We have some thoughts, impressions, voices and numbers before the 2015 Ironman European Championships in Frankfurt, Germany thanks to Karsten Täschner, our man on the ground.
It is already very hot in Germany and promises to be even hotter by Sunday - 37 degrees Celsius or just under 100 degrees Fahrenheit. As of now the pros will not be racing in wetsuits and by Sunday it is estimated that the water temperature will be such that age groupers will also have to forgo that swim flotation aid. Race officials also announced that they ordered an additional 14 tons of ice for the run course.
It was also announced that the pros will be wearing a GPS unit and that will allow spectators online to track them all day. New start times meanwhile are spreading the athletes out more, but not as much as in Kona and that likely still will cause some concerns for female pros.
6:40am pro men
6:42am pro women
6:50am age group
7:00am age group
The field in Frankfurt is loaded but in the men's race the Germans will be the ones to beat on home turf with Sebastian Kienle, Jan Frodeno, Andreas Raelert and Andi Böcherer all the start and ready to romp. But with Frederik Van Lierde (BEL), Eneko Llanos (ESP), Tyler Butterfield (BER), Bas Diederen (NED), Alessandro Degasperi (ITA) and Miquel Blanchart (ESP) there are plenty of International athletes willing and capable to fight for the podium.
Daniela Ryf and Caroline Steffen are the formidable Swiss pros that are favored in Frankfurt, but they too have plenty of competition to challenge them. Among them Julia Gajer (GER), Michelle Vesterby (DEN), Kristin Moeller (GER) and Tine Deckers (BEL).
Flat tires have cost Jan Frodeno time last year in Frankfurt and in Hawaii and he hopes to remedy that situation for Sunday and that he can focus on racing and not on technical problems. Word also has it that the tall German will be on a new Canyon bike, and we will try to get pictures.
Sebastian Kienle said that he feels that he is in great running shape and would like to defend his title in Frankfurt.
Caroline Steffen has won twice here already and she would love to add a third one.
Julia Gajer has never started in Frankfurt before and wants to leave a great first impression.
Ironman Europe, Middle East and South Africa president Thomas Dieckhoff called the race in Frankfurt the second most important race, while speaking at the press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Frankfurt and said that 60,000 starters raced in European Ironman events in 2014, and that was a 50% increase from the previous year where 40,000 athletes started in the various European events.
Frodeno meanwhile was a busy man yesterday. In addition to the press conference the talented German also spent time with his sponsor Asics in the Frankfurter Laufshop. He spoke for an hour about his career, training and racing and then answered questions and signed autographs.
