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Endurance stalwart, Faris Al Sultan, captain of Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team, will compete in the inaugural Ingolstadt Triathlon in Germany this weekend as he looks to maintain his winning ways after recovering from injury.
After recently snatching first place at the annual Kirchbichl Triathlon in Austria, Al Sultan - nicknamed the ’Sultan of Sweat’ - is looking to add the highly anticipated debut event to his long list of sporting achievements.
Set in the largest German state of Bavaria, athletes have to tackle a gruelling Olympic distance triathlon, consisting of a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km city cycle and a 10 km run. With its relatively flat terrain, the course demands consistent pace, forcing competitors to push hard throughout, something Al Sultan believes could play to his advantage.
"After last week’s performance I’m confident in my ability to pull in another good result. I continue to improve as I return to peak condition after my injury; this will hopefully be reflected in my finishing position this weekend," said the Abu Dhabi ace.
The newest event in the German racing calendar, the Ingolstadt Triathlon sold out within two weeks of its announcement and has attracted over a 1,000 competitors, further strengthening the sport’s recognition as one of the world’s fastest growing.
And Al Sultan, the 2005 Ironman World Champion and principle for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-backed crack endurance squad, sees the race as crucial training for future events, in particular the up-coming Ironman 70.3 in the UK and the demanding Ironman Regensburg in Germany.
"This event is vital to my training regime, the smaller races allow me to assess my performance and technique and give me the opportunity to hone my skills for events like the two European Ironman races, both of which are key for me this season," added Al Sultan, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading triathlon cyclists.
Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team, created by the ADTA to further the emirate’s performance athletics’ credentials globally, will compete in more than 40 top international events this season, including Ironman, 70.3 and the French Championships.
The outfit got off to a winning start in 2010 after team members, Ina Reinders and Jan van Berkel, made a clean sweep at the debut US$250,000 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon in March. Since then, the team has taken part in a number of events in Australia, Europe and the US.
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