Next Sunday, the 19th, the XII Winter Triathlon "Valle de Ansó" will be held
After the suspension of the White Triathlon of Reinosa and the postponement of the Winter Triathlon “Valle del Roncal” (for next March 4), both due to unfavorable weather conditions, it seems that we finally have good news for lovers of this Athletic discipline. Paradoxically, for these two tests, it has been the excess of snow that has prevented their celebration on the scheduled dates.
But after the snowfall in recent days, and thanks to the work of those responsible for the Linza Nordic Area, the cross-country skiing circuit is in excellent condition so that the third segment of this now classic Winter Triathlon can be played. de Ansó ”, which already has 11 editions. With a thickness of between 40 and 60 centimeters of powder snow, the circuit has its 10 km open. The idyllic place of Linza, a starting point for mountaineers, is also perfect for cross-country skiing or simple snowshoeing.
The Winter Triathlon "Valle de Ansó" was held for the first time in 1988, being the third white triathlon test that appeared in our country after those of Reinosa and Jaca, which emerged a year earlier. The competition consisted of a foot race through the streets of Ansó, cycling between the town and Linza, and cross-country skiing on its circuit.
After 6 editions, the last in 1996, the test suffers a stop. Until in 2005, between the Ansó City Council, the Linza Sports Society, already involved in the first period, and the incorporation of the Mayencos Pirineísta Club, the organization of the test was resumed, which will be the Spanish Championship in the year of its return . The format is changed, adapting it to the provisions that the Spanish Triathlon Federation has been following since 2001, according to which the three segments, running, cycling and skiing, must be contested on snow. In 2006, “all about snow” was organized once again on this format, this time as the Aragon Championship. The “all on snow” winter triathlon requires very specific snow conditions, with the necessary hardness to allow riding with the MTB, which is very difficult to guarantee. The alternative would be to have an excellent command of the bike in soft snow, something that is not easy to train. These circumstances cause the event to fade excessively when the majority of participants have to push their bicycle through the soft snow circuit. In 2007, when the test was to be repeated as a national championship, it must be suspended due to lack of snow.
After a year of parenthesis, in 2009 it was organized again, but this time, at the request of the new managers of the Linza Nordic Space, with the classic format, starting from Ansó and ending in the long-distance circuit. The return to the traditional format is a success, and in 2010 the Spanish Triathlon Federation once again brought the Spanish Championship to Ansó. It reaches 180 participants, exceeding the convening capacity of recent years. With many problems due to the bad snow season, and a lot of work on the cross-country circuit, the 2011 edition of the Aragon Championship of the modality was released.
In this 2012, the XII Winter Triathlon "Valle de Ansó" will be the Aragon Championship and the Castilla y León Championship. It will consist in its first segment, as in recent years, of 7 km of foot race that will run through the cobbled streets of the picturesque Villa de Ansó. A circuit will be marked to which 5 laps will be given.
After the first sector, the participants will take their mountain bike to travel the 20 km that separate Ansó from Linza, with a slope that does not reach 500 meters, which makes this triathlon the most affordable for the uninitiated of all how many are celebrated in the national circuit. The triathletes finish with 10 km of cross-country skiing in the Linza Nordic Area. In the current snow conditions, a circuit can be marked without much harshness and few technical difficulties, which contributes to the accessible nature of the test for those who want to try this discipline.
Among others, there is the participation of Jon Erguin, the Basque from Trigoi TT and Yolanda Magallón from Montisone, from the Mayencos Brico-Jaca Triathlon, the current Champions of Spain, proclaimed in the recent Jaca-Candanchú Winter Triathlon.
Detailed test information:
http://competiciones.mayencostriatlon.org/triatlondeanso/anso2012/index.html
