With Fernandes out, new Madrid champ assured


Portuguese sensation Vanessa Fernandes was expected to make her World Championship Series debut in Madrid, however has withdrawn at the last minute as she continues to recover from a broken collarbone sustained in early season training.

An uncharacteristic sixteenth place finish at the Quarteira European Cup is all the Beijing Olympic Games silver medalist has to show for her season so far, although undoubtedly that will improve as the year rolls on.

With Fernandes off the start list Madrid will have a new women’s champion as the Portuguese star had been unbeaten on the Caso del Campo course since its first inclusion in the ITU calendar back in 2003.

With Olympic gold medalist and current World Championship Series leader Emma Snowsill also missing the race as she focuses on the third leg of the series in Washington, DC, the door of opportunity is wide open for the women competitors to maximize their points total.

Annabell Luxford, the Australian national champion will be the Aussie’s sole competitor in the women’s race but has a strong record on the course having finished second in 2005 and third in 2004.

Japan’s Juri Ide heads to Europe on an impressive run of form which includes victory at the Ishigaki World Cup followed by a third place finish in Tongyeong. The rising star of Asian triathlon impressed with a fifth place finish in Beijing at the Olympic Games in 2008.

Home support will go to Ainhoa Murua who showed promise with fourth in Ishigaki and a top twenty finish in Tongyeong, whilst the experienced Ana Burgos goes in search of her third Madrid medal.

New Zealand’s 2008 ITU World Cup Series Champion, Samantha Warriner will be hoping to improve on her eighth place finish in Tongyeong where she crashed on the bike and had to work hard to catch the lead pack. Having focused on some longer distance racing over the off season she will need to sharpen her pace to feature on the podium in Spain.

Two athletes also looking to make a mends after Tongyeong are Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf and New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt. Ryf, a renowned cyclist, was forced to retire on the opening cycle lap in Tongyeong with a snapped chain, whilst Hewitt crashed on the bike but bravely battled on to finish thirty-ninth despite showing signs of road rash and bruising.

The pair have enjoyed good results on the Madrid course with Ryf taking third last year and Hewitt finishing runner-up to Fernandes in both 2007 and 2006.

As the season heads to Spain a large European contingent will be making their way across the continent. Great Britain’s Helen Jenkins, the 2008 World Champion, finished second on the Madrid course just a year ago whilst the big breakthrough of 2008, Hollie Avil, will looking to get her season underway with a bang. They will be joined on the pontoon with newly crowned British national champion Jodie Swallow.

Luxembourg’s Liz May should prove to be a strong threat, as well Lisa Norden from Sweden, who impressed during the 2008 season with victory at the World Cup race in Lorient, France.

Germany’s Olympic athletes, Ricarda Lisk, Anja Dittmer and Christine Pilz will all line up alongside the French duo of Carole Peon and Jess Harrison whilst Athens Olympic gold medalist Kate Allen will be Austria’s sole representative.

Sarah Groff and Sarah Haskins will make their 2009 World Championship debuts in Madrid whilst Mary Beth Ellis makes the trip following victory at the Pan-American Championships in Oklahoma.