and cures for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Tom tragically lost his father, Robert, to acute  lymphoblastic leukaemia on New Year&amp;rsquo;s Day, 2003.

After hearing of his selection Tom said: &amp;ldquo;It feels a bit  weird really. The distance is no trouble at all but my team-mates are really  well-known and I&#039;m just me, just a normal guy; that&amp;rsquo;s the strange thing.&amp;rdquo;

To date Tom has raised &amp;pound;5000 for Leukaemia Research and  in April he made it in to the Guiness Book of Records when he ran the London  Marathon as the first person ever to compete in a full three-piece suit,  complete with bowler hat and moustache! 

It was an achievement made all the more remarkable by the  fact that barely a year earlier Tom underwent a serious operation to remove a  bone tumour from his pelvis, leaving him unable to walk for three months.

Tom has met Alastair before at another Leukaemia Research  event, The London Bikeathon and is confident about competing alongside him at  the Bananaman Triathlon:

&amp;ldquo;I&amp;rsquo;ve raced with Alastair before and I know he&amp;rsquo;s a great  competitor and I think what he does for Leukaemia Research is brilliant. I do  feel a bit apprehensive about Tim &amp;ndash; he&amp;rsquo;s a brilliant swimmer as well as canoer.  I&amp;rsquo;ve seen him training and he has arms like tree-trunk! But I think it will be  really fun, I&amp;rsquo;d be delighted if I could make it to the finish line in 35  minutes.&amp;rdquo;

Alastair says: &amp;ldquo;It&amp;rsquo;s great to have Tom on the team.&amp;nbsp; I know that he has done a lot of fundraising  for Leukaemia Research and he&amp;rsquo;s a competitive guy which is just what we want.&amp;rdquo;

Members of Leukaemia Research&amp;rsquo;s &amp;lsquo;Banana Army&amp;rsquo; triathlon team, so called  because of their bright yellow t-shirts, will also be competing.&amp;nbsp; Kate White, Director of Fundraising for  Leukaemia Research, says: &amp;ldquo;The Bananaman Triathlon is always a fantastic  occasion and with an Olympic Gold medallist in our midst, this year promises to  be even better.&amp;nbsp; We are delighted that  Tom is joining Alastair and Tim and most importantly helping to raise thousands  of pounds for vital research in to blood cancers.&amp;rdquo;]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gomez and Moffatt lead Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Rankings]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5483.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[
Following his fifth place  finish at last weekend&#039;s Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup, 2008 world champion,  Javier Gomez from Spain overtook Great Britain&#039;s Alistair Brownlee to top the  Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series Rankings.
Athletes can utilise results from a range of four Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU  World Championship fixtures or ITU Triathlon World Cups to make up their final  score. With Brownlee relying on his two wins from the Madrid and Washington  legs, Gomez was able to surpass his score with third in Madrid, second in  Washington and then fifth in Hy-Vee.
Emma Moffatt&#039;s win at the Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup is an improvement on  her second place at the Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup from the start of  the season and allows her to stay at the top of the women&#039;s ranking ahead of  compatriot Emma Snowsill. New Zealand&#039;s Andrea Hewitt hangs on to third.
Men&#039;s Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series Ranking

Javier Gomez, ESP. 1628pts
Alistair Brownlee, GBR. 1600pts
Brad Kahlefeldt, AUS. 1536pts
Courtney Atkinson, AUS. 1437pts
Jarrod Shoemaker, USA. 1345pts


Women&#039;s Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series Ranking

Emma Moffatt, AUS. 1840pts
Emma Snowsill, AUS. 1818pts
Andrea Hewitt, NZL. 1545pts
Jessica Harrison, FRA. 1525pts
Juri Ide, JPN. 1448pts


