Cervélo

Xena wins 70.3 Philippines to add to her Golden 2012 Season!

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 21:11:18 GMT

Caroline Steffen, Xena, of Alaska teamTBB Philippines strikes gold again. She has been on a tear in 2012 winning just about every race and a world title! She added another 70.3 title this weekend to her season haul that includes an ITU world title from last weekend as well as her Ironman wins at IM Melbourne and IM Germany. As has become typical, Caroline dictated the pace all day with an amazing swim coming out in the front pack behind the leader then took control on the bike and never looked back. Leading off the bike, Xena used a great run leg to take the win easily over the other women’s competitors. On the men’s side, Mathieu O’Halloran also of Alaska teamTBB Philippines had a great day finishing on the podium in 3rd place.

Congrats on another win Xena! We look forward to watching you race at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships! One world title down one to go in 2012!

Race Preview - August 4th-5th, 2012

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:59:25 GMT

This weekend sees teamTBB participating in the Ostseman Triathlon in Germany

Ostseeman Triathlon, Germany
Sunday August 5th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Christian Nitschke

German team superstar Christian is ready to defend his title at the Ostseeman Triathlon. This will be Christian's third time doing the race and hopefully he will come away with his third win. Last year, Christian faced tough weather and won in a course record time. He is hoping to be even better this year and has been building momentum since his 4th place finish at 70.3 Norway and 2nd at Greenhell Triathlon.

Christian reported in that he is very excited. He said, "this weekend it is time for my third win at Ostseeman triathlon, which was my breakthrough race two years ago. I´m very excited to race there again; it is not far from home with the same conditions I´m training in 90% of the year. I had some good weeks of training after 70.3 Haugesund Norway and feel fit for a fast race. There are some local heros hwo will try to make it a hard day for me. You never now, in 2010 Jo was quite sure to win that race easilly and suddenly I did... I´m prepared for a fast race, especially a fast marathon. Its a rolling 6 loop bike course with some little hills and a lot of corners, but I know it by heart. The marathon can be a little hard with its 400m of elevation, but I love that 5 loop run. It looks like its going to be perfekt conditions on sunday with about 24°C and a lot of sunshine. Its just a chance for eastern wind which is allways very nasy up here ;-). Last year the wind was at 60-70km/hr during the entire day and the swim got almost canceled... Its going to be much better this year and I will try to break my own course record which is at 8:26."

Best of luck Chrisitan and hope to see you back on top of podium for your third Osteeman title this weekend!

Find out more:www.ostseeman.de

Xena gets her 2nd World Title!

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:52:15 GMT

Xena grabbed another world title this weekend at the ITU Long Distance World Championship in Spain. After winning the Asian Pacific Ironman championship race in Melboure and backing up with a win at Ironman Frankfurt, Xena grabbed another world title to add to her 2010 ITU Long Distance Title and showed that she will be the one to beat in Kona! Joining Xena, James struggled this weekend and wasn't able to have another result like his amazing sub 8 hour Irondistance win at Challenge Roth.

Xena reported in that "this race was just a masterpiece of Bretts tactic and my implement. He make it so so easy for us TBB athletes. The only thing we have to do is ... doing what he is saying, how simply is that!! I had a great swim with only 2min down to the leader Jodie (which is pretty good for me), so I`m happy whit that because it showes me we are on a good way to improve my swim. Had a soled bike leg (nothing to exciting which showes me, I have to work harder on that part). Start the run as leader and keeped the pace hight till end of lap 2 ... where I realized I`ve to run 4laps not 3laps which I thought. Little shock for the system but hei, what should I do? Got my head back in and thought who cares I will survive the last lap somehow. I am over the moon to get the titel back in Swiss hands. Welcome at the 2013 TBB camp in Mooloolaba."

James had a difficult day but has a positive attitude knowing this is only a blip on his way to a great finish for 2012. He said,"I got tangled in a web of sea weed (lake weed?) 100m in to the swim, and lost the front pack. Game over. End of story. ...Ok, so I rode hard to try to make up the time, but riding solo in a head wind (the whole way - how is that possible?!) against a group ahead was never really going to happen. Ran a few laps to see how many were falling apart and if I could salvage anything, but they didn't and I couldn't. I am bummed with my day, but there were very impressive crowds here in Vitoria-Gastiez and a great race venue. It just wasn't my day today. But you can't win them all, right? Not yet anyway."

Congrats to Xena World Champion Again! And way to hang tough all day James, we know you'll be back on top in no time.

Find out more: http://www.triatlonvitoria.com/

2012 ITU Long Distance World Championships
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain / July 29, 2012
4k swim / 120k bike / 30k run

Top men

1. Chris McCormack (AUS) 5:29:47
2. Eneko Llanos (ESP) 5:31:39
3. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 5:34:54
4. Emil Dalgaard (DEN) 5:38:39
5. Martin Krnavek (CZE) 5:44:47
6. Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) 5:45:49
7. Nikolay Yaroshenko (RUS) 5:46:23
8. Duarte Silva Marques (POR) 5:50:51
9. Pedro Miguel Reig (ESP) 5:52:11
10. Miquel Blanchart (ESP) 5:52:42

Top women

1. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 6:04:18
2. Camilla Pedersen (DEN) 6:09:23
3. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 6:12:48
4. Virginia Berasategui (ESP) 6:20:36
5. Malder Gaztanaga Dorronsoro (ESP) 6:23:52

Race Preview - July 28-29th 2012

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:07:35 GMT

This weekend sees Xena and James Cunnama trying to capture the ITU Long Distance crowns in Spain.

ITU Long Distance World Championships, Spain
Sunday July 29th
Distance: 4 km swim • 120km bike • 30km run

teamTBB - Philippines athlete racing
Caroline Steffen
teamTBB - USA athlete racing
James Cunnama

Xena and James will take on the top long distance triathletes from around the world this weekend at the ITU Long Distance World Championship in Spain. After winning the Asian Pacific Ironman championship race in Melboure and backing up with a win at Ironman Frankfurt, Xena is the clear favorite at what should be another fantastic event. Joining Xena is James off his sub 8 hour Irondistance win at Challenge Roth. Both Xena and James are fit, flying, and ready to take on the top fields in the mens and womens races.

Xena reported in that she is "looking forward to race and am excited to fight for my second World Championship title. I have recovered well after IM Frankfurt and did some little training to keep the form. Brett is the champ in get his athlete ready in back to back races."

James is equally eager to be back racing after his win at Roth. He said, "I am looking forward to racing again and feeling strong, but of course 3 weeks after Roth it is hard to predict how i will feel on race day. But i am ready and motivated for a world Champ title! The weather for the race looks to be cool and maybe rainy , which is good cause it was 36C there today!"

The course should be scenic and challenging. The swim course will take place in the waters of Ullibarri-Gamboa lake, in the heart of the Provincial Park of Landa, of high ecological value due to its oak forests and wetlands, not far from Vitoria-Gasteiz. The bike course runs through the beautiful landscapes of the plains of Alava, along the spectacular lake Ullibarri Gamboa and parallel to the Elguea mountain range, through small towns of great cultural and scenic interest, and sharing part of the course with the Way of Saint James. The run course is four laps and starts and finishes in the heart of the medieval district of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the 7,5 km course runs entirely through the most beautiful pedestrian promenades of the city.

The women's field will include not only our Xena but also Jodie Swallow. In addition, the men's field is equally stacked with top Kona finishers including Macca, Dirk Bockel, Eneko Llanos (his home race), Sylvain Sudrie, and many more.

Best of luck teamTBB stars! Go for the podium and fight hard.

Find out more: http://www.triatlonvitoria.com/

Cervélo Bicycles used at 2012 London Games

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:43:17 GMT

The IOC carries strict guidelines on the use of branding and manufacturers logos on athletes' cycling equipment. Cervélo wants to ensure that all athletes using at the Games fully understand these guidelines and prepares their equipment accordingly.

Below is a link to the official Guidelines Regarding Authorised Identifications 2012 as distributed by the IOC. Regardless of which brand of bike your cyclists or triathletes are using, please ensure your national teams & support staff are aware – everyone has worked too hard to be trumped by technicalities. Also below is a document outlining Cervélo's interpretation of these guidelines – the responsibility of meeting these guidelines by using appropriate covering materials remains with the athlete and his/her supporting organization and IOC.

If you require assistance with satisfying these guidelines on Cervélo products, our contact information is included in the documents. Cervélo will have representatives in London if your team requires.

Good luck at the games – we'll be watching.

