Round two of the 2010 ITU Triathlon World Cup season will take place in Monterrey Mexico this Sunday, with 94 of the ITU’s elite slated to compete. A qualifier for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games is also on tap for this weekend in Monterrey, with over 100 athletes competing for slots at the inaugural event, which will be held in Singapore this August.
Sunday’s race marks the first time that a World Cup will be held in Monterrey, the sixth largest city Mexico. It’s located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, and while there are plenty of climbs in sight, the course for this weekend’s race is relatively flat, albeit very technical. The entire race will take place within Fundidora Park, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. The swim is in the Santa Lucia River, a narrow channel that runs through the heart of Downtown Monterrey. Athletes will then complete eight technical bike loops through the park, on a track that has previously hosted a number of Grand Prix and F1 racing events. The race finishes with a four-lap run along the Santa Lucia Riverwalk.
Highlighting the men’s field are Americans Jarrod Shoemaker and Matt Chrabot, both fresh off of the opening leg of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series in Sydney last week. A flat tire kept Shoemaker from finishing last week’s event, but Chrabot was in top form, leading the during the start of the run en route to finishing ninth overall.
Another to keep an eye on in the men’s contest in Costa Rican Leonardo Chacon, who has already recorded a pair of podium finishes on the Pan American Cup circuit this season. Others to watch out for include Brazilian Olympian Reinaldo Colucci, and British long-distance standout Phillip Graves. Local support will be provided by Mexico’s Francisco Serrano, a Monterrey native, who has won three Pan American Cups in the past two seasons.
Highlighting the women’s start list is Japan’s Ai Ueda, who has been dominant on the Pan American Cup circuit this season, recording a win in Salinas and a runner-up finish in Mazatlan. A strong American contingent of Mary Beth Ellis, Jenna Shoemaker, Amanda Felder, Margaret Shapio and Hayley Peirsol will have the advantage of being able to work together to pull off the upset. One thing is for certain: Peirsol, one of the sports fastest swimmers, will have a massive advantage out of the water. If she can pull some of her teammates with her, the American team will be hard to beat.
Other top contenders in Monterrey include Ecuador’s Elizabeth Bravo, Brazil’s Carlo Morena and Canadians Alicia Kaye and Paula Findlay.
The women’s race kicks off at 9am on Sunday, with the men to follow at 11:30am. Live text and timing will be available on triathlon.org/live.
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