Next week the athletes will descend on Kitzbuhel in Austria for round four of  the Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kerri-Anne Payne to enter Great East Swim]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5475.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[British Olympic swimmer Keri-Anne Payne is the latest Olympian to enter  the inaugural Great East Swim, which takes place at Alton Water near Ipswich this autumn.
The Great East Swim is a one-mile, open-water, mass-participation swim  to be held on Saturday 26th September. Bronze medallist from Beijing, Cassie Patten  has previously announced her participation.
It is part of the Great Swim, a series of similar mass-participation  events open to swimmers of all abilities aged 16 and over that are taking place  throughout the UK.
Keri-Anne, who is taking part, said: &amp;ldquo;I finished second in the Great  North Swim last year behind Cassie and really enjoyed it, so I&amp;rsquo;m really looking  forward to the Great East Swim. Hopefully this time round I can take the  honours.&amp;rdquo;
&amp;ldquo;The event isn&amp;rsquo;t just for elite swimmers, though.&amp;nbsp; It&amp;rsquo;s perfect for  leisure swimmers looking for a new challenge and charity fundraisers searching  for different and quirky ways of raising funds.&amp;nbsp; I look forward to seeing  everyone on the day.&amp;rdquo;
Over 700 people have already signed up to take part in the event, where  waves of swimmers will be set off at intervals throughout the course of the day  and the Great East Swim is set to become one of the biggest events of its kind  in the country.
Further information, including entry details, can be found at www.greatswim.org]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[RAF Profile: CORPORAL JASE WALKLEY - WEAPONS TECHNICIAN]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5341.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[




Ever considered combining an exciting career in the Royal Air Force with your triathlon aspirations? Do you know just how many different and varied opportunities the RAF can offer you? Our new series will bring you the story of several RAF triathletes, and how they have been able to combine their work with their sporting passion. To find out more, check out www.raf.mod.uk/careers  



  CORPORAL JASE WALKLEY - WEAPONS TECHNICIAN

  
    
      
      I  joined the Royal Air Force on 5th January 2000 and was part of the  first course to pass through RAF Halton in the new millennium. After passing  out of the seven week Basic Recruit training course I moved to Defence College of  Aeronautical Engineering, Cosford, which is where I completed my trade training  course to become a Weapons Technician. Whilst at Cosford I represented the  station playing football and really enjoyed the compulsory PT lessons we had  during the course. I was also selected to play rugby for the RAF U23 team  against England  at Twickenham; unfortunately I was unable to attend that game.
        After  15 months&amp;rsquo; trade training I was posted to 56(R)Squadron at RAF Coningsby. This proved to be a very busy flight line as  it was the Tornado F3 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) where the RAF train  their pilots and navigators to fly fast jets.  I continued to play football at station level over the two years I was  there and managed to go away on detachment several times with the squadron to  Denmark, Cyprus and Lossiemouth; these were hard work but also allowed plenty  of time to &amp;lsquo;let your hair down&amp;rsquo;.
    
  
  In  2003 I was posted to RAF Marham in Norfolk  where I worked in a small team of Armourers servicing the 27mm Mauser cannon,  this is the aircraft machine gun used on the fast jets. This also gave me the  opportunity to travel around quite a bit too, I spent time in Las   Vegas, Minneapolis, China Lake and Maine  all in the USA for a while  and back home we regularly went to Tenby in South Wales  to test fire our newly serviced cannons. 
  I then received my notice to serve four months in British Forces Falkland Islands, so it was back onto Tornado F3 fast  jets again and I can honestly say that I had one of the best times so far in my  Royal Air Force career. It was here that  I started to ramp up my training regime.  On my return to the UK  I took part in my first triathlon, held at RAF Cranwell, I enjoyed this race  immensely and I had officially caught the triathlon &amp;lsquo;bug&amp;rsquo;.
  In  January 2007 I gained my promotion to Corporal, and was posted to 25 (F)  Squadron at RAF Leeming. This is where I  took the triathlon business seriously, by the end of the 2007 season I had  represented the Royal Air Force at the Inter Services Championships and had  qualified to represent Great    Britain at both Sprint and Long Distance  World Championships. I then had the opportunity to spend a week away with the  RAF triathlon squad on a pre-season warm weather training camp held at Club La  Santa, Lanzarote, which was an opportunity to get some good training in away  from the cold, wet weather back home in the UK.
  
