Alistair Brownlee is set to make his debut over the half distance at Challenge Mogan-Gran Canaria. The dual Olympic gold medalist is testing himself over new distances this year. While he has already competed in a somewhat long race like the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon where an Olympic-distance 1.5-kilometer swim and 10-kilometer run sandwiched a 100-kilometer bike ride, this will be Brownlee’s first start in the 1.9-kilometer swim, non-drafting 90-kilometer bike ride, 21-kilometer run format that make up the half distance.
“I’m not expecting too much from myself or putting too much pressure on myself. It’s my first proper attempt at the distance so I’m not expecting everything to go perfectly,” says Brownlee. “I want to do well, I’m competitive but I haven’t really looked at the start list with too much knowledge of the other participants. I know what I want to do in terms of my own race and will judge the performance on that, not where I end up finishing or in comparison to anyone else.”
He has been preparing at home in Yorkshire after his exertions at Super League Hamilton Island last month and has made slight changes to his training regimen to cope better with the long-course format. “I have been concentrating on individual, solo bike efforts and less intense and longer running so those have been the biggest changes to my training. I’ve been enjoying it,” he reveals.
His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Mikel Calahorra, and Daniela Ryf will also toe the start line in Gran Canaria. Jan Frodeno returns to racing at the Chia Sardinia Triathlon in Italy after mechanical problems forced him to DNF at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside. David Plese rounds up the Bahrain Endurance 13 racers this weekend as he lines up for the Ironman North American Championship in Texas.
