Jenkins Aims High at Hy-Vee
Helen Jenkins will look to maintain her strong momentum from the Dextro Energy ITU World Championships Madrid, when she competes at the fourth annual Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday
Helen Jenkins will look to maintain her strong momentum from the Dextro Energy ITU World Championships Madrid, when she competes at the fourth annual Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday. The former World Champion finished 3rd last week and will look to capitalise on her good form in a race that will feature the current World Champion, Emma Moffat, Olympic Champion, Emma Snowsill, and the current world number one, Barbara Riveros Diaz.
Another former World Champion, Tim Don, will also race in Des Moines having recorded his best ever 10km of 28.56 at the Great Manchester 10km last month and some notable domestic wins this year. Liz Blatchford, who was 8th in Madrid last weekend, will look to build on her strong start to the season.
Britain’s Will Clarke, Stuart Hayes, David McNamee, Aaron Harris, Jodie Stimpson and Kirsty McWilliam will also be on the start line of the race, which boasts a $1million prize fund.
Alistair Brownlee will not race in Des Moines. Following his return from a stress fracture and remarkable win in Madrid last week, the reigning World Champion will instead compete in French Grand Prix.
Contested over the sprint distance, the Beauvais French Grand Prix is a highly competitive series that was won by the younger Brownlee brother, Jonathan, in the previous round. Jonathan Brownlee, Hollie Avil and Olly Freeman will also race in France.
Performance Director, Heather Williams, commented: “Hy-Vee has attracted an exceptionally strong field and presents a good test for our athletes. It’s a fantastic opportunity to test their tactical awareness in a race that features some of the most experienced athletes in the world.
“Following this event, our athletes will go into a period of intense training ahead of our key events in Hyde Park and Budapest.”
Jodie Swallow, Abbie Thorrington, Adam Bowden, Ritchie Nicholls, Phil Wolfe and Harry Wiltshire will contest the 2010 Pontevedra ITU Triathlon Premium European Cup in Spain in order to boost their world ranking points. Meanwhile, the Nokia Windsor Triathlon, the third race of the British Triathlon Super Series, takes place on Sunday.
Matt Baird
Editor of Cycling Plus magazine 