    
      
      February  2008 saw 25(F) Squadron disband and I was posted to DCAE Cosford on  instructional duties, a post I volunteered for. Shortly after arriving I spent  a week in Lanzarote again with the RAF tri squad for training before I had to  spend another four months in the Falklands. 
        Going  away to the Falklands meant I had to miss the World Sprint Championships in Vancouver, Canada;  this was through my own choice even though the RAF said they would get me home  from the Falklands to represent Great    Britain.
    
  
  On  my return to the UK, I again  represented the Royal Air Force at the Inter Services Championships and the  season finished with a trip to Holland  to race in the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. I performed better  than I ever thought I was capable of and finished seventh in my age  group. This result meant I have also  qualified to represent Great Britain  at the Long Distance European Championships held in Prague later this year.
  Throughout  my career the RAF Sports Lottery, my station Physical Education Flights and my  workplaces have supported me either with valuable financial support or with  time away from work to train and race across both the UK and the World. Without this  support my triathlon experience would not be the same, I feel very fortunate to  be able to race and train; and receive the full backing of the Royal Air Force. 
  Does this sound like the career and lifestyle for you?&amp;nbsp; Find out more about career and sports  opportunities in the RAF at www.raf.mod.uk/careers or call 0845 605 5555.
  





  
    To find out more about careers opportunities in the RAF click here
  To see how you can get involved with triathlon in the RAF click here



  For other RAF career profiles in this series, see:
  
FLT LT VICKY WEBB &ndash; PMRAFNS
CPL JOHN &amp;ldquo;ROBBO&amp;rdquo; ROBINSON - RAF REGIMENT
  WARRANT OFFICER BEV CHILDS
  
  