Guidelines Regarding Authorised Identifications 2012 - IOC
IOC Bicycle Equipment Requirements, London 2012 - Cervélo

View the 2012 Tour de France stage pictures

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:23:26 GMT

Relive the 2012 Tour de France with our stage-by-stage picture gallery.

Prologue Saturday June 30^th
Stage 1 Sunday July 1^st
Stage 2 Monday July 2^nd
Stage 3 Tuesday July 3^rd
Stage 4 Wednesday July 4^th
Stage 5 Thursday July 5^th
Stage 6 Frdiay July 6^th
Stage 7 Saturday July 7^th
Stage 8 Sunday July 8^th
Stage 9 Monday July 9^th
Stage 10 Wednesday July 11^th
Stage 11 Thursday July 12^th
Stage 12 Frdiay July 13^th
Stage 13 Saturday Jul 14^th
Stage 14 Sunday July 15^th
Stage 15 Monday July 16^th
Rest Day 2 Tuesday July 17^th
Stage 16 Wednesday July 18^th
Stage 17 Thursday July 19^th
Stage 18 Frdiay July 20^th
Stage 19 Saturday July 21^st
Stage 20 Sunday July 22^nd

Xena Repeats with another Win at European Champs

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:36:55 GMT

Caroline Steffen repeats Ironman Germany win taking her second Eureopean title.

Ironman Frankfurt, Germany
Sunday July 8th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - Philippines athlete racing
Caroline Steffen

teamTBB - Japan athlete racing
Maki Nishiuchi
Hiro Nishiuchi

Xena of Alaska teamTBB Philippines took another win repeating at Ironman Germany! She has matched her Asia Pacific Title at Ironman Melbourne with another dominating win at Ironman Germany in a fast time of 8:52. After blazing to a win at the Asian Pacific Ironman championship race in Melboure, Xena went on to win the Koh Samui Triathlon and now has another big win at Ironman Frankfurt.

Xena said " I'm very pleased and happy to win my 2nd European title and this time I do was still in a condition to enjoyed the finish. After a good swim I start to pace hard on the bike. A bad weather front came in and made it even harder and more technical for us. I saw several crashed just in front of me - I was warned and had to slow down each single corner (carry my bike around the corner). With a 2min lead I start the marathon. Felt all the way pretty good, tough run course with turns an 8 bridges to cross totally."

Maki and Hiro had solid races finishing 11th and 24th. They enjoyed the fantastic event and supportive German crowds.

Congrats on your win Xena! Way to dominate again and fight hard all day long!

Find out more: http://ironmanfrankfurt.com/

Results

Men

1. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:03:37
2. Sebastian Kienle (GER) 8:09:55
3. Clemente Alonso-McKernan (ESP) 8:14:04
4. Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:17:36
5. Jan Raphael (GER) 8:18:17
6. Jeremy Jurkiewicz (GER) 8:23:24
7. Stephan Vuckovic (GER) 8:31:37
8. Uwe Widmann (GER) 8:37:40
9. Alejandro Santamaria (ESP) 8:38:45
10. Bart Colpaert (BEL) 8:40:18

Women

1. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 8:52:33
2. Anja Beranek (GER) 9:05:41
3. Corinne Abraham (GBR) 9:21:03
4. Susan Dietrich (GER) 9:22:07
5. Sophie Goos (BEL) 9:28:03
6. Mareen Hufe (GER) 9:31:32
7. Amanda Stevens (USA) 9:33:10
8. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 9:42:10
9. Kristin Möller (GER) 9:43:48
10. Nina Pekerman (ISR) 9:55:38

James wins, Stephen 5th, and Per 9th at Challenge Roth!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 03:05:26 GMT

James Cunnama won the Challenge Roth Ironman in Roth Germany with Stephen Bayliss and Per Bittner finishing in the top 10!

Challenge Roth, Germany
Sunday July 8th
Distance: 3.8km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Per Bittner

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
James Cunnama

teamTBB - Gran Canaria athletes racing
Stephen Bayliss

James won Challenge Roth in a blazing sub 8 hour time! We are very excited for James to see him back on the top of the podium after a very challenging 2011 season. Stephen came in with a blazing fast time finishing in 5th overall, while Per came in 9th overall.

James ran a very fast 2:40:06 to take the 2012 Challenge Roth in a time of 7:59:59. The bike segment was dominated by Konstantin Bachor from Germany who rode hard all day. For quite a while the front chasing group on the bike included James and Stephen. At the start of the run, James and Timo were off the front of the chase and running very fast. James had a great run combined with his solid efforts during the swim and bike he crossed the line in first place in a very fine time of 7:59:59.

James according to his twitter said, "Overjoyed by result. Over-whelmed by response. Over-stimulated by it all! Onwards and upwards. But 1st, some1 buy this man a beer!"
Stephen reported in that "I was kind of pleased with my race, I was happy with where I came off the bike, just 3mins down on the main contenders, but I didn't manage to run as fast as I wanted to, but I did my best and finished 5th and 3rd in the ETU european Championships for the 3rd time in my carrer. I will get back to work in Leysin and work on gettting faster for the next races.

It was great to see James win, he did a great races. As a team we have an aim for 1 of us to won the Ironman World Champs, I think we are getting there and whoever wins we will all of played a part in there success. James and Dave at the moment are really showing the world they mean buisness!"

Congrats James, Stephen, and Per on your great performances at Challenge Roth!

Challenge Roth
Roth, Germany / July 8, 2012
3.8k swim / 180k bike / 42.2k run

Top men

1. James Cunnama (RSA) 7:59:59
2. Timo Bracht (GER) 8:03:28 *
3. Mike Aigroz (SUI) 8:08:01
4. Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:10:05
5. Stephen Bayliss (GBR) 8:13:01
6. Konstantin Bachor (GER) 8:13:36
7. Dorian Wagner (GER) 8:19:47
8. Georg Potrebitsch (GER) 8:21:39
9. Per Bittner (GER) 8:22:51
10. Roeland Smits (NED) 8:32:10

Top women

1. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 8:45:04 *
2. Sonja Tajsich (GER) 8:49:47
3. Julia Gajer (GER) 8:57:02
4. Gina Crawford (NZL) 8:59:35
5. Britta Martin (GER) 9:01:10
6. Mirjam Weerd (NED) 9:02:39
7. Beate Goertz (GER) 9:13:26
8. Wenke Kujala (GER) 9:25:19
9. Lucie Zelenkova-Reed (CZE) 9:26:20
10. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:26:48

Check out the race site out now: http://www.challengeroth.com

Tour de France: Strong start and bad luck in opening stages

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:47:22 GMT

The Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda team began this Tour de France in great position after the opening prologue. But like many previous Tours, the opening road stages are wrought with danger. Fortunately through the first three stages Ryder Hesjedal has escaped the bad luck and sits in great position on the overall in eighth!

After putting two in the top-20 of the prologue time trial, led by Hesjedal in 15th, the argyle went into the first stages with many cards to play. Strong teamwork by Robbie Hunter gave Tyler Farrar the set-up to contend for the sprints on the first stages, but the chaos of the field sprints and irregular riding barred him from a clean shot to the line.

Yet the team was happy to have all riders finishing safely and not have any GC riders losing any time. Then on the third stage the first week gremlins came out in force with punctures and crashes tormenting the team.

Hesjedal punctured and the team was quick to get him back into the group. Then three crashes, two in succession, put Christian Vande Velde, Tom Danielson and Dan Martin off the back. Danielson took the worst of it separating his shoulder. Still the tough-as-nails Danielson was able to finish the stage. Vande Velde and Martin fought hard chasing with teammates to reclaim as much lost time as possible.

“It was quite crazy there in the end,” said Farrar. “A lot of bad luck for our team”

“First Ryder had a wheel change and we waited for him and chased. Then I crashed, then Christian and Danielson… We rode by ourselves until we finished.”

Danielson’s status for stage 4 is uncertain as it is the same shoulder he injured in his 2007 Vuelta crash. “Tom’s health is the priority and the team will make a determination in the morning as to whether he will start the stage,” said team doctor Prentice Steffen.

Race Preview - July 7th-8th 2012

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 05:50:00 GMT

This weekend sees teamTBB tackling the Ironman in Frankfurt, Germany.

Ironman Frankfurt, Germany

Sunday July 8th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - Philippines athlete racing
Caroline Steffen
teamTBB - Japan athlete racing
Maki Nishiuchi
Hiro Nishiuchi

Xena will lead a star-studded teamTBB crew to race at the European Ironman Championship in Frankfurt this weekend. After winning the Asian Pacific Ironman championship race in Melboure, Xena is the clear favorite at what should be another fantastic event. Joining Xena are Hiro and Maki from teamTBB Japan. After a hectic few weeks working around IM Japan, Hiro and Maki are excited to be back racing.

