After Ironman granted her a late entry all eyes will be on home girl Nicola Spirig at this weekends 70.3 Switzerland. She would now be considered favorite having won here twice (2007,2012) and runner up in 2008. This will be Nicola’s first foray into triathlon this year having only competed in Duathlon, Marathon, 10k & cross country so far this campaign.
Spirig won’t have it all her own way as the other girls haven’t come here just to yodel up the canyon! Fellow swiss miss Daniela Ryf will no doubt match Spirig in the swim but once on the bike expect these two girls to be ridden hard by both Denmark’s Michelle Vesterby and Brit Pro cyclist Emma Pooley. Also never write off a German and in this case two, Anja Beranek & Nicole Woysch will be happy to sit back and watch the fireworks up front before there final attack with 5k to go.
In the mens event Ronnie Schildknecht, Jan Van Berkel, Matthias Hecht, Reudi Wild and Mike Schifferle will all try and defend home turf. Claiming neutrality won’t help this time as the rest of Europe is here to take the Bank. Leading the charge Andreas Dreitz (GER) and Bart Aernouts (BEL) both athletes on form in early season. More Germans in attack mode will be Michael Göhner and Boris Stein will not being content with bringing up the rear.
Pro Men:
1.Ronnie Schildknecht SUI (Switzerland)
2.Jan Van Berkel SUI (Switzerland)
3.Bart Aernouts BEL (Belgium)
4.Boris Stein GER (Germany)
5.Andreas Dreitz GER (Germany)
7.Mike Schifferle SUI (Switzerland)
11.Christian Funk GER (Germany)
12.Mauro Bärtsch SUI (Switzerland)
13.Ludovic Le Guellec FRA (France)
14.James Third GBR (Great Britain)
15.Richard Whitfield GBR (Great Britain)
16.Francisco Fernández-Cortés ESP (Spain)
17.Jonas Bergkvist SWE (Sweden)
20.Lukáš Polan CZE (Czech Republic)
21.Hanness Vandermoere BEL (Belgium)
22.Joerie Vansteelant BEL (Belgium)
23.Jacob Frandsen DEN (Denmark)
Pro Women:
51.Nicole Woysch GER (Germany)
52.Sabrina Mohn SUI (Switzerland)
53.Alexandra Tondeur BEL (Belgium)
54.Nicole Klingler LIE (Liechtenstein)
41.Michelle Vesterby DEN (Denmark)
42.Daniela Ryf SUI (Switzerland)
43.Céline Schärer SUI (Switzerland)
44.Anja Beranek GER (Germany)
46.Karina Ottosen DEN (Denmark)
47.Angela Kühnlein GER (Germany)
48.Judith Mess GER (Germany)
49.Anna Halasz HUN (Hungary)
50.Evi Neuscheler GER (Germany)
56.Emma Pooley GBR (Great Britain)
57.Nicola Spirig SUI (Switzerland)