]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[THE Weekend preview...]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5461.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A BIG weekend deserves a BIG preview. Get your coffee, put your feet up, switch the phone off and check out what&#039;s on this weekend. Of course, we can&#039;t help making our usual prediction or six... 
Friday 
The weekend starts early, with what may well be the biggest domestic race of the weekend. The King Sturge Property Triathlon at Dorney lake could mean that your local estate agency will be a few bodies light on Friday. They will also be swimming without wetsuits, as the great weather has resulted in a wetsuit ban at Dorney this weekend.
Also on Friday is the third Canford Evening Aquathlon - another win for Tracy Cook? 
Saturday
A busy Saturday, with the always large GB Age Group team looking to perform well at the ETU European Champs in Holten, Netherlands. Day two of the busy weekend at Dorney Lake sees the &#039;woman and children&#039; take centre stage. The Timex WomenOnly events offer a ranges of distances, including relays, while the equally popular Children&#039;s Open Water Tri will see many of the  top athletes from around the country racing.
The first race of the day is the third OWS Aquathlon at Liquid Leisure, while there is triathlon of the off-road variety at Cymmer with the Afan Forest Off Road Triathlons.
Those who like to go long don&#039;t need to wait until Sunday, as the Cleveland Steelman Middle Distance takes place on Saturday. At the other end of the distance scale, the Norwich Junior Triathlon completes the Saturday calendar. 
BIG Sunday! 
Well, if Friday and Saturday provide the starter, we have a feast of a main course to tuck in to on Sunday. Long course or short, certainly something for everyone...
International
Well, the ITU boys and girls, quite rightly, have grabbed the bulk of the pro headlines of late. The introduction of the World Championship Series, followed by the Hy-Vee Elite Cup last weekend has - for the moment at least - revitalised a format that only last year we were questioning. While draft-legal, standard distance triathlon may not be everyone&#039;s viewing preference, there hasn&#039;t been too much &#039;standard&#039; about the sprint finishes we&#039;ve witnessed in Korea, Madrid and Des Moines. Add in the from-the-gun racing of Brownlee, Gomez and Co we witnessed in Madrid and Washington breaking up the stereotypical race formula of &#039;mass pack arrives in T2 for a wet run&#039; and we suspect that the ITU must be very happy with the 2009 season to date. 
At the centre of much of that of course has been 21 year old Brit Alistair Brownlee. Two WCS wins from two starts has left him as one of the most talked about names in the sport. This week he&#039;ll be seeking to add the ETU European Triathlon Championship to the World Junior and World Under-23 titles already on his impressive CV. Alistair is joined on Sunday by Ironman UK 70.3 winner Phil Graves and Aaron Harris, silver medal winner at the National Elite Champs. No doubting who the team leader is there, and while there&#039;s been no official announcement, it seems logical that one or both are present as domestiques for Al. Given Phil&#039;s incredible cycling prowess, his biggest challenge of the day may be staying close enough on the swim to put it to good use! Such tactics of course wouldn&#039;t be new to National Coach Joel Filliol, having used Colin Jenkins in the same role supporting Simon Whitfield at the Beijing Olympics, while head of the Canadian squad.
The French team dominated last year, and gold and silver medal winners Frederic Belaubre and Tony Moulai return as part of a very strong squad. Like Al, all bar one of their five men missed the Hy-Vee Elite Cup last week, so will be very focussed here. Javier Gomez (ESP) did race last week, and it will be interesting to see if he can recover from the tough racing and travel to make an impact.
Hollie Avil and Vanessa Raw make up a small GB ladies team. Having had a mechanical in Madrid, Hollie hasn&#039;t raced much so far this year but don&#039;t be surprised to see her very competitive here. Vanessa also had a very strong swim-bike in Madrid, more team tactics here perhaps? With luck, we&#039;ll also see the return to competition of Vanessa Fernandes, who has missed the first half of the year recovering from a broken collar bone. Daniela Ryf (SUI), Lisa Norden (SWE) and former Brit Jessica Harrison (FRA) are the other headline names to watch. 
While the short course athletes may have had the headlines so far, a huge Ironman double weekend of Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman Europe, and Karnten Ironman Austria might start to wrestle back some of the press!
In Germany, Macca is back. Without any question, Chris McCormack is one of the all time greats of triathlon, male or female, at any distance, ever, and he is still firing on all cylinders. This year he seems to have approached racing with an &#039;any time, any place, any where&#039; attitude, treating 70.3 racing in the way most might manage sprints! Singapore, China, Hawaii, Austria, Germany, France and the USA are just some of his racing destinations already this year. Very successful it&#039;s been too, with plenty of wins, including Challenge France a few weeks back where he described his performance and form as &amp;quot;unbeatable&amp;quot;.
Last year Macca went sub-8 hours in Frankfurt, and may have to do the same again to beat a field including Eneko Llanos (ESP), Timo Bracht (GER), Faris Al Sultan (GER), Andreas Raelert and Terrenzo Bozzone (NZL). We still think the Aussie will prevail...
The ladies race, on paper at least, should be a showdown between the fastest &#039;Ironman&#039; woman ever, Sandra Wallenhorst (GER) and the fastest Iron-distance (!) athlete ever, Yvonne van Vlerken (NED). Sandra recorded 8:47:26 at Ironman Austria last year, while Yvonne finished in 8:45:48 at Quelle Challenge Roth. Will either of them be able to match the 8:51:24 of Chrissie Wellington on the same course last year? We doubt it... 
