Less than a month until Alistair Brownlee and reigning Olympic– and Ironman World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt will try to go sub7 on a Long Distance. With the final countdown now really starting – the race takes place on Jun. 5 – the two athletes announced their pacers. Both athletes can make use of ten pacers, who they can use during whatever discipline they prefer. Unlike in a normal Long Distance, Brownlee and Blummenfelt are allowed to draft.
Both Brownlee and Blummenfelt decided to make use of eight pacers during the bike part. Leaving, two athletes to use during the run and swim.
Brownlee’s bike pacers
Brownlee appointed five cyclists from the British Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling Team: Alex Dowsett (breaker of the UCI Hour World Record in 2015 by cycling 52.95 km), the brothers Charlie and Harry Tanfield (both medalists at the Commonwealth Games), Ollie Peckover and Zeb Kyfinn. All five pro cyclists are British. Another cyclist that will help out Brownlee to ride a fast 180K is Dan Bigham, who currently rides for team INEOS Granadiers, just like Cameron Wurf. The final two athletes that will support Brownlee are John Archibald (silver medalist at the Commonwealth Games) and Alex Pritchard.
Blummenfelt’s bike pacers
Not only Brownlee prefers to make use of British pacers, also Blummenfelt has outsourced some of his pacers to the UK. The Ironman World Champion appointed Britain’s time trial specialist Matt Bottrill, Britain’s Adam Duggleby, the Scottish national champion Kyle Gordon, Welsh national cycling champion Gruff Lewis, British national champions Chris Fennell and Phil Williams, Britain’s Thomas Hutchinson and Britain’s Axel Dopfer. All of them are pro cyclists.
Which athletes, and in what way, will support Blummenfelt and Brownlee during the swim- and run part, will be announced later. Also, the list of pacers for Nicola Spirig and Kat Matthews, who will try to beat the eight-hour mark, will follow this week. Spirig already announced her pacers for the swim and run.