The course starts with an easy one loop swim in a lake. Depending on the weather, it may be no wetsuit. But usually it is a wetsuit swim. Following the swim, there is a technical two loop bike course that suits Xena very well. It has lots of rolling hills and turns. The race finishes with a four loop run through downtown Frankfurt with enthusiastic crowds and lots of excitment.

The weather could be anything from hot and humid to cold and wet. But all the racers will have to complete the same course facing whatever conditions the event throws their way. The women's field will include not only our Xena but also Nikki Butterfield, Heather Wurtele, and Jodie Swallow. In addition, the men's field is equally stacked with top Kona finishers including Andreas Ralert, Marino Van Hoenacker, and many more.

Xena says that she feels ready to go and is looking forward to great race. She said "I would like to defend my European title from last year. It is a great field of competitors. Many of the ladies I will face again in Kona this year so this is a great opportunity to see where I am at right now. I'm in the lucky position and can say, I just race for the glory as I don't need points to qualify for Kona. I am also ooking forward to be back on one of my favourite races of the year. My family will cheering me on at the side of the course which makes me a little nervous but is also going to be great. I'll do my best and enjoy the war out there."

Maki and Hiro had solid races in Brazil at the end of May. They are looking forward to a great event and enjoying the German course and crowds.

Best of luck teamTBB stars! Go for the podium and fight hard.

Find out more: http://ironmanfrankfurt.com/

Race Review - July 1st 2012

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:53:00 GMT

This weekened saw Diana Riesler take the win at the Chiemsee Triathlon in Germany.

Chiemsee Triathlon, Germany
Sunday July 1st
Distance: 2.0 km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Jo Spindler
Diana Riesler

Jo and Diana had great first races back from their crash and injury respectively. Diana came back in style to take the overall win, while Jo struggled but finished valiantly in 16th.

It was a good race day with nice hot conditions, 32°C and the sun was burning. The water temperature was fine just cool enough for a wetsuit swim. Diana had a great day starting off with a stellar swim for her! She reported taht "after the race there were a few top guys who said they were shocked when they came out of the water and saw me around;-) It was not brilliant but I am so happy to see an improvement."

Then Diana said that she "pushed on the bike what I can - some water problems because I lost my bottle after 1km and had to cycle 40 without then I got a bottle but it was broken - so the next 40km without water again... it was hot!" A fellow competitor gave her a bottle so that she had a bit of water. Once off the bike, Diana said "I had 6:30mins lead after the bike in front of the Polish girl Ewa Bogdan. I said to myself just go on and try to run somehow. Luckily it went very well although the heat was crazy out there! At the end I crossed the finish line as a very happy person and with almost a 5mins lead. I am very happy to say that I'm back on track." Yes, teamTBB agrees nothig like a dominatig win to illustrate that you well and truly are back on track, Diana!

For Jo it was much harder day. He had some problems throughout the swim. On the bike, Jo reported that "it was a mediocre ride not up to my goal bike time." Then, on the run, Jo had the big bang. He told us that his stomach said: no, it's over! Jo had to stop for awhile. But he pushed on through the pain and finished. Jo said finishing was very important to him. At the end, he finished in 16th. Jo said "I am not happy, but it's acceptable for the 1st race after almost 2 years. And after ringer, Dirk Bockel entered the race at the last minute, all us men were racing for 2nd."

Congrats on your win Diana and your valiant effort on a tough day Jo!

results: http://www.trackmyrace.com/triathlon/event-zone/event/1-chiemsee-triathlon-cst/results/alzchem-mitteldistanz/

Find out more: http://www.wechselszene.com/wettkampfe/chiemsee-triathlon-3

Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda unveils new team kit

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:44:51 GMT

Slipstream Sports recently welcomed Sharp as a new co-title sponsor and today unveiled its new team kit, which will be ridden for the first time at the 2012 Tour de France. The kit was created by the team’s innovative technical clothing partner, Castelli.

The new jersey and shorts prominently display the Sharp logo and retain the distinctive Garmin and Barracuda logos. The signature Slipstream Sports argyle is, of course, incorporated.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sharp to the team’s family. Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda is the most tech-savvy team in the peloton and the addition of this new sponsor, prominently displayed on the new kit, is special for all of us involved,” said Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager.

“Additionally, this team is rider-centric, and Castelli has done its part once again to make sure the riders have the most comfortable and technically-advanced clothing for all racing and training, and especially for the Tour de France. In addition to the new colors, the riders will be wearing the updated light weight hot weather shorts and jerseys that the Giro d’Italia crew tested and improved. We’re counting on similar success with the clothing in the heat of France in July.”

The new Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda kit will be available at the end of July at Castelli dealers and is also available now for pre-order at www.shopargyle.com.

Per and Christian Finish 1,2

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 02:25:00 GMT

German team superstar Per won and Christian was 2nd at the Greenhell Triathlon. The race, a new half ironman distance event, gave the boys an epic course with a hilly bike and run. It was a great hit out for both teamTBB Germa athletes aiming for Challenge Roth, and teamTBB is very excited to see our boys take the top two spots on the podium.

Per said, "it was the hardest half ironman I have ever done. I had good swim with a 2:30min to to the boys behind me. I tried to start the bike easy and by 60k i get passed by Clemens Coenen but held on to him. At 80K, Christian caught me. I can into T2 in 3rd position 1:30 down on the leader. I took the first part of the run hard and caught the boys by 3K and dropped them all by 8K. It was a very challenging race with a very hard bike and run with the hills and wind. I am very happy to take the win after a big week of hard training."

Christian reported in saying, "I had a good race and am really happy with my result. I improved my swim compared to last year and exited the water in 4th place a little less than 3 min down on Per. On the bike, I had a great day and averaged the fastest bike split of the day. The bike course was just insanely hard. In addition to the 2550 m of climbing we had strong winds all day long which made it even harder especially in the decents where a motor biker told me that I was riding 108 km/hr. I did not want to know that because it was on my secound loop and I had to go down there once again. After the bike I was in second position 30 sec down on Clemens Coenen and 30 sec ahead of Per. Per and I ran together until around 8Km. Unfortunately, I had some cramps and fell back. And on secound half of the run, I faded away a little bit because I ran out of energy. I´m not going to make that mistake again. But I´m really happy that I was able to make it a hard day for Per. I am just very excited to see the improvement in my swim, bike, and run compared to last year."
Conrats teamTBB Germany boys on your 1,2 finish! We can't wait to see you race next!

Dave Dellow’s Winning Streak Continues at 5150 Subic Bay in Philippines!

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:23:21 GMT

Dave Dellow of the Alaska Milk teamTBB Philippines delivered his third win in three starts continuing his streak of wins! After his breakthrough 4th at IM Melbourne followed by his wins at IM Cairns and the Koh Samui Triathlon, Dave has shown that he is no fluke and is one of this year’s top triathletes across all distances. In this race, at the 5150 or Olympic distance, Dave showed he still has speed on top of his Ironman endurance. He started the day with one of the fastest swims then set the pace on the bike with the leaders and finished a blazing 10K where he dropped all the other professional men with a surge at 5K to take the race. Matty O’Halloran Alaska Milk teamTBB teammate of Dave also had a great race finishing in 4th. On the women’s side, Ali Fitch also of the Alaska Milk teamTBB Philippines finished on the podium in 2nd place.

Congrats Dave on your hat trick of wins! And Congrats to Matty and Ali on your amazing races! It looks to be an amazing year for Alaska Milk teamTBB Philippines. We can’t wait to watch you all continue to dominate throughout the rest of 2012!

2012 Tour de France roster

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:10:59 GMT

Team Garmin-Barracuda today announced its much-anticipated 2012 Tour de France roster. The squad is headlined by recent Giro d’Italia winner and former top-ten finisher, Ryder Hesjedal, along with 2011 top-ten finisher Tom Danielson and Christian Vande Velde, a two-time top-ten finisher. Time trial experts David Zabriskie and David Millar will feature in the three individual time trials of the race and will also provide support both in the mountains and on the flats.

Top American sprinter and previous Tour stage winner Tyler Farrar will be joined in the sprints by South African national champion and Tour stage winner Robbie Hunter. Dan Martin will make his Tour de France debut, and the nine-man team is rounded out by 2011 Paris-Roubaix winner, Johan Vansummeren.

