ENHANCED TEAM ABU DHABI TRIATHLON EYES GLOBAL GLORY

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• Three New Members Added, As Team Set Sights On Abu Dhabi International Triathlon Win

 
Abu Dhabi - Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon – the crack endurance squad backed by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) – has added three new members to its ranks as it looks to broaden its 2010 competition scope.
 
Australia’s Peter Jacobs, Rachel Joyce of the UK and Dutchman Jans Van Berkel have joined the outfit, swelling the team to seven, as it looks to compete across four continents this year, with the full squad expected on the starting line for next month’s inaugural US$250,000 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon (ADIT).
 
And with three of its athletes finishing in the top 10 of 2009’s Ironman World Championship in Hawaii – widely regarded as the sport’s pinnacle – Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon is hoping to put in a winning ADIT performance on 13^th March in the United Arab Emirates’ capital.
 
Speaking from Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon’s winter training base in the emirate’s Oasis City of Al Ain, captain, Faris Al-Sultan - the 2005 Ironman World Champion - said the additions give the squad more opportunities to compete globally and balance its core strengths.
 
“We have nearly doubled the team for 2010, bringing in Jacobs, Joyce and Van Berkel, which gives us so many more options going forward. We are now a far more balanced, international team and broadened our competition scope for events in the USA, Europe, Australia and the Middle East,” said Al-Sultan, who finished 10^th in the recent Hawaii showpiece.
 
“The added depth-of-squad means we can compete in more mainstream events and have an added talent pool to utilise, both in terms of event strength and in training. It also gives us an added advantage in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon as we will be challenging for top honours in the male and female events.”
 
Jacobs, who has a string of international successes including five top-five Ironman finishes and several Half-Ironman victories, is widely considered one of the sport’s top swimmers – demonstrated by an 8^th place in last year’s Hawaii World Championship. 
 
Joyce also had a blistering 2009 season, which saw her notch up two wins, two top three Ironman finishes and a remarkable 6^th place in Hawaii. And Van Berkel - a top short-course expert - is expecting to qualify for the 2010 London Olympics, after an impressive showing in last year’s ITU World Championship series.  
 
 
With ADIT expecting to attract up to 1,000 triathletes, including the world’s top 50, Al-Sultan is cautiously optimistic about the team’s chances on ‘home soil’.
 
“The line-up for the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon is likely to be one of the best we’ll see in 2010, which speaks volumes about the event and the efforts of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. There is no doubt this will be one of the most intense competitions we’ll be a part of this year. We’ve given ourselves every chance, and it is always motivating to be racing in a destination which has given you so much,” he added.
 
ADIT has already secured more than 500 competitors from Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, Americas, North Africa, the Far East, Russia and Africa. It has been tipped as the ‘most hotly anticipated new race in 2010’ by US-based Triathlete magazine, the world's largest triathlon publication, and already boasts one of the top pro-women fields of any event globally.
 
And Al-Sultan believes ADIT’s first-of-its-kind format, with a finishing running leg shorter than typical Ironman events to allow for quicker recovery, as well as the event’s two unique lengths, a testing 223kms ‘pure power’ course and a second 111.5kms route, will continue to attract elites and amateurs alike.
 
“This distance is a major pull for athletes; as it is less punishing in terms of recovery times as a full Ironman event. This means athletes can compete more often. In addition, as a season opening event, it works extremely well as if you went straight into a full Ironman after the winter break; you’d see a lot of injuries, which could really hamper a racer’s season,” he said.
”Also the location of the race in the heart of Abu Dhabi city will be fantastic. Racing past some of the emirate’s most amazing landmarks such as the Emirates Palace and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the world’s largest, will be great as will cycling around the Yas Island Marina Circuit, which is home to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.” .
 
Faisal Al Sheikh, Head - Major Events Division at ADTA, believes the newly-enhanced team lends credibility to the emirate’s adventure athletics’ credentials and its ADIT presence will be a significant incentive for other competitors.
 
“Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon’s strength is that it has grown organically over time and it is a positive sign to see the squad continues to attract like-minded elite athletes to its ranks, as it sets its sights on more competitions throughout 2010,” said Faisal Al Sheikh.
 
“One of our main priorities for this event is to give age group amateurs the chance to race alongside today’s best triathlon athletes - the chance to compete with the elite - which will hopefully foster a greater interest in the sport. Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon and the world’s top racers are role models, and should serve as an inspiration to those with an interest in taking up the sport.”
               
To enhance the accessibility of the event, ADTA has introduced a relay element for the 111.5kms route, where a team of three can each take on a single discipline choosing the 1.5kms swim, a 100kms cycle or a 10kms run, which it believes will be perfect for aspiring athletes and corporate involvement.
 
Both ADIT routes, which are open to amateurs and elites alike, will take in a host of Abu Dhabi city landmarks all under the safety of completely closed roads.
 
Some 1,000 places are available for the inaugural ADIT, charged at US$180 and US$123 for the long and short distances respectively. For further information and to register for ADIT, please go to www.abudhabitriathlon.com
 

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