Ironman Austria was particularly successful for the Brits last year, with Stephen and Bella Bayliss both securing second position, both setting British Ironman record times (8:13:53 and 8:51:17 respectively) in the process. Both are back again, as is multiple winner Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL), who has already won Ironman South Africa this year, and finished an incredibly close second to Macca at Ironman 70.3 St P&amp;ouml;lten. Marino must start favourite again to secure a fourth consecutive win. Bella&#039;s teamTBB team mate, Lucie Zelenkova, could be the biggest challenge between her and another Ironman win. 
Craig Twigg, and regular Tri247 contributor Rich Brady are the other British/Irish pro athletes listed. Rich is aiming for a sub-9 hour result, and a new Irish record, and they are joined by a HUGE contingent of British age groupers at this incredibly popular race, including Tri247 columnist Will Newbery. 
Domestic Racing
The Dorney Lake express continues on Sunday, with the second event named &#039;Steelman&#039; of the weekend. Remember, this was the race won in a sub two hour time last year by double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell. Times might be a little slower without wetsuits this time around!
One of the perennial favourites on the domestic calendar, the Bournemouth International (plus Sprint) takes place on Sunday, while there is also standard distance racing at the Norwich Triathlon (plus Sprint and Relay). 
The Todmorden Triathlon offers sprint, novice and children&#039;s races, and there are further junior events at Crewkerne, Swindon, Derby and Faringdon (Vale Tridents).
Eastnor Castle hosts a Classic and Middle Distance, while the Hawick Triathlon caters for Sprint and Novice races.
Aquathletes have an interesting swim-run-swim sea swim format at the Eclipse Leisure Brighton Beach Aquathlon.
We&#039;ll try and bring you updates, results and news as soon as we can across the weekend, so do check back regularly for your one-stop-shop on the latest triathlon news. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[James Cracknell makes GB triathlon debut]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5482.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Already acknowledged for his passion  for sporting challenges, James Cracknell makes his GB Age Group triathlon debut this weekend at the 2009 Holten ETU Triathlon European Championships in the  Netherlands. 
Cracknell, already well known on  the British triathlon circuit will no doubt be seen as a strong contender  by fellow competitors as they line up for the 35-39 year age group  race. Winning a European triathlon medal however, to sit inside what must  be an enviable trophy cabinet will be no easy task for Cracknell, as age  group triathlon racing is keenly contested worldwide. 
Cracknell is part of a team of 251  age group athletes, hoping to bring home more than the 21 European medals won  in Lisbon last year. Juliet Vickery (45-49) and Peter Howard (75-70)  travel as defending European Champions whilst Shona Forest (35-39) and Liz  Clegg (50-54) will hope to change the silver medals won in 2008 to gold in  2009. 
Age Group racing takes place on  Saturday 4 July and is followed on Sunday 5 July with the 2009 Holten ETU  Triathlon European Championships.
The 2009 Holten ETU Triathlon  European Championships are contested over the standard distance of a 1500m  swim, 40km bike and 10km run.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[British go Dutch]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5481.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Great Britain team travel to the Netherlands this weekend (4 and 5 July) as Beijing Olympic pairing of Alistair  Brownlee and Hollie Avil lead the GB team as they hope to bring home  the medals in the 2009 Holten ETU Triathlon European Championships. The Elite  team will be joined by a squad of 251 Great Britain Age Group athletes  including fellow Olympian and double gold medallist James Cracknell who  will be making his debut for the team.
Brownlee is the man to watch having  taken back to back victories in the 2009 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World  Championship Series. Alistair&amp;rsquo;s progression has been impressive since finishing  15th in these championships last year and 12th in the  Beijing Olympics. Brownlee has had success on the European stage before winning  the Junior Men&#039;s ETU Triathlon European Championship in 2007.
There will also be sibling rivalry  as Alistair&amp;rsquo;s younger brother Jonathan Brownlee, will be looking to  replicate his brothers success in 2007 and win the Junior Men&amp;rsquo;s ETU Triathlon  European Championship. Jonathan won gold at the Australia Youth Olympic  Festival earlier this year, and will be looking to improve on last year&amp;rsquo;s ETU  Triathlon European Championship bronze medal.
Talking to Alistair about his  appearance in the event, he commented &amp;ldquo;I am really looking forward to the ETU  Triathlon European Championships this weekend. The race is going to be very  tough as the organisers have  created an interesting course with some of the run off road.&amp;rdquo;
Fellow Beijing Olympian Hollie Avil  will be making her first appearance in the Senior ETU Triathlon European  Championships. Avil has an impressive CV, winning the Junior Women&amp;rsquo;s titles at  both the Hamburg BG Triathlon World Championships and the ETU Triathlon  European Championships in 2007.
Avil is looking forward to the event adding: &amp;ldquo;This is the first time I  have raced at the senior ETU Triathlon European Championships so it will be a  great experience. There are a lot of top athletes in the field so it will be a  tough race - I am really excited about the whole event.&amp;rdquo;
Aaron Harris and Phil Graves join Alistair in  the men&#039;s team with both athletes making their Senior International debuts.  Phil Graves has been in a rich vein of form, and is the current leader of the  Taut National Ranking Series and won the UK Ironman 70.3 last month. 

