Challenge Gdansk: Battle of the Baltic for British Triathletes
Gdansk the city on the Baltic coast of northern Poland will hold CHALLENGEGDANSK this week-end on Sunday 20 June. This middle-distance triathlon race will take place next to the Baltic Sea and includes a spectacular finish on the city pier. This is another PTO supported event adding additional €13,000 to the existing prize purse to make the total pot €32,000.
Athletes will start their race from a beach at the Baltic Sea with a 1.9km swim. The bike course of 90km consists of three flat and fasts laps where athletes pass, among other things, the Energa Stadion – which was used during the EURO2012 soccer tournament – and the unique part of the course passing through the famous tunnel under the Vistula river. The run course of 21.1km takes athletes along the beautiful Gdansk beach, with a spectacular finish at the Gdansk Prior Pier.
From a British perspective interest will be on the men and women contingent on the start list. As PTO Professionals they will also be able to earn vital points as they battle for a coveted automatic qualification spot for the Collins Cup or possibly obtain a Captain’s Pick by attracting the attention of Team Europe captains.
On the starting line-up for the men are three former GB elite international short-course athletes who have crossed over to ply their trade in long distance triathlon.They are:
James Teagle a former GB elite international on short-course who impressed at Challenge Gran Canaria coming 8th in a field full of top Pro’s like Jan Frodeno, and Patrick Lange and took bronze at the recent PTO sponsored Dorney Lake Long-Distance Triathlon. Teagle is now famed for the viral video of him missing the finishing chute at the Santander Triathlon and his rival runner allowing him to pass to take third place. However, he will not, on this occasion, be looking for sportsman gestures to make the podium at Gdansk. His sole aim will be to improve his credentials as a long-distance triathlete.
Sam Wade is another former GB elite international who between 2012-15 was the most successful British Universities multi-sport athlete in the UK picking up eight individual BUCS medals including three championship titles and raced in the World University Championships in Brazil. At the PTO sponsored Dorney Lake Long-Distance race he came seventh and will be looking to improve upon that at Gdansk. At age 28 Wade has put to one side his teaching career to concentrate on being a full-time professional long course athlete. At Gdansk he will be looking to replicate his first professional international podium at 2019 Challenge Lisboa.
Mark Buckingham is a four-time British National Champion in duathlon and triathlon and has medals at both European and World Cup triathlon competitions. His journey has taken his from athlete to coach and is one of the coaches for Team England Triathlon for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. However, once an athlete always an athlete, as the 34 year old looks to transfer his winning ways to the longer distance event at Gdansk.
Also in the line up is:
Will Munday who saw his first proper season of racing in 2014 in short-course triathlon and having made the leap into longer distance found himself to be the fastest British age-grouper at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2019. In the 2020, season he picked up his Pro-card and is now racing 70.30 distance as a professional triathlete. At PTO supported Dorney Lake Triathlon he added to his point tally for ranking crossing the line in 13th place.
Tom Davis the winner at the PTO sponsored Dorney Lake Long-Distance race was on the start list but has withdrawn to concentrate on the 2021 Ironman UK event.
In the men’s race, many eyes will be on the Spaniard Pablo Gonzalez Dapenais one of the most exciting talents on the long-distance triathlon scene. The Spaniard who is in the BMC Pro Triathlon Team powered by 2XU has competed in several Challenge Family races in recent months, but has not managed to win a race this season finishing second at both Challenge Gran Canaria and Challenge Riccione. However, the runner up of the 2019 Long Distance ITU World Championship has the race pedigree to change all that at Gdansk.
Another major contender will be South African Matt Trautman, who perhaps is more of a long-distance specialist (he won Challenge Almere-Amsterdam in 2019, setting a course record of 7:50:15), but can also do well over the middle distance. Others who have the potential to claim victory on the day are Germany’s Marcus Herbst and Franz Loeschke, Cyril Viennot (FR), Alessandro Degasperi (IT) and Evert Scheltinga (NL).
Among the women we expect to see some fierce competition between four world class athletes: Lucy Hall (GBR), Judith Corachan (ESP), Lisa Norden (SWE) and Sarissa de Vries (NL).
The British women’s contingent on the start list are:
Lucy Hall is an Olympian and known for being one of the fastest swimmers in the sport medalling gold at both European and World Cup short course triathlon competitions. She is also renown as a bike-beast and can power down with best of them. Her run was never really suited to sprint distance but her style of endurance running fits well with the longer distance so she will be one of the favourites to take the win at Gdansk. At the PTO sponsored Dorney Lake Long-Distance race she was second behind Lucy Charles-Barclay. They went head-to-head over the swim and bike section with Charles- Barclay marginally taking the win with the stronger run.
Chantel Cummings is an ex-GB junior rower turned professional long-distance triathlete. Fresh from her 4th place at the PTO supported 140.6INN International Triathlon she will be looking for the podium that has eluded her over the last few seasons having come 4th in no fewer than 5 of her last 9 races. With a strong swim and run Chantel will need to start dropping the watt bombs on the bike section if she is to achieve that goal in Gdansk
Hana Kolarova is a former short course athlete finishing 11th in the British Elite National Championship in 2017. Born in the Czech Republic but now based in the United Kingdom, Kolarova finished her first long distance race in 2017 at Hever Castle Triathlon and came 2rd. She will be looking to rekindle and improve on her 2019 performances where she took 8th place in both Challenge Davos and Challenge Heilbroon.
Dutchwoman Sarissa De Vries will strong favourites having picked up second spot at Challenge Gran Canaria and bettering that in her next race with a win at Challenge Riccione. She has taken time-out from racing to focus on the race in Gdansk, nonetheless, the field has strength in deep with Hall (GBR), Corachan (ESP) and Norden (SWE) all equal favourites to take the win.
Germany’s Carolin Lehrieder and Margie Santimaria are also on the start list and could contend for the win as will local favourite Ewa Komander racing on home-turf with the support of a home crowd.
