Lanzarote becomes epicenter of triathlon
In Lanzarote the earth beats at a slow but powerful rhythm, like that of the volcanoes that sleep under its skirt. Perhaps that is why athletes find a paradise on this Island, because the earth beats at the same rhythm as their steps.
Lanzarote calls for adventure and feat and for this reason it has become the ideal setting for an event like the Enduroman, a triathlon festival designed for lovers of challenges.
In February of this same year, its first edition was held with resounding success and since then the organization, in charge of the Enduroman label and the Lanzarote Cabildo, has been working on the second installment, which will take place on February 4 and 5, 2012. The event, which will be sponsored by LA PROVINCIA/DLP, will bring together the best international triathletes in Lanzarote.
Félix Andrés García, director of the Lanzarote Enduroman, states that, according to scientists, Lanzarote's climate makes it an “ideal island for the human species.” It is also a land aware of respect for the environment – a Biosphere Reserve for 18 years – and its people have managed to live in balance with a nature that is sometimes hostile, but splendorous. Cars show exemplary respect towards cyclists and runners find freedom in the middle of lava fields.
A warm and friendly sea is offered to swimmers to train throughout the year, although sometimes when it gets rough you have to run away until the anger passes. It's just a matter of listening to the earth, the trade wind and the murmur of the saltpeter. If the farmer has managed to make the grapes grow in the middle of the fire, nothing is impossible in Lanzarote.
Complete the double Enduroman: 7.6 km swim, 360 km in bike and 84.39 km on foot may seem like a pipe dream. But when an athlete becomes obsessed with the goal, the boundaries become blurred. The event has three other versions, to involve a wide range of brave athletes. The Enduroman has a 3.8 km swim, 180 km on a bicycle and a 42.195 km run. In the medium Enduroman, the athlete must swim 1.9 km, cycle 90 km and run 21 km; and in the Olympic Enduroman, the athlete must swim 1.5 km, cycle 40 km and run 10 km.
The test routes have been drawn up in the southwest of Yaiza, a charming municipality where some of the best kept secrets of the Island are hidden. The bicycles will ride along a circuit parallel to the coast of the Volcanoes Natural Park that surrounds Timanfaya. The swimming tests will be held in Playa Blanca, a fishing town where all the houses smell like the sea; and the foot race will take place along the promenade that connects Playa Blanca with the Marina Rubicón marina.
To prove that daring knows no gender, two women are already among those registered for the double Enduroman. Violeta Tatay, a 45-year-old dentist, is the first Spanish. She is accompanied on the short list by the English Joanna Carritt, who since 2010 has dedicated herself to triathlon as a professional. Triathlete Paul Thompson, winner of the 2010 Enduroman, has already confirmed that he will participate again in the second edition, with the aim of improving his impressive mark of 29 hours and 14 minutes (the maximum time to complete the double Enduroman is set at 36 hours ). The rabbit athlete Goyo Cáceres, who always sneaks into the best positions, will also start in February. Miguel Basurco, the first Spaniard to reach the finish line in the first edition, and Guy Rossi, who at 64 years old is a benchmark in world triathlon, have also confirmed his participation.
Lanzarote is 17 million years old and has 110 dormant volcanoes in its jaws. The Island, immersed in a deep lethargy, maintains a constant pulse with the fire that stirs under its rocky skin. The strides that will raise the dust of the earth will not wake her from her deep sleep. Athletes who dare to challenge can rest assured. Their footprints will be carried away by the trade winds, although the echo of their footsteps will remain engraved in the eternal memory of the lava.
Source: laprovincia.es