“We have put together a well-balanced team with an emphasis on support for our leader, Ryder. We have Christian and Tom, both excellent climbers who each have had great GC rides in the Tour and have shown their strength in recent racing. Dan Martin, making his Tour debut, rounds out the climbers of the team,” said Allan Peiper, Director of Competition, Team Garmin-Barracuda.

“The climbers will have the support of TT specialists David Millar and David Zabriskie along with Johan Vansummeren, who will also be able to help out sprinters Farrar and Hunter in the quest for stage wins.”

2012 Tour de France Roster

Riders:
Tom Danielson
Tyler Farrar
Ryder Hesjedal
Robbie Hunter
Dan Martin
David Millar
Christian Vande Velde
Johan Vansummeren
David Zabriskie

Directors:
Bingen Fernandez
Allan Peiper
Jonathan Vaughters

“Having just won our first Grand Tour our goals for the Tour de France are high,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO, Slipstream Sports. “We are going in very focused on the GC, but we’ll be looking for stage wins with Tyler as well. This is a great mix of riders with a lot of depth and talent, and we’re looking forward to some exciting racing.”

Race Preview - June 23rd-24th 2012

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Next up for teamTBB is the Greenhell Triathlon in Germany, 5150 Subic Bay in the Philippines and Ironman Coeur d'Alene in the USA.

Greenhell Triathlon, Germany
Sunday June 24th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Per Bittner
Christian Nitschke

German team superstar Per hot off his win at Challenge Barcelona and 11th at the European Triathlon Long Distance Championships will join Christian racing the Greenhell Triathlon. The race is a new event and will offer an epic course with a bike that is nothing but climbing. The run that follows is also hilly but not as bad as the run.

In his blog, Per said ," I can't wait to race the Greenhell half triathlon. It will be the last test before Challenge Roth. It is a very hard bike course with about 2800 meters of climbing. Also, the run will be not easy. There are a few local geman athletes on the start line. After a tough week of training for me, it will be a hard weekend. The countdown is on for Challenge Roth."

Christian reported in that he is very excited. He said, "I´m racing Greenhell Triathlon this Weekend. It is a new half distance race in southwestern Germany and probably the hardest in the world. The bike course is a 3,5 loop course with over 2500 meters of elevation gain! It takes place on the legendary "Nordschleife" of the Nuerburgring which is know to all motorsport fans for several 24 hrs and other races. The run takes place at the formular 1 course and is also anything but flat (380m of elevation). I hope that I can cope with that hilly course well because I´ve been riding flat in training since the camp on Gran Canaria. At least my weight should not be a problem ;-). It is my first serious race since some time, but my training during the last weeks was really good and a lot of personal bests have been smashed. It is going to be interesting to see who can run fastest after that bike course. I hope that I can challenge Per a little bit and fight for the victory at the end."

The pro field that Per and Christian face iis smal but there is still some quality. The main contenders aside from each other will be Clemens Coenen (several top 10 Ironman results and 2 Top 20 Hawaii finishes) and Marc Pschebizin (1st Challenge Wanaka 2008 and some more top 5 results).

Best of luck boys and hope to see you on the podium this weekend!

Find out more: http://www.greenhell-triathlon.de

5150 Subic Bay, Philippines
Sunday June 24th
Distance: 1.5km swim • 40km bike • 10km run

teamTBB - Philippines athletes racing
Dave Dellow
Ali Fitch

It is shaping up to be a big race in the Philippines for the 5150 Subic Bay as a star-studded teamTBB crew heads in to race in a short only Olympic distance race against a selection of top professional athletes. On the men's side, teamTBB is sending in top racer Dave Dellow, and on the women's side, Ali will be back racing.

The course will be tough with heat, more heat, humidity, more humidity, and hills. The swim should be a choppy sea swim followed by a hilly bike and a very hot run. Our warriors will be ready for whatever the conditions through at them and are eager for a very tough course. The harder the better is their mantra!

Ali reported in that she is very excited to race. She said, "I am racing with the best preparation I have ever had, and am looking for a good result. The race will be very hilly, very hot, and very tough. I look forward to battling to the finish line. I will overcome anything thrown at me on the day to give my best performance."

After his breakthrough race at IM Cairns, IM Melbourne and Koh Samui, Dave has racovered well and has been training hard. He said that his training back in Mooloolaba has been going really well, and he is excited to have a good race. It will feel like a cocktail wennie after all those long evets. Dave said, "I'm racing the Philippines 5150 this weekend. This will be my first short race for the year so I'm looking forward to it. It will also be good to catch up with the young Pilipino kids who make up the rest of the Alaska Milk Team TBB Philippines. I am still a bit rusty after ironman Cairns so it should be a testing event over a hilly course in hot and humid conditions."
Best of luck teamTBB Alaska Philippines team stars! Go for the podium and fight hard.

Find out more: http://5150philippines.com/

Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Idaho USA
Sunday June 24th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Christie Sym

Off a solid top ten at IM Texas, Christie has been back in the USA training hard and is ready for another hit out this weekend at IM CDA.

Christie is excited to take on a stacked women's field that includes Heather Wurtele, Kathleen Calkins, and Meredith Kessler among many other top females. Christie reported in " it will be my second Ironman this season. I have good training over the past month, but I have been battling a bug that I hope is gone by race day. I know I am ready for a strong swim/bike, and hoping to improve on my marathon in Texas."

The course in Coeur d'Alene is very scenic with rolling hills through the bike and run. It is usually a bit cool on race day but could heat up in the afternoon. The swim is a two lap swim in the cold waters of the lake followed by a two lap bike through rolling hills around Idaho and finishes with a hilly marathon that laps through town and provides a great opportunity to see spectators.

Best of luck Christie!

Find out more: http://ironmancda.com/

Race Review - June 16-17th 2012

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 23:51:09 GMT

This weekend saw teamTBB racing in Denmark and Germany

Challenge Aarhus, Denmark
Sunday June 17th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Gran Canaria athletes racing
Stephen Bayliss
Bella Bayliss

The Baylisses met the Challenge at Challenge Aarhus this weekend! Bella had a great racing collecting another podium on her journey back from having baby Charlie less than one year ago. Stephen had some trouble with a bike crash but battled his way back and finished in 5th. While teamTBB Swiss training partner, Reto Hug had his first Challenge win. Reto will be dabbling into the long distance racing this year, and we all think that the boys should be afraid very afraid as this speedster takes his talents long.

Bella has just been consistently improving and finishing on the podium. She is starting to feel like she is training well and balanced being a mom and full-time pro triathlete. Stephen showed his courage as he battled back from adversary to still have a great race. When asked, Charlie said he was very proud of both his fast parents and can't wait to give them a run for their money in 20 years.

Bella said was pleased with her performace. She told us that "my fitness is continuing to improve and I think with the fitness I have right now, I did a good job coming 2nd at Challenge Aarhus. Camilla Pederson who won had a very fast swim, a great ride and solid run so it was her day for sure. I had a battle with Asa Lundstrom from Sweden, she rode really well but I had a faster run to pass her again with 5km to go.

It was a pleasure doing such a welcoming and well organised race in a beautiful part of the world."

Stephen says, "I had an ok swim and and decent bike ride, at half distance on the bike I crashed in the rain on a corner. I didn't feel too bad after the crash, and came off with 6 others at the end of the bike so it came down to a run race between us 7, but on the run I felt very stiff and it was a hard slog. But I pushed on the best I could and finished in 5th, I was very pleased to see Bella running along very well and closing on all those in front."

Cograts to the Ironcouple! Best of luck with your next challenge!

Ironman Regensburg, Germany
Sunday June 17th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - Gran Canaria athlete racing
Dan Halksworth

After a tough day at Lanzarote, Dan tackled the Ironman in his 2nd attempt! No longer a nearly man now Dan is as an Ironman.
Dan swam very well coming out with the top few men. Then, Dan rode very strong coming off the bike in 3rd place. Then onto the run, Dan had a steady day and came home to finish 6th place.

Dan is very excited to be an Ironman and told teamTBB that "this weekend I raced Ironman Regensburg. I was very pleased to get to the finish line and look forwrad to improving on this result in my next Ironman. I am just very happy that I can now say i am an 'IRONMAN'!"

Congrats to Dan the Man! You are offically an Ironman.

