This weekend is the time of the European Junior Cup Izvorani in Romania. The venue of the race is located in the beautiful Nicolae Navasart Sport Complex on the shore of Snagov Lake Natural Reserve. The Sport Complex is the home of the Romanian Olympic water sports. This is also the place in which the Romanian Legend Ivan Patzaichin trained, coached and lived.
The race is to have an individual event and a Mixed Relay on the Sunday. The Swim start will be from the water and average water temperatures expected are 27 degrees so wetsuit should not be expected. The Individual swim course is 400m (1lap) as in the map below.
the Team Mixed Relay swim course is 250m (1 lap) as in the map below.
The Bike course of the individual race is 11km (3 laps) on a flat circuit and wheel station is at the beginning of the lap. For the Team Mixed Relay Bike course is 5km (2 laps). Bike course as in the picture below.
Run course: of the individual race is 2,5km (2laps) and in the Team Mixed Relay 1,5km ( 1 lap) on a flat paved circuit.
In the Junior Men no question that home athletes Mihai Daniel Safca, Horta Darius Rusu, Rares Stefanescu, Ovidiu Marian Pop, Albert Stratulat, Catalin Sviderski, Panait Rares Alexandru, Lucas Grigoriu, Luca Cristian Potecasu, Raul Petre, Ede Vladar, Alexandru Fizesan, Catania Vlad George,
Gabriel Boca and Carol Popa will have to fight hard to get a spot on the podium with big names as Euan De Nigro (ITA) gold in European Cup Caorle, Márton Kropkó silver in Junior Cup Balikesir, and Alberto Bartolomeo Demarchi (ITA) European Duathlon Champion in Targû Mures. We will be what those strong athletes will be able to achieve at this point of the season to gain important points for the European rankings.
In the Junior Women a great different field of Nationalities are here represented and back from a disappointing 5th place in Riga, Daryia Firsova (RUS) will definitely try to finally step on the European podium even if against strong contenders as Livia Wespe (SUI) silver in Wels, Márta Kropkó gold in Balikesir and home athletes Ariana Roxana Chis, Delia Oana Dudau, Anna Maria Besenyei, Alice Perjoiu, Andreea Diana Iordache, Henrietta Balog, Damian Casia, Llona Ana Ioan, Andreea Denise Cralea, Ana Petrea and Eszter Bajko. We will see who will grab the blue tape for first and claim victory of this Junior Cup!
Also expecting great action from the Team Mixed Relay race the day after with 3 Italian Teams, 3 Romanian Teams, 1 Team Ukraine, 1 Team Switzerland and 1 Team Serbia!
