The Spanish triathletes for all in the Challenge Madrid, LD European Championship

September 19, 2018Updated on January 5, 2024

2 reading minutes

This Sunday will be the second edition of the Challenge Madrid, one of the toughest triathlons in the world and it will also be a long distance European championship.

Everything is prepared so that this next Sunday 23 of September a new edition of the Challenge Madrid, one of the star tests of the franchise Challenge Family, which bets, in this full distance competition, to bring the triathlon even closer to the general public, with a test that ends in the center of Madrid in the same Door of the Sun.

El Challenge Madrid is the last full distance triathlon to be held this year of the Challenge franchise and has the added incentive of being European Long Distance Championship.

The test will start in the town of Buitrago de Lozoya, where the 3800 m swim in the reservoir of Riosequillo, in a circuit of 1.900m to which the triathletes will give two laps. Subsequently, the cyclist segment is linear with exit from Buitrago and arrival in Madrid.

This year the organization has changed a bit the segment design so that the triathletes travel the 180 km. After leaving the first transition, the athletes will face a tough cycling sector, with the ports of Canencia, Morcuera and Cotos. After crowning Cotos, there are a few kilometers of false plain until you reach the port of Navacerrada.

Once you get off the Puerto de Navacerrada, the race will pass through the municipalities of Alpedrete, Collado Villalba and Galapagar until you reach El Escorial, and from there you will follow Villanueva de la Cañada, Boadilla and Pozuelo de Alarcón and Madrid.

Finally the final marathon has also suffered variations, with a new circuit that will pass through places such as Calle Mayor, Palacio Real, Senado, Plaza de España, Templo de Debod or Paseo Pintor Rosales and will maintain its goal in the 0 Km of the Puerta del Sol.

In the men's category the Spanish team will be led by the current LD world champion Pablo Dapena that debuts in full distance and by Alejandro Santa Maria, third last year in the Challenge Madrid.

The rest of the triathletes are Javi Garcia, Jose Almagro, Ramón Ejeda, Albert Moreno and Iñaki Pena-Manso. Special mention to the return of Carlos López to a long distance triathlon after the outrage suffered almost a year ago. Timothy FROM Houtem winner last year in Madrid is the big favorite. Other candidates for the podium are his compatriot Diego FROM Looy and the Croatian Andrei Vistica

For its part in the women's competition there will be no Spanish representation in the selection. The American Lisa Roberts winner last year is the main favorite. The Portuguese are also candidates for the podium Vanessa Pereira, the British Laura Siddal or the Belgian Alexandra Tondeur

Competition will start the 7: 45 with the male elite start, 2 'then it will be the turn for the female elite and subsequently the age and relay groups will do so. Challenge Madrid also grants places for the Samorin 2019 World Challenge, 5 in the male and female PRO category, as well as slots in age groups and relays.

Finally, we must remember that throughout the weekend from Friday to Sunday there will be different competitions and activities organized by Challenge Madrid, in total there will be up to 7 different competition options:

Long Distance - European Long Distance Championship (3,8 km + 180 km + 42,2 km)
Relays (3,8 km + 180 km + 42,2 km)
Corporate World Cup (3,8 km + 180 km + 42,2 km)
Open Water (1,9 km + 3,8 km)
Big backyard Time Trial (180 km)
Fun Run (4km)
Junior Run (4km)