Before this weekend’s racing in Ibiza, Europe Triathlon would like to acknowledge the tragic train incident in Spain and extend our deepest condolences to all those affected, their families and loved ones. Spain is observing three days of national mourning, and as a mark of respect, there will be no press conferences or medal ceremonies during the event.
The final Europe Triathlon Cup of the season heads to Ibiza, bringing the European racing calendar to a close after a busy campaign that began in March in Quarteira. With stops across Spain, Hungary, Poland and beyond, the season has provided plenty of action, with several athletes making their mark on the European stage.
Elite men
One of those enjoying a breakthrough season is Austria’s Jelle Kaindl, who heads to Ibiza wearing bib number one. Kaindl claimed bronze in the Junior Men’s race in Pontevedra before adding another bronze at the Sprint Championships in Elbląg. He will now look to carry that success into the elite ranks and round off an impressive season with another strong performance.
Belgium’s Ibe Baelde starts just behind him in bib number three. Baelde raced in Tenerife a couple of weeks ago, where he secured a top-ten finish. His previous outing before that came in the U23 race in Pontevedra, having also competed at the World Triathlon Cup in Tiszaujváros earlier in the season. He will be hoping to build on his recent form as the European campaign reaches its conclusion.
Eduardo Blanco Mollá returns to Spanish soil after claiming bronze in Ceuta. With the home crowd behind him, the Spaniard will be looking to go one better in Ibiza and secure another podium finish before the season comes to an end.
Fellow Spaniard Kevin Tarek Viñuela González is also set to take to the start line, marking his 115th career start in a career spanning more than a decade. Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Fynn Batkin returns to racing after narrowly missing out on a second podium of the season in the City of Derry in September. Having already claimed silver in Kitzbühel, Batkin will be eager to finish the campaign on a high.
France’s Achille Besson is another athlete to watch after winning bronze in Coimbra last month. With top-ten finishes in both Tata and Wels earlier in the season, Besson has shown his consistency and will be aiming to replicate or improve on his recent podium success in Ibiza.
Italy’s Nicolò Astori arrives after a strong performance in Alanya last weekend and will look to build on his sixth-place finish in Türkiye earlier in the season. France’s Étienne Le Roux also comes into the race in good form after finishing fourth in Alanya, narrowly missing out on the podium. He starts in bib number ten.
Spain’s Genis Grau returns to European racing after back-to-back World Cup appearances in Beijing and Tongyeong over the past two weeks. He will be looking to finish the European season strongly after taking on the Asian leg of the World Cup circuit.
With 17 Spanish athletes on the start list, the home crowd will have plenty of reasons to cheer. The race also provides an opportunity for younger athletes to gain valuable experience at elite level. Among them is Jonay Alvarez Almazan, who claimed gold in the Aquathlon in Banyoles in July. Ibiza will mark his first start in an elite triathlon race.
Italy also has a strong presence, with seven athletes on the start list. Astori leads the team, followed by Davide Menichelli in bib number 11 and Fiorenzo Angelini in bib number 19.
Jakub Marik will be looking to build on his first taste of elite racing in Alanya last weekend, where he finished inside the top 30. With another opportunity to test himself against an experienced field, Ibiza offers a chance to continue his development.
Portugal’s Jose Ferreira is also looking to end his season on a high. His last elite appearance came at the Sprint Championships in Elbląg in July, where he finished 40th. He returned to Spain for the U23 race in Pontevedra in September, finishing 12th, and will now hope to carry that form into his final outing of the European season.
Elite Women
Spanish fans will have plenty to look forward to in the Elite Women’s race, with Sara Guerrero Manso leading the start list in bib number one. Guerrero returns to competition for the first time since finishing 17th in Pontevedra in September and will be keen to make the most of racing in front of a home crowd.
Czech athlete Heidi Juránková also returns after Pontevedra, where she finished 15th, just ahead of Guerrero. With limited racing appearances this season and her strongest result coming in Pontevedra, she will be hoping to finish the campaign with another positive performance.
Germany’s Anabel Knoll arrives with momentum after claiming silver in Alanya last weekend. It was her first medal since taking bronze in Kitzbühel in June, and she will be aiming to make it back-to-back podium finishes in Ibiza. Having already secured two different medal colours this season, another strong performance could see her complete the set.
Mexico’s María López Faraudo is no stranger to European racing. She claimed gold in Derry in September and also secured a top-ten finish in the U23 race in Pontevedra. Her most recent appearance came at the World Triathlon Cup in Rome, and she will be looking to close out her European campaign with another strong result.
France’s Celia Merle returns for a second consecutive weekend of racing after finishing inside the top ten in Alanya. Having last competed in the Europe Triathlon Cup in Holten in July and at the Mediterranean Games in August, Merle has quickly returned to form and will be hoping to carry that momentum into Ibiza.
Merle is one of three French athletes on the start list, alongside Léonie Douche in bib number nine and Lisa Lecompte in bib number 34. Douche arrives in particularly good form, having secured fifth place in each of her last two races, most recently in Tenerife two weeks ago.
Spain again boasts a strong contingent, with 12 athletes set to compete. Cristina Jiménez-Orta Guerrero and Míriam Andreu Díaz both start inside the top 20, having raced in Tenerife recently. Both will be looking to finish their European campaigns strongly in front of the home crowd.
Candela Sánchez Touza is the youngest Spanish athlete on the start line. Born in 2007, she impressed in Ceuta with a 15th-place finish and has already collected two medals this season: a mixed relay medal in Elbląg and silver in Torremolinos earlier in the campaign. Despite limited racing opportunities, she has demonstrated her potential and will be looking to gain further valuable experience in Ibiza.
Belgium brings six athletes to the race, led by Mit Wittemans in bib number 12. Although she is still searching for her first victory, Wittemans can draw confidence from her sixth-place finish at the World Triathlon Cup in Rome at the start of October. She will be hoping to turn that result into another strong performance in the final race of the European calendar.
Italy’s Carlotta Bonacina and Sara Crociani will also be targeting the podium. Bonacina narrowly missed out in Alanya, finishing fifth, while Crociani recorded the same result in Ceuta a couple of weeks ago. Both have shown they can challenge near the front, and Ibiza presents one final opportunity to turn those performances into a medal.
With established names looking to finish the season on a high, emerging athletes eager to make their mark and home athletes backed by passionate Spanish supporters, Ibiza promises an exciting conclusion to the Europe Triathlon Cup season.
The full start lists can be found here.
