New colours: Gustav Iden links up with Kienle and co at hep sports team

Chief Correspondent

The PTO’s world ranked #1 triathlete, Gustav Iden will be showcasing some new colours during what will be an action packed 2022 season.

The Norwegian, who with two IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship titles and the PTO 2020 Championship has dominated the middle distance landscape for the past three seasons, is the third international athlete to join the German hep sports team.

hep – who specialise in solar energy – develop, build, operate and finance solar parks across the world and have had an established triathlon team for several years now. Under their ‘there is no planet b’ tagline, German stars including Sebastian Kienle and Laura Philipp have been sporting the hep Green colours alongside Imogen Simmonds (SUI) and Daniel Bækkegård (DEN).

The addition of Iden, the 25-year-old Norwegian sensation, means they now have two of the three IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship men’s podium from St George in 2021, on their roster.

Gustav Iden 2021 Collins Cup
Gustav Iden en route to winning his race at the 2021 Collins Cup in Samorin, Slovakia.

While the season is indeed stacked in terms of racing options, the first primary goal of Iden will be the delayed 2021 IRONMAN World Championship, which will see a return for Gustav to Utah in May 2022.

“I am incredibly happy to be part of hep. The mentality of the people who work here and the work they do fit perfectly with my beliefs.

“As a passionate nature lover, I am convinced that renewable energies are indispensable. As a global expert in solar energy, hep helps us all move in the right direction — “because there is no planet b”.

Sebastian Kienle has long been an admirer of the talent of Iden, and it would be no surprise to me, if he was instrumental in initiating this relationship.

While the 2014 IRONMAN World Champion will be wanting to beat his new teammate in what will be his final ‘championship’ season, could there be additional value to Iden in his aims at winning both World Championship events in St George this year? Consider this – few athletes have more experience racing at the highest levels, head-to-head against Jan Frodeno than Kienle. If Iden can access that extensive knowledge bank so early in his career…

The plot lines continue. 2022 really could be the greatest season we’ve ever seen.

The Championship 2019 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
Sebastian Kienle in hep sports team colours
Latest News
IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells 2021 podium - Danielle Lewis, Tamara Jewett, Ali Brauer
“I am always aiming for the podium” – Tamara Jewett ready for Oceanside battle
Ben Kanute IRONMAN Arizona 2022 [Photo credit Patrick McDermott Getty Images for IRONMAN]
Stars aligning for Ben Kanute as he aims for third Oceanside title
Kat Matthews at the Sub7Sub8 Project in 2022.
‘I struggle to see the finish line without crying’ – Kat Matthews on her return
Jan Frodeno Zwift Tri Battle Royale 2021
No GOAT: Jan Frodeno is ruled OUT of Oceanside 70.3 return
IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2022: Men's podium - Jackson Laundry, Lionel Sanders, Rudy Von Berg
Laundry prepared to defend title against top field at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside