Munich. Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) has added another event to
his 2017 triathlon schedule: on 18th June, he will take
part in the IRONMAN 70.3 Italy, Pescara. After he had won two more
Paralympic gold medals in handcycling in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) in
2016, the BMW Brand Ambassador decided to intensify his activities
in long distance triathlons for this year. Before he tackles the
Austria-Kärnten event in Klagenfurt (2nd July) and the
World Championship in Hawaii (14th October), he will
compete on his home soil in Pescara.
Pescara is located at the Adriatic coast and offers a scenic backdrop
for the event. The swimming portion of 1.9 kilometres will be held in
open water. It is followed by a 90 kilometres bike section through the
foothills of the Abruzzo Mountains. Zanardi will use his handcycle for
this course through vineyards and groves of olive trees. The running
section, that Zanardi will complete with his olympic wheelchair, will
be held on a 21.1 kilometre course along the beach promenade and
through downtown Pescara.
“It is something special for me because I am Italian and I know
Pescara quite well. I have a lot of friends there,” Zanardi said. “In
fact, I have personally been to Pescara several times as one of my
friends from the Italian para-cycling team is from the area and,
thanks to him, we had the opportunity to organise several training
camps there. In the last one we went out the cycling course of the
triathlon. I am very excited because it is a very technical cycling
course, and the landscape is beautiful there. It could be that on this
hilly course I will not be as fast as I normally am with my handcycle
on the flat, but I will try my very best.”
“It is a very competitive triathlon. I have seen in the previous
editions that the level of the athletes is normally quite high,”
Zanardi continued. “I mainly compete there to prepare for the
challenge that awaits me in Hawaii. To test myself among a very strong
and large group of fast triathletes is a unique opportunity to go
through my learning course as I am still a beginner in this new
discipline. This is the reason that I am very excited. For me it is a
continuous discovery in the things that I do and the only way that you
can gain experience is by participating in good competitions. That is
why I decided to go to Pescara.”
In addition, Zanardi is also planning his para-cycling schedule for
this year, starting with the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in
Maniago in Italy from 12th to 14th May.