Vicky Graves, Phil&amp;rsquo;s sister  will add to the family feel of the event as she will be competing in the Junior  Women&amp;rsquo;s race earlier in the day. Vicky won the Junior Women&amp;rsquo;s ETU Duathlon  European Championships in Budapest earlier this year and will look to add  another European title to her name in Holten.

Harris has also been performing  well in the British Triathlon Super Series finishing second in Strathclyde  Country Park and third in the Mazda Blenheim Triathlon.
Vanessa Raw who competed in  the Senior 2008 ETU Triathlon European Championships will also travel to Holten  and be able to add her experience to the all English team. 
In the Junior event Vicky Graves  will be joined by Sophie Coleman who finished second in the Australia  Youth Olympic Festival in the women&#039;s race and Josh Daniels and Tom  Bishop will join Jonathan in the Men&amp;rsquo;s Junior race.
British Triathlon Performance  Director, Heather Williams commented: &amp;ldquo;This is the second major Championship of  the year and we will be looking to replicate our success from the ETU Duathlon  European Championships in May and win medals in both the Age Group and Elite  races in Holten.&amp;rdquo;
The elite athletes will be joined  by a Great British Age Group team all looking to return from Holten with  medals. Last year&amp;rsquo;s team won 21 European medals in the competition with two  athletes Juliet Vickery (45-49) and Peter Howard (70-75) coming back to defend  their titles in Holten. 
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Race the Mazda London Triathlon with Sparks]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5480.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[More and more people are taking to  the water, jumping on their bikes and slipping on their running shoes to join  us for the world&#039;s largest triathlon event. Whether you fancy a challenge  or just a bit of fun, the Mazda London Triathlon is just for you! Its perfect  for the beginner or the more experienced competitors and you can take part  alone or as part of a team. 
As a participant  you will benefit from



Sparks Race Pack &amp;ndash; including a running vest
Sparks Fundraising Pack &amp;ndash; including fundraising guide with  tips and advice and sponsorship forms
Cheer Squad around the track &amp;ndash; lots of encouragement as you  are running! 
Full support from a dedicated member of the Sparks team  &amp;ndash; through emails, phone calls and in person



Sparks have  guaranteed places in this event so please contact us to reserve your place! If you have any further questions or  concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me on either kags@sparks.org.uk or 020 7340 0695 ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rotor launches 3D crankset]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_5479.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Rotor plans to complement its &amp;Aacute;gilis cranks, with the launch of the new 3D crank as its flagship standard crankset before the 2009 end of season trade shows.
Rotor&#039;s aim is to offer two competitive products with its expanded collection, with the &amp;Aacute;gilis catering to the middle of the crankset market and the 3D catering to the high end. Having been designed with the sole aim of fulfilling the requirements of the most demanding and powerful athletes like the Cervelo TestTeam&amp;rsquo;s Thor Hushovd, the 3D crank will offer consumers exceptional rigidity coupled with a competitive weight, while the &amp;Aacute;gilis will continue to offer is distinctive tuning look and impressive performance at its current price point.   
&amp;quot;Several months of scrutinous internal testing preceded the wildly successful competition launch of the 3D cranks at the Giro d&amp;rsquo;Italia, where they whipped up a storm with four separate stage victories&amp;rdquo;, said Phillip Lucas, Sales manager of ROTOR Bike Components. &amp;quot;At the moment we are finalizing testing on pre-production models with professional athletes and doing &#039;hands off&#039; trials with select end-users spread over several continents, in the worst real world conditions we can find.&amp;rdquo;   
Rotor reports that feedback from both the Cervelo TestTeam and its worldwide network of distributors has been excellent, so shops can expect to see the first batch of sample cranks in the coming month or so. If the project continues to surpass all requirements as it has done up until today, it is not unrealistic for consumers to expect to see the first cranks available for sale in shops as early as during the Tour de France, with the latest possible launch date being before the end of season trade shows.   ]]></description></item></channel></rss>