by Hans Cleemput

Alistair Brownlee is leading a stellar field in the European Championships elite men race. We got the chance to have a quick chat with the Olympic champion at the athlete briefing in Kitzbühel. He expressed his love for the Austrian race. 'I have been racing Kitzbühel for seven years now and I love both this course and last years climb', Alistair told us. He was also pleased with the huge number of Team GB age groupers competing in Kitzbühel. 'It shows how popular the sport of triathlon is becoming in Great Britain', Alistair explains. Watch the full interview below:

Upcoming talents

Will Alessandro Fabian and Dorian Coninx battle for the podium in Kitzbühel? The Italian suffered from an injury last winter but seems to have recovered well. The vice European champion is looking forward to race. The young French junior European champion is a bit nervous for his first big elite appearance in Kitzbühel. We had a fun double interview with the two young guns. Watch it below:

The men elite race starts at 3 PM CET on Saturday. You can follow it live here