Jacobs, Kienle and Raelert at the press conference. Photo: Charlie Crowhurst / Getty
Whether attracted by one last shot at glory in 2014, the opportunity to race in a new country, or simply the biggest prize purse in half-distance triathlon, the pro start list at Challenge Bahrain reads like a who’s who of long distance racing (with a smattering of ITU stars thrown in for good measure). Fifty-six pro men and twenty-four pro women will join nearly 1,000 athletes in Bahrain Bay on Saturday morning (you can watch the whole event live from 07:30 local time here). But before the action kicks off in ernest we thought we’d take a look at who to watch out for ahead of Saturday’s race.
The men’s race:
It goes without saying that one name casts a fairly formidable shadow over the men’s field: Sebastian Kienle. The Ironman World Champion (and two-time 70.3 World Champion) comes into Challenge Bahrain in a rich vein of form. What’s more, despite the attention and appearances that are an inevitable – and welcome – accompaniment to scooping the Kona crown, Sebi looks like he’s hungry for this one and has structured his training with a view to winning it. The bike course is fast and the run is flat which could well play into his hands.
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That said, there are plenty of athletes in the field who aren’t scared to launch a solo ‘suicide’ mission in pursuit of the win. Anyone who watched Dirk Bockel take the Challenge Roth title in 2013 will attest to that. Bockel broke away at the end of the swim and didn’t look back that day. After an injury-plagued season that saw him miss most of the big races in 2014, he’s fresh and looking for a positive result to finish off a frustrating season.
Former 70.3 world champion Michael Raelert is another athlete who has not only struggled with injury in 2014, but is coming into form at just the right time. Wins over this distance in Miami and Mandurah over the last couple of months have helped to make amends for a difficult period in the middle of the season. Against a field of long-course specialists, Raelert will be aiming to underline his strength at his favourite distance.
To be honest, the list of names that could scoop this title is nigh on endless.
2012 Ironman World Champion Pete Jacobs is another athlete who has had an up-and-down 2014. Although you can never rule him out of the running, PJ himself has said that he’d be happy with a Top 10 finish on Saturday. Meanwhile, the likes of Tim Don – who has a habit of laying it all on the line when it matters – should find himself in contention for a podium spot after a strong 2014. And, keep an eye on both Eneko Llanos and James Cunnama. By their lofty standards they haven’t enjoyed the best of seasons, but are more than capable of destroying quality fields when they bring it all together.
The women’s race:
There’s only one person ruling Mirinda Carfrae out for the win in Bahrain: Rinny herself. Everyone knows what the Ironman World Champion is capable of when she pulls it all together. Can she do it tomorrow? By her own admission life post-Kona has been hectic. There has been a lot of travel, a couple of appearances and not a lot of race-specific training. In short (and in her own words), Rinny is gearing up for a Saturday ’sufferfest’ with the goal of finishing Top 10 – before enjoying the After Party.
There’s something about Rachel Joyce, meanwhile, that just looks ready for this one. She was left disappointed after ‘only’ finishing third in Kona and has managed to pull together a good training block in the eight weeks since the race on the Big Island. What’s more, the Bahrain course should suit her racing style. The swim will be quick and the bike even quicker. If she can do some damage on the flat fast roads of Bahrain then there’s every chance she can break the tape on Saturday.
Caroline Steffen is another one of those athletes who hasn’t necessarily enjoyed the season she had hoped for, but who can beat any athlete in the field on her day. Again, the course favours her style of racing and she is due a big result.
Away from the ‘big three’ there are a couple of women in the field who could really do some damage on the day. First up Camilla Pedersen. The Dane has bounced-back from a horror bike crash in 2013 and has been pretty much perfect in 2014. Unbeaten over the half-distance in 2014 and ITU Long Distance World Champion, Camilla is flying somewhat under the radar at the moment.
Jodie Swallow is another one of those athletes who has been simply brilliant since making the transition from ITU to middle- and long-distance. With multiple wins over 70.3 she knows how to get the job done over this distance. What’s more, with a lightning quick swim and bike in her armoury there’s every chance she could build an unassailable lead coming out of T2.
And then there’s Jodie Stimpson. How will she manage the transition from ITU racing to middle distance? There’s no doubt that she has the legs (and determination) for the fight. What’s more, these ITU stars have a habit of making that change up look relatively effortless. It will certainly be interesting to see how she fares once the gun goes off.
Don’t forget: you can watch all of the action live on challenge-bahrain.com.bh
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