NEWS

First medals up for grabs - but only for the very tough!

By Paul Groves | 20 Jan, 2017

Winter Triathlon is here !


2017 Gradistei ETU Winter Triathlon European Cup

Well, it has started. The 2017 season has begun and the athletes are on site. Cheile Grădiștei Resort Fundata, tucked away beneath Bran Castle in Romania is hosting the very first ETU event of the year. A wonderful little secret, tucked away 1300m above the castle of such vampiric fame and a couple of hundred km away from Bucharest, this resort offers all year-round opportunities to those who enjoy cycling and running and, during the winter months, pretty much guaranteed snow. At this altitude and in deepest central Europe, there are no worries about it being cold enough.

Peter Klosz, President of the Romanian Triathlon Federation and his team from Târgu Mureș have been using this location as a summer training venue and in the winter as a great venue for winter triathlon events. This weekend will see athletes of all ages click into their ski boots and head for the cross country loipe.  

With the temperature looking perfect for racing

And with a schedule that looks good for everyone,

Event Schedule

Saturday 21 January

  • 10.00 – 12.00: Registration Winter duathlon Open Race
  • 13.00 Transition Open Winter duathlon
  • 14.00 Start Winter duathlon Open Race
  • 17.00 Medal Ceremony Winter duathlon
  • 16.00-20.00: Registration Winter triathlon ETU and NF Race
  • 18.00: ETU Athlete Briefing
  • 18:30 NF Championships Athlete Briefing
  • 19.00 Pasta party

Sunday 22 January

  • 09.00-10.00: Registration Winter triathlon ETU and NF Race
  • 09:30 Transition Open ETU European Cup
  • 10.30 Start ETU Winter triathlon European Cup Men
  • 10.35 Start ETU Winter triathlon European Cup Women
  • 13.00 Start Romanian Winter triathlon National Championships Kids and Youth
  • 14.00 Start Romanian Winter triathlon National Championships Age Group, Junior, Team
  • 16.00 Medal Ceremony ETU European Cup and National Championships Winter triathlon

We are only hours away from the very first ETU medals of 2017 being presented to the victorious athletes.

Team Italy has strong representation and will be using this race as a last-minute warm-up before heading to Estonia and the much-awaited ETU Winter Triathlon European Championships in Otepää.
The host nation is hoping to see its immensely powerful biathlete make his way to the podium and amongst the Slovakians, watch out for a medal in the women’s race.

Who is here? Well, sadly the Russians have focussed on last-minute preparations on home soil but unless they have a secret weapon, the Romanians will have to watch a tremendous battle unfold between one of the most experienced athletes still racing the circuit and one who showed great form last year in the Cross Duathlon Championships in Târgu Mureș.

Šárka Grabmüllerová is no stranger to this sport. She has been on the podium 22 times and gold went to her 7 times. She has raced all over the world and most recently took Age Group silver in the ITU Cross Triathlon Championships in Australia.

She will compete against Slovakia’s Kristina Lapinová. Silver medal winner in Târgu Mureș she has pace on the bike and run and will hope to improve on her winter tri best of a bronze in 2010 in Latky Mlaky.

The host nation will be hoping that race number 1 will be a good omen and that Monika Koncz reigning Romanian Winter Triathlon champion can perform well for a home crowd.

Slovakia is also fielding a promising junior, Lydia Drahovska, whose Junior silver in Târgu Mureș and top ten finish in Zeltweg, has prepared her well for this race. She will have to work hard against teammate, Lucia Michaličková who won Junior bronze in Zeltweg.

For the full start list, please click here.

Amongst the men we are assured a great race from start to finish.

Wearing #1 is Italy’s Daniel Antonioli. He has provided us with some of the most exciting sprint finishes over past few years. With the absence of Russia’s Pavel Andreev, we can expect to see him working hard with teammate, Giuseppe Lamastra.

It was Lamastra who edged Antonioli off the podium in Zeltweg last year but they will have to work hard against the fast-running Norwegian, Kristian Monsen.

From the Czech Republic comes Pavel Jindra. He too has great experience and on this technical course we may just see the more experienced athletes trump the younger ones. Romania has its national Triathlon, Cross Triathlon, Duathlon and Aquathlon champion, Ciprian Balanescu on the start line.

He is immensely powerful on the bike and run but against the powerful skiing of Marian Danila he will have to build a massive lead.

For a full start list, please click here.

The event is being overseen by Spanish Technical Delegate, Edu Lakuntza, who is in charge of a team of technical officials from Romania, Iran and Great Britain. The Romanian National TV Channel, TVR will be covering the event and venue hosts, who regularly see international biathlon competitions here, will be thrilled to see this great sport racing for ETU medals. Results will be available on Sunday along with, hopefully, a great series of photos.

Related Event: 2017 Gradistei ETU Winter Triathlon European Cup
21 - Jan, 2017 • event pageall results
Results: Elite Men
1. Giuseppe Lamastra ITA 00:48:10
2. Daniel Antonioli ITA 00:48:36
3. Kristian Monsen NOR 00:49:16
4. Tomas Jurkovic SVK 00:49:43
5. Viorel Palici ROU 00:50:47
6. Pavel Jindra CZE 00:52:29
7. Marian Danila ROU 00:54:22
8. Bogdan Damian ROU 00:54:39
9. Ciprian Balanescu ROU 00:58:56
10. Gustav Robert Mircea ROU 01:05:21
Results: Elite Women
1. Kristina Lapinova SVK 01:02:54
2. Sarka Grabmullerova CZE 01:03:55
3. Monika Koncz ROU 01:05:33
4. Lydia Drahovska SVK 01:08:39
5. Irimia Raluca ROU 01:30:18