Find out more: http://ironmanregensburg.de/

Ironman Regensburg
Regensburg, Germany / June 17, 2012
2.4m swim / 112m bike / 26.2m run

Top men

1. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 8:11:59
2. Michael Raelert (GER) 8:18:53
3. Mike Schifferle (SUI) 8:36:53
4. Jens Kaiser (GER) 8:43:57
5. Petr Vabrousek (CZE) 8:47:53
6. Daniel Halksworth (GBR) 8:50:38
7. Philipp Mock (GER) 8:52:25 * AG
8. Gyula Kis (HUN) 8:53:56 * AG
9. Matthias Buxhofer (AUT) 8:54:10 * AG
10. Andreas Wolpert (GER) 8:55:25

Top women

1. Heidi Sessner (GER) 9:43:52
2. Nicole Bretting (Ger) 9:50:18 * AG
3. Maria Lemeseva (RUS) 9:52:32 * AG
4. Karin Gerber (SUI) 10:00:31 * AG
5. Barbara Geilhof (GER) 10:00:48 * AG

Race Preview - June 16-17th 2012

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:32:22 GMT

This weekend sees the husband and wife team Stephen and Bella Bayliss tackle the Challenge Aarhus in Denmark.

Challenge Aarhus, Denmark

Sunday June 17th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Gran Canaria athletes racing
Stephen Bayliss
Bella Bayliss

The Baylisses are back in action this weekend! They will challenge themselves at Challenge Aarhus. Charlie will be leading the charge as he has been coaching his parents from the pool deck all spring. Based on the speed with he crawls into the pool, he will soon be following in his parents footsteps.

Bella has had some great races in her short time back from having baby Charlie. After some podiums, she is ready to land a win this time. Stephen is equally hungry for a win as he is building momentum this season. When asked, Charlie agreed that they are both looking great and he can't wait to watch them race again.

The course should suit their strengths. A cold swim won't both Bella and Stephen. Once out of the water, they hit a hilly and technical bike that will challenge all the athletes. Then a fast run course awaits them to finish off the event. If the weather is cold and wet, the Baylisses will be ready as that is what they have been facing in Switzerland all June.
Bella said that she can't wait to race. She told us that "training has been continuing to go well so I feel ready for my 3rd race of the year! I feel like I can race strongly on this course which is new to me.

Challenge Aarhus have been really helpful and welcoming to both Stephen and I so getting ourselves to Aarhus in Denmark has been made very easy. Stephens parents are coming out to look after Charlie while we race, they will be "pro's" at looking after Charlie at races by the end of the year!"

Stephen is equally ready to get back out and have a solid race. He said, "I am looking forward to racing Challenge Aarhus, it sounds like a good course and it will be good preparation for Challenge Roth in 3 weeks time. Training has been going well I feel I am getting fitter and so it will be nice to test the body in Aarhus."

Stephen equally eager to race his first Ironman of the year said, "I have raced Ironman Lanzarote 4 times before, the first time was my very first Ironman. I love the island and I love the Ironman course there. My best result is 4th place in 2009. I will be aiming to improve on that result on Saturday. Bella, Charlie and I have had some great training in Gran Canaria, we think it has been an ideal training location for our winter."

Best of luck to Bella and Stephen! And Charlie have a great time watching those two fast parents of yours!

Find out more: http://www.kmdchallengeaarhus.com/

Good luck, we wish you all the best mechanical luck!

Race Review - June 9-10th 2012

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:05:09 GMT

This saw teamTBB in two races in Europe resulting in a podium finish for Mathias Hecht in Spain.

Zarausko Triathlon, Zarautz Spain

Saturday June 10th
Distance: 2.9 km swim • 80km bike • 20km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Mathias Hecht

Mathias finished 2nd in the iconic Zarausko triathlon this weekend; it is one of the oldest long distance events in Spain. He raced top Spanish triathletes through the Basque country of Spain in area famous for being a very fanatic spectators.

Mathias reported in that "the race started with a 2.9km very rough point to point ocean swim. Unusual rough sea turned the swim into a surf swim. Which was good for me. Pure strength swimming. Out of the water with Eneko Illanos and two other spanish athletes. Went straight to the front and tried to put pressure on Eneko on that 4km climb that starts right out of transition. But very soon I had to recognize that I didnt feel that fresh. And Eneko is a world class athlete and to beat him “unfresh” is nearly impossible. Hard enough to beat him on fresh legs. So I knew after 30km into the bike , I have to get control over my body and go my own pace. The best that was possible on that day. At the end it was good enough for 2nd place. And I think I can be happy with that. Also , no better place for a training day then with this amazing crowd. Every year it blows me away."

Congrats Mathias on a brave race on not your best day. Way to fight to the finish and hold off everyone but Eneko to come home in 2nd. Your 2nd podium in the last three weeks!

Congrats Mathias and to all the other competitors this weekend.

Results:
1. Eneko Llanos (ESP) 3:57:02
2. Mathias Hecht (SUI) 4:03:47
3. Pedro Miguel Reig (ESP) 4:04:26
4. Jose Manuel Del Real (ESP) 4:07:18

Find out more: http://www.zarauzkotriatloia.com/

Challenge Kraichgau, Germany

Sunday June 10th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Per Bittner

German team superstar Per hot off his win at Challenge Barcelona had a tough day but perserved and finished 11th at the European Triathlon Long Distance Championships this weekend in Kraichgau. He had a tough swim and struggled to find his legs on the bike but was glad to have a solid run to finish the day. While he was hoping to do better than 11th, Per was glad to push through the race and finish strong.

In his blog, Per said ," Last weekend Challenge Kraichgau was not my best race. At least I got 11th in a very good field. The swim was fast but I got out with the first guys.I changed my swim training a bit and cheers at this point for the fast 2xu X:2 wetsuit, both workes out. It was a big leader group after the swim till 30k. But then Seb Kienle came from behind he smashed the group and I can’t hold the pace. I was very happy to get off the bike and pushed hard to try to get a top ten against the stacked field but feel short by one place. I am planning to get in more big bike miles and be on the podium next time.

Congrats Per and keep up the hard work!

Find out more: http://www.challenge-kraichgau.com

Race Preview - June 9th-10th 2012

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 04:00:00 GMT

This weekend sees teamTBB at the European Triathlon Long Distance Championships in Kraichgau, Germany and in Zarautz, Spain.

Challenge Kraichgau, Germany

Sunday June 10th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Per Bittner

German team superstar Per hot off his win at Challenge Barcelona is racing the European Triathlon Long Distance Championships this weekend in Kraichgau. He had a good start to the year with a strong race at Challenge Fuerteventura and then won in Barcelona. He is very excited for the opportunity to race in the European Champs and feels like he has nothing to lose.

The course will be challenging halfway between the hills of the Fuerteventura race on the Canarias Islands and the flats of Barcelona Spain. We expect Per to move up on the rolling hills of the bike and show his amazing run legs to finish off the day.

In his blog, Per said ," After a few sunny and relaxed days in Calella I flew back to germany. The weather changed from summer to autumn but the training needs to go the normal way. The next race will be ones of my highlights this year. A lot of stars are on the start line like A. Realert, Kienle and Bracht. Just a few names. The course is a bit hilly but not like in Fuerte. It will be my first start in Kraichgau. I feel pretty good after my win in Barcelona. Lets hope the sun comes out and we can rock again."

Best of luck Per!

Find out more: http://www.challenge-kraichgau.com

Zarausko Triathlon, Zarautz Spain

Saturday June 10th
Distance: 2.9 km swim • 80km bike • 20km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Mathias Hecht

Mathias will be taking on the iconic Zarausko triathlon this weekend; it is one of the oldest long distance events in Spain. The event takes place in the Basque country of Spain in area famous for being a very fanatic spectators. You only have to watch the Tour de France ride through the region to see that! Mathias has raced here the last two years and loves the event. He feeds off the thousands of spectators with high energy and enjoys the unique course. Like the last two years, this race always attracts some of Spain's and Europe's top long distance triathletes.

This year my main contender will be Eneko Illanos from Spain. Eneko has won this race several times, and he lives part of the year in the town of Zarautz. So it is essential a home race for him. Mathias said, "I really enjoy getting to race Eneko at his best at home. The other top contenders include Stephan Poulat of France and Ramon Ejeda of Spain. All these athletes have an ITU background and lots of speed.

The course should be challenging and will be great for Mathias who is so strong on the bike and run. We are very excitd to watch Mathias back up his great performance finishing 3rd in Texas.

Best of luck Mathias!

Find out more: http://www.zarauzkotriatloia.com/

Good luck, we wish Per and all the racers best mechanical luck!

Xena 2nd at 70.3 Switzerland

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:35:44 GMT

teamTBB superstar Caroline Steffen made it to the podium at her home race in Rapperswil, Switzerland this weekend.

70.3 Rapperswil, Switzerland
Sunday June 3rd
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Philippines athletes racing
Caroline Steffen

Superstar Xena defended her 70.3 Switzerland title valiantly this weekend and fell short only to ITU all-star and fellow Swiss Miss Nicola Spirig. Xena won the race in 2010 and 2011 and finished 2nd this year. She started the day with a lead pack swim and took control on the bike ensuring that the pace was fierce. Coming off the bike, Xena ran very well and fell only to the fast feet of Nicola. Xena was very pleased with the race. She reported, "I`m very happy with my race in Rapperswil. Ok, of course I like to defende my title today but sometime an 2nd place can be as good as an win. I had a strong swim and a solid bike and for myself an awesome run. Today, I got my confident back after a little "shock race" in Austria. Looking forward to some hard work with my team in the Swiss mountains, leading up to the next race."

Big Congrats to teamTBB's Xena for her 2nd place and friend of teamTBB Nicola on her win. We look forward to watching you both race and dominate at Kona and the London Olympics respectively later this season.

Men
1. Michael Raelert (GER) 3:44:13
2. Bart Aernouts (BEL) 3:51:04
3. Bruno Clerbout (BEL) 3:51:37
4. Herve Faure (FRA) 3:53:21
5. Raynard Tissink (RSA) 3:54:58
6. Boris Stein (GER) 3:55:05
7. Johann Ackermann (GER) 3:56:41
8. Cyril Viennot (FRA) 3:59:03
9 . Manuel Küng (SUI) 3:59:37
10. Michael Wetzel (GER) 4:01:18

Women
1. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 4:08:52
2. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 4:12:17
3. Gina Crawford (NZL) 4:19:53
4. Anja Beranek (GER) 4:20:44
5. Regula Rohrbach (SUI) 4:25:09
6. Simone Brändli (SUI) 4:28:30
7. Erika Csomor (HUN) 4:32:34
8. Eva Wutti (AUT) 4:36:23
9. Céline Schärer (SUI) 4:38:16
10. Susan Dietrich (GER) 4:39:15

Find out more: http://ironmanrapperswil.com/de/

Race Review - June 2nd-3rd 2012

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:01:34 GMT

teamTBB had a very successfull weekend in Australia this weekend winning both the men's and women's races.

Ironman Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Sunday June 3rd
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - Philippines athletes racing
Dave Dellow
Ali Fitch

teamTBB - Thailand athletes racing
Aaron Farlow
Matt Bailey
Carrie Lester

This weekend, teamTBB showed why it is the most successful long distance triathlon team. The team went to Ironman Cairns and swept the wins. On the men’s side, Dave Dellow of Alaska Milk teamTBB Philippines showed that his breakthrough at IM Melbourne and win at Koh Samui against a stacked field were no fluke. Dave again dominated a very strong mens field and took home the win. Dave started the day with one of the fastest swims then set the pace on the bike and finished with a 2:48 marathon to take the win from top Ironmen including Cam Brown, Jimmy Johnson, Matty White, Chris McCormack, and teamTBB’s Aaron Farlow to name a few. With this win, Dave reported that he was overjoyed as “this win means a lot as now I have secured my slot for Kona. Now, I can stop chasing points and focus the rest of my season on performing at my best at the Iromman world championships. “

On the women’s side, Carrie Lester nabbed her first win of the 2012 season. She had a solid day starting with a great swim and smart bike. She came off the bike in the top few women and used her strong run legs to motor past the rest of the field to secure the win. Carrie beat a top field including Bek Keat, Belinda Granger, Belinda Harper, and many more. She was tough all day despite having some rough patches and dealing with very hot and humid conditions. Carrie reported that she “was very happy with the race. She said, “I am proud of how I dealt with the roller coaster of emotions as I wasn’t feeling great. I really had to fight for the entire 42.2K on the run. But I made it and am very happy with the win.”

Congrats Dave and Carrie on your amazing wins! It looks to be an amazing year for teamTBB. We can’t wait to watch you dominating at the Ironman distance later this summer and fall in Kona.

Results

Men

1. David Dellow (AUS) 8:15:04
2. Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:22:21
3. Jimmy Johnsen (DEN) 8:29:36
4. Matty White (AUS) 8:31:19
5. Peter Vabrousek (CZE) 8:40:00
6. Leon Griffin (AUS) 8:40:41
7. Brett Carter (AUS) 8:44:03 * M30-34
8. Jason Shortis (AUS) 8:53:25
9. Simon Cochrane (NZL) 9:02:01
10. Chris McCormack (AUS) 9:05:12

Women

1. Carrie Lester (AUS) 9:21:00
2. Belinda Harper (NZL) 9:22:42
3. Candice Hammond (NZL) 9:24:45
4. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:32:16
5. Rebecca Hoschke (AUS) 9:39:53

Find out more: http://www.ironmancairns.com

Race Preview - Jun 2nd-3rd 2012

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:33:06 GMT

This weekend sees Xena (ana Caroline Steffen) racing at home in Switzerland.

70.3 Rapperswil, Switzerland
Sunday June 3rd
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Philippines athletes racing
Caroline Steffen

Superstar Xena is defending her title from 70.3 Switzerland this weekend. She won the race in 2010 and 2011. As always, there will be a stacked field for her to face with the top challenge coming from Swiss Miss Nicola Spirig taking a weekend off her ITU domination to race a 70.3. Xena is in heavy training as the key races this year will be IM Germany and Kona, but she is excited to give it her best shot and will go for gold once the gun sounds. In 2012, Xena has had a great start to the year with dominating wins at IM Melbourne and Koh Samui.

The course in Switzerland has a swiim course in a cool lake. Following the swim, the 90km bike lap is hilly and technical. Xena will use her strong bike to make a statement on the field. Finally, the half marathon should also be challenging.

Xena and Nicola are race favorites but will face a stacked field including top Swiss athletes from ITU and long course racing along with many of the top European Ironwomen.

Best of luck Xena!

Find out more: http://ironmanrapperswil.com/de/

Good luck to all and we wish you all the best mechanical luck!

Race Review - May 25th-27th 2012

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:35:42 GMT

With only one race this weekend for teamTBB, it was a successful one with Per Bittner winning the Challenge Barcelona in Spain.

Challenge Barcelona, Spain
Sunday May 27th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Germany athletes racing
Per Bittner

Per Bittner of teamTBB Germany won Challenge Barcelona with a stellar bike and run. Congrats Per on your amazing win, the first for teamTBB Germany in 2012! Per had a stellar day starting with a solid swim and moving onto the bike where he took control of the race putting in a very fast bike split. Once off the bike, Per did not look back as he ran away with the race and nabbed the win over a top field of professional men. Despite the hot and humid weather, Per was not daunted and raced strong all day.

Congrats Per on running away with your first big win of 2012! It looks to be a great start to for teamTBB Germany as the European race season kicks off this summer. We can’t wait to watch you and the rest of teamTBB Germany dominated the Ironman distance events this summer.

Men's Professional Results
1. PER BITTNER (ALE) 3:50:35
2. STANISLAV KRYLOV (RUS) 3:53:45
3. RAUL AMATRIAIN (ESP) 3:55:15
4. MIQUEL BLANCHART (ESP) 3:55:56
5. ANDREAS BORCH (DIN) 3:56:37

Find out more: http://www.challenge-barcelona.es/index.php?lang=EN

Congrats Per! We hope this is the first of many wins in 2012!

Ryder Hesjedal wins Giro d’Italia

Mon, 28 May 2012 14:53:06 GMT

Today is a historic day for Garmin-Barracuda team managed by Slipstream Sports, LLC, as Ryder Hesjedal won the General Classification of the Giro d’Italia — the first Grand Tour victory for the team started by Jonathan Vaughters.

Hesjedal also is the first Canadian to win a Grand Tour and did so in dramatic fashion, taking the win on the final stage individual time trial.
“I’m very proud and very honored and humbled by this win,” he said.

“The team was incredible, every guy rode incredible, I am honored by their effort and all we did here. Thank you to my team, my directors, the whole staff and all of our amazing sponsors, and my beautiful family and friends.”

Hesjedal was the second Garmin-Barracuda rider to don the Maglia Rosa this year as Ramunas Navardauskas took the first honor after the team time trial victory in the first week. What was then considered ‘mission accomplished’ for the team became the launching pad for Hesjedal’s march on the General Classification.

Just one stage after the team relinquished the pink jersey, Ryder took it back to become the first Canadian to wear it.

He would hold it for three stages, digging deep to defend it. As the Giro entered the decisive final week in the high mountains, Ryder showed what he could truly do to become the next Giro champion.

Sitting second overall he rode with the other contenders each day and even put in his own attacks, turning the heads of the cycling world. As he did the entire Garmin-Barracuda team surrounded him each day, helping aid his efforts — particularly from Veteran Christian Vande Velde and young up-and-coming rider Peter Stetina.

Everything culminated on Sunday in Milan as Hesjedal was only 31 seconds behind the leader.

The final stage time trial worked in his favor as he took every turn at maximum speed to take the final overall victory by 16 seconds.

Along with the individual win, Garmin-Barracuda also won the Super Team classification — adding to the team’s precept team above all else.

New blog entry

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:11:40 GMT

This weekend sees teamTBB in only one race, this time in Brazil.

Ironman Brazil, Florianopolis Brazil
Saturday May 26th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - Japan athletes racing
Hiro Nishiuchi
Maki Nishiuchi

The Japanese Ironcouple is taking on Brazil. The other Ironcouple took home double podiums last weekend so Hiro and Maki are hoping to match their feat! The race in Brazil is know as a sea swim followed by a flat fast loop course on the bike and a run in the hot and humid conditions.

As expected, the course will be fast but the conditions will be very tough. Luckily, Hiro's last race was the Strongman. This will be Hiro's third Iron distance race of the year and Maki's second. They are both very excited to get out there and race this iconic event.

Hiro will face tough competition from the top South American athletes including Eduardo Sturla and Oscar Galindez. While Maki will face a mix of North and South American talents including Kim Loeffler, Dede Greisbauer, Sofie Goos, and Sara Gross.

Best of luck Hiro and Maki!

Find out more: http://www.ironmanbrasil.com.br/imb/default.asp?lang=EN

Best mechanical luck to Hiro, Maki, and all the competitors!

Race Wrap - May 19th-20th 2012

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:50:50 GMT

Podium finishes for the Ironcouple Stephen and Bella bliss in Canarias, Spain and a win in Texas by Mary Beth Ellis.

Ironman Texas, USA
Saturday May 19th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Scott DeFilippis
Mathias Hecht
Mary Beth Ellis
Christie Sym

Mary Beth Ellis of teamTBB USA captured a dominating win at Ironman Texas the first big Ironman event of the North American season. Despite the hot and humid weather, MBE took the win in course record time besting top US Ironwomen Caitlin Snow and Amy Marsh. MBE had a solid day and was able to get the victory by over 6 minutes. MBE reported in that, "it was a very tough day with hot conditions on the run. I was happy that I battled strong and fought with courage all the way to the finish. I am very pleased to start my 2012 Ironman season with a win on home soil. I look forward to racing Ironman NYC later this year." In addition to MBE, Christie also had a solid day on the swim and bike, but faded a bit on the run. Despite her difficulties, Christie said "I am pleased with this start to my Ironman season and look forward to improving throughout the year. This is my first Ironman in almost 18 months since surgery, and I am still on my road back to full fitness."

On the men’s side, Mathias Hecht had an outstanding race leading the event for most of the day with an outstanding bike course record of 4:18 and a valiant run coming back from an injury in late 2011. Mathias battled hard through the run and finished on the podium in 3rd place. Scotty had a tough day at the office and struggled with some back spasms that forced him to withdrawal after the bike leg. He will be back to battle again soon and is planning out the rest of his Ironman season hoping to steal a podium at a big Ironman event in Europe this summer.

Congrats MBE on your amazing win and Mathias on your 3rd place for teamTBB USA! It looks to be a great start for teamTBB USA and continues upon the amazing start for the team around the world on the Ironman circuit.

Congrats to the entire teamTBB crew!

Find out more: http://www.ironmantexas.com

Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas
Woodlands, TX / May 19, 2012
2.4m swim / 112m bike / 26.2m run

Top men

1. Jordan Rapp (USA) 8:10:44
2. Justin Daerr (USA) 8:22:15
3. Mathias Hecht (SUI) 8:22:58
4. Jozsef Major (HUN) 8:27:19
5. Brandon Marsh (USA) 8:30:18
6. Joe Umphenour (USA) 8:36:18
7. Rasmus Henning (DEN) 8:37:23
8. Christian Brader (GER) 8:39:07
9. Matthew Russell (USA) 8:42:50
10. Pedro Gomes (POR) 8:44:53

Top women

1. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 8:54:58
2. Caitlin Snow (USA) 9:01:32
3. Amy Marsh (USA) 9:04:00
4. Corinne Abraham (GBR) 9:18:39
5. Charisa Wernick (USA) 9:27:43
6. Brooke Brown (CAN) 9:47:05
7. Sara Piampiano (USA) 9:47:38
8. Michelle Leblanc (USA) 9:53:59
9. Christie Sym (AUS) 9:55:56
10. Amy McGrath (USA) 9:56:18

Congrats to all who raced IMTX!

Ironman Lanzarote, Canarias Spain
Saturday May 19th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Dan Halksworth
Stephen Bayliss
Bella Bayliss

The Ironcouple took Ironman Lanzarote by storm! The proud parents picked up a pair of podiums both finishing in 2nd place on the iconic Canarias course. Facing the elements as well as a competitve field, Bella had an amazing race in her first Ironman since having baby Charlie last summer. While Stephen showed that his training is on track as he conquered the men's field finishing 2nd. Unfortunately, Dan had some issues on the run, but he will be back to race another day.
As expected, the course and conditions made for a very tough day from start to finish. But the tough conditions were all the better for the Ironcouple as they swam, rode, and ran their way to the podium.

Bella was very pleased with her race. She reported in that "I am really happy with my 2nd place here at Lanzarote, with the minimal amount of training I have done since having Charlie, I think this positive result is great for the upcoming races. With Stephens 2nd place in the mens race, it was a really great day for the Bayliss's! We are looking forward to a rest now and hanging out with Charlie, yesterday was long day without him."

Stephen was equally pleased with his 2nd place result. He said, "I really love Ironman Lanzarote. I love the Island and I love the race course. I was very pleased with my 2nd place finish. Victor Del Corral was stronger than me yesterday and a desrving winner. I did my best and was happy to do a decent swim bike and run on this very testing course here in Lanzarote. What made me extra happy was seeing Bella have a great first Ironman back and finishing in 2nd place, now we both need some rest and some time with Charlie before we leave Lanzarote on Wednesday."

Congrats to Bella and Stephen! Enjoy some much deserved downtime with Charlie!

Find out more: http://www.ironmanlanzarote.com

Top men

1. Victor Del Corral (ESP) 8:44:39
2. Stephen Bayliss (GBR) 8:53:37
3. Sergio Marques (POR) 9:02:58
4. Bert Jammaer (BEL) 9:04:41
5. Patrick Jaberg (SUI) 9:06:25
6. Petr Vabrousek (CZE) 9:07:30
7. Alvaro Velasquez (ESP) 9:11:13
8. Xavier Diepart (BEL) 9:13:33
9. Rainer Schniertshauer (GER) 9:15:24 * AG
10. Igor Nastic (SUI) 9:20:56 * AG

Top women

1. Michelle Vesterby (DEN) 9:58:06
2. Bella Bayliss (GBR) 10:06:12
3. Heleen Bij De Vaate (NED) 10:17:33
4. Veerle D'Haese (BEL) 10:25:12 * AG
5. Nicole Woysch (GER) 10:37:19

Congrats to the Ironcouple and all the finishers!

Report: Hesjedal regains Maglia Rosa on first mountain stage

Sun, 20 May 2012 14:23:33 GMT

Ryder Hesjedal showed just what he is capable of on the first true mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia.

As the race moved north towards the Swiss border the high mountains finally came into play in this year’s race, and the true contenders came to the top.

But it was Hesjedal who proved to be the best of them on the day, attacking out of the select chase group on the climb to Cervinia and keeping them at bay to take back the pink jersey.

“Today I had good legs and decided to test them,” said Hesjedal.

“The team was excellent once again and the day just unfolded perfect. Thanks to all the supports out there! Its been an amazing race so far.”

Race Preview - May 19th-20th 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:35:32 GMT

This weekend sees teamTBB in longhorn country (Texas), Austria and Spain.

Ironman Texas, USA
Saturday May 19th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Scott DeFilippis
Mathias Hecht
Mary Beth Ellis
Christie Sym

Like last year where Hiro and Maki led a crew to ride out of the Lonestar state, teamTBB is back to race in the first big USA Ironman event of 2012, IM Texas.

Scotty and Mathias will be ready to battle a strong men’s field this weekend. After an amazing training camp in Australia, Scotty is better shape than ever and is ready to take IM Texas by storm. I know Scotty has plans to run through the field with the fastest marathon of the day. Mathias reported in that he is very excited to race. He said, "it will be my first race of this season. I have a bit of a late start this year as I had a longer break in winter because of an injury. So things were a bit different then in the last years' opener at St. George (where he won!). But I had 3 good camps in spain (Andalucia, Gran Canaria and Tossa de Mar). Especially the Gran Canaria Camp with Stephen and Dan brought my fitness back to a certain level. So I am ready to race my first Ironman of the season now."

The men’s field here in Texas is strong. The main contenders for the win will be Rasmus Henning, Jordan Rapp, Paul Amey and Max Kriat. But the conditions here are very tough. Not so much the race course, which is mostly flat, but the heat and humidity is not far from what we see in Kona. So the chance that we will see a 30°C + day combined with 90% humidity is quite high. Bring some wind to this mix and this makes for a very very tough Ironman race. And there will be my chance. It is time to step up to guys like Rasmus, so if I get my chance I wont hesitate to take it.

Christie and MBE will take on the ladies. The women’s field will include our past teamTBB member Amy Marsh who is racing with husband Brandon as well as Cait Snow and new year pro Sarah Piampiano and Kathleen Calkins. Christie reported in " it will be my first Ironman this season, first one in a whole year actually. I am looking at it as a good benchmark of my current fitness, and a big training day under race conditions. Looking for a strong swim/bike, and as for that marathon, well let's just say I'll deal with that around lunch time next Sunday."

The course is in Texas should be flat and fast with some heat and humidity thrown into the mix. The swim is one loop in the warm and murky Lake Woodlands. Then, the athletes move onto the bike where they will complete one loop that is almost all flat to mildly undulating terrain. Finally, the athletes will run a mix of roads and paved paths to finish off with a sure to be warm marathon run. The course is mild but the conditions should play to our team's favor as tougher the better.
Best of luck to the teamTBB crew

Find out more: http://www.ironmantexas.com

70.3 St. Pollen, Austria
Sunday May 20th
Distance: 1.9km swim • 90km bike • 21.1km run

teamTBB - Philippines athletes racing
Caroline Steffen

Superstar Xena is racing 70.3 St. Pölten Austria at the 20th of may. She is ready to race coming off her two amazing victories this spring at IM Melbourne and Koh Samui.

Xena is excited as well as this is an event that has history for her. Xena reported in that "I am looking forward to get back and race in Austria after very good memorys of the same race in 2009 where I made my first ever 70.3 top3 (3th IRONMAN 70.3 Austria, St. Pölten; PRO 4:31:50 ) . After Koh Samui I recovered well, I started train in Europe/Leysin with Coach Brett and Team 10 days ago. I`m so excited to be back in Europe and race again in St. Pölten. Please wish me good mechanicale luck."

The course in Austria has a swiim course with unique characteristics in the world of 70.3s. The swim actually covers two lakes at once, separated by a running passage of 200m. Following the swim, the 90km bike lap guarantees a fair and safe race. The athletes start from the transition area and the big highlights of the course are the 18km section on the S33 motorway between St. Pölten and Traismauer and the two climbs of Hollenburg and Aggsbach. The final half marathon run takes place at the area of the event arena along the shores of the Traisen River. The half marathon will be flat and fast two lap course.

Our Xena should be the favorite at the race but will face top competition from across Europe including Yvonne VanVlerken and Erica Cosmor.
Best of luck Xena! Have fun destroying your finish times from 2009!

Find out more: http://ironmanstpoelten.com/

Ironman Lanzarote, Canarias Spain
Saturday May 19th
Distance: 3.8 km swim • 180km bike • 42.2km run

teamTBB - USA athletes racing
Dan Halksworth
Stephen Bayliss
Bella Bayliss

Saving the best preview for last! We have Dan and the Baylisses back in action this weekend too! They face the epic course and conditions down in the Canarias Islands of Spain.

Bella will be ready to battle in her first Ironman race since having baby Charlie. While unlike Bella with her long resume of wins, Dan is also competing in his first Ironman ever! No pressure Dan but you better win this first one out if you want to try to catch up with Bella and all her wins. Stephen will also be ready to race! Since becoming a dad, he won Challenge Vichy last year and wil be excited to get to the top of the podium again. He just has to tackle that first-timer Dan.

The course is very tough from start to finish. The swim is in the ocean waters. Then, the athletes move onto the bike where they will complete one loop that is almost all undulating terrain and includes the famous winds off the ocean that make any day epic. Finally, the athletes will run a flatter loop to complete the marathon run. The tough course and conditions should play to Bella and the boys favor as they are all tougher than nails.

Dan is very excited and told me that "I will be participating in my first ironman next weekend in the famous ironman Lanzarote. I am looking forward to it but yet nervous. Not exactly sure what to expect. The field is tough and conditions are never easy in Lanzarote. I will take it as it is and hope to be in touch on the run."

Bella also let me know that she, Stephen, and Charlie are all getting ready for the weekend. "On Saturday I will race Ironman Lanzarote, I used Challenge Fuerteventura as preparation for Ironman Lanzarote. I do hope to be on the start line healthy unlike Fuerteventura where Charlie Stephen and I got ill just in time for the start! Stephen and I have spent the last 5 months training in Gran Canaria which has been ideal so I think we are ready for Lanzarote now!I love Lanzarote, I know the island well as we have spent a fair bit of time training there and two of my really special Ironman wins have been in Lanzarote so I am definitely looking forward to the 19th of May although I also know it will be no walk in the park. It will be a day of being very tough and strong."

Stephen equally eager to race his first Ironman of the year said, "I have raced Ironman Lanzarote 4 times before, the first time was my very first Ironman. I love the island and I love the Ironman course there. My best result is 4th place in 2009. I will be aiming to improve on that result on Saturday. Bella, Charlie and I have had some great training in Gran Canaria, we think it has been an ideal training location for our winter."

Best of luck to Bella and the boys!

Find out more: http://www.ironmanlanzarote.com

Good luck, we wish you all the best mechanical luck!

Cervélo supports Canada’s WoundedWarriors.ca Bike Team

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Next Sunday, May 20th, twenty-one Canadian soldiers, who are members of the WoundedWarriors.ca bike team, will ride Cervélo S2’s as they participate in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride through France and Belgium.

This is the first time Canadian soldiers have participated in this six-day, 550-kilometre event. They will be joined on the ride by soldiers from Britain’s Hope for Heroes, all riding with one purpose - to increase awareness of and to decrease the stereotypes around mental health issues. The soldiers on the WoundedWarriors.ca team are participating as part of their own recovery therapy from Operational Stress Injuries (OSI).

Capt. Mark Chamberlain served seven months in Afghanistan and readily admits he suffers from operational stress injuries (OSI). Now he’s preparing for the bike tour in Europe. “Combat and mental injuries aren’t something to be ashamed of,” he said. “Together as a team [of soldiers] we can get through these types of things.

The six-day journey will lead the veterans through famous battlefields in France, such as Caen, Dieppe, Amiens, Arras, Ypres and Dunkirk. During the tour, the vets will attend a special ceremony at Vimy Ridge highlighting the journey.

Capt. Wayne Johnston is the founder of Wounded Warriors and says there is more than one reason for this bike tour in Europe. “Generally guys with OSI start to lose their own self worth and their own focus on life,” he said. “You go every week to see your psychologist. You take your pills everyday sometimes wondering when am I going to get off this. What this ride has done for the individuals is given them focus and helped them to build back their self-pride and self-worth. When these guys get together they’re blooming. I don’t know how else to describe it,” Johnston said.

“Cervélo became involved when we were asked by our Engineering Manager, Michael Clarry, who is also a Lieutenant Colonel and the Commanding Officer of 32 Combat Engineer Regiment,” said Phil White, Co-founder, CEO, Cervélo. “We consider it an honor to have these soldiers riding Cervélo’s to promote mental health awareness and recovery through physical fitness.”

That is also how Glenn Innes, the Cervélo Territory Manager in Ontario felt when he volunteered to accompany the soldiers on a training ride – “just to help them out with their new bikes.” Glenn and the soldiers bonded, and impressed with his attitude and manner, they invited him to ride as their guest on the Big Battlefield Bike Ride. “I am truly honored by the gesture and also very excited about participating,” he said.

You can follow the progress of the WoundedWarriors.ca via Glenn’s blog that will be posted online during the six-day tour.

To follow the riders on Twitter: @wwcajames; @wwcaphil; @wwcawayne.
To donate or support a rider: http://woundedwarriors.ca/bike-ride-2012/.