After racing the lengthy distance tournament herself in 2023, creator and triathlete Jenny Lucas-Hill affords you the internal be conscious on Venture Almere-Amsterdam. Whether or now now not you’re taking on the heart distance, beefy distance or opting for the aqua bike option. Our bustle data will advise you the full lot it be crucial to cling about racing Venture Household’s flagship tournament.
Venture Almere-Amsterdam is one gigantic triathlon birthday party. With each lengthy distance and heart distance triathlons, aquabike occasions and relay alternatives. Speed weekend comes loaded with a festival vibe as triathletes from all the scheme thru the enviornment advance for loyal triathlon action.
Almere itself can also be a latest metropolis, but this tournament has history. Essentially, diverse than Hawaii – it’s the oldest lengthy distance bustle on the circuit. Host to a couple European and world championship occasions over the years, this distinctive below-sea level bustle items the correct scene to test your limits.
Be section of triathlon history at one in all the enviornment’s oldest lengthy distance triathlons
Space – Authorized metropolis, prosperous in triathlon history
You’ll score Almere honest correct a transient roam away from the enduring metropolis of Amsterdam. Located on reclaimed land at what changed into once once the ocean mattress of the Zuidersee, racing at Venture Almere-Amsterdam you’ll abilities a path surrounded by water, traditional Dutch landscapes, with snappily flat roads where the combat is you versus the draw.
As the Netherlands’ youngest metropolis, Almere is future-thinking. Authorized structure is criss-crossed with water and punctuated with heaps of green spaces. The sweeping bound line affords laidback seashores and the full lot a water sports enthusiast may perchance presumably perchance dream of. There’s heaps to hunt down in the manner of outlets, restaurants and cosy cafes. And for sure, getting round by bike is an absolute plod.
Almere is the form of metropolis that affords the correct level of bustle, without ever feeling overwhelming. The correct environment for having your ideal triathlon bustle yet.
Why bustle… Venture Almere-Amsterdam
Venture Almere-Amsterdam is a bustle that brings collectively first-timers, age-team champions and every person in between. The path is tense and thrilling sufficient that it has heaps of americans desperate to attain again again for extra. However the short, flat roads and the tranquil lake swim influence it the correct space to take care of your first heart distance or lengthy distance triathlon. And having hosted several European and World triathlon championships, you have to presumably also bustle with self perception that the organisers truly know how to search after their age-groupers.
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Be section of triathlon history at Europe’s oldest lengthy distance triathlon
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Snappy flat path and the enviornment’s simplest bustle below sea level
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Dazzling disagreement between never-ending polder roads and metropolis buzz with hundreds of spectators
Path – Flat, snappily, but now to now not be underestimated
The path at Venture Almere-Amsterdam is flat and snappily – but don’t underestimate it. Right here remains to be a crucial disaster, particularly if the wind isn’t in your favour. We were lucky in 2023 to bask in snappily stipulations, without worthy wind to take care of. But I will imagine this may perchance be a path where in case you’ve bought a headwind, it’s going to feel honest correct as complex because the hillier races on the circuit. Get that TT space dialled, because it’s a ways a bustle where aero is the full lot.
Swim – 1.9km / 3.8km
The swim at Venture Almere takes space in the Weerwater’ artificial lake. In 2023 the start bustle changed into once a mass open. But have faith now now not let that dismay you – it changed into once extremely successfully managed, with every person being given heaps of time to enter the water and score their have dilemma earlier than the gun went off. In the occasion you have faith now now not desire to be section of the ‘washing machine’, you have to presumably also now now not desire to. In my abilities, the water changed into once tranquil (and warmth – but now now not sufficient to influence it a non-wetsuit swim) and the path changed into once very successfully marked, so it changed into once easy to terminate now now not off path.
Center distance athletes will total 1 lap, in the interim lengthy distance athletes tick off two laps earlier than heading into T1. Or now now not it’s worth colorful that the transition zone is a few 5 minute stroll away from the bustle open, so be particular you enable yourself sufficient time on bustle morning.
BIke – 90km / 180km
The bike path is one in all the flattest triathlon lessons on the circuit, with honest correct 141m of elevation do for the heart distance bustle and 242m for the lengthy distance. But there’s moreover a few little technical sections to take care of, that contains slim connecting roads and a few twists and turns, on the open of the lap. After that, you have to presumably even bask in got bought a lengthy, straight stretch along the dikes where you have to presumably also discover for miles – even getting views of Amsterdam if it be a clear day. Right here is where you with out a doubt desire to dial into that aero space to influence the loads of the bound. Whenever you switch off the lengthy straight, it be successfully worth taking a 2d to soak up your environment as you wind thru fields of tulips and windmills quintessential to the Netherlands.
Speed – 21.1km / 42.2km
The dawdle path at Almere takes you thru the buzzing ambiance of the Esplanade and out round the brink of the lake. Or now now not it’s predominantly flat (92m elevation do for the heart distance and 184m for the lengthy distance), with heaps of again stations and a few hot spots with tune and supporters to preserve you motivated. With two or four main laps to tick off, you have to presumably moreover gain to dawdle by the enact line a few times – the sounds of the enact line birthday party a suitable manner to recharge your energy and preserve you pushing the tempo.
Qualification
Speed at Venture Almere-Amsterdam and you have to presumably be in with a chance of qualifying for The Championship in Šamorín – a heart distance triathlon that pulls the enviornment’s ideal PROs as well to top level age-groupers. So what enact it be crucial to enact to qualify? A slot is disbursed to the pinnacle 6 finishers in each age team, with slots rolling down up to 12th space.
Below you have to presumably also score the quickest and slowest qualifying times for every age team from the Lengthy Distance 2023 tournament to present you an belief of what form of time you have to presumably perchance desire to goal for to bask in the replacement to qualify for The Championship and bustle in opposition to one of the crucial correct Venture age-groupers from round the enviornment. Athletes racing in the heart distance tournament can moreover qualify for The Championship.
*The do fewer than 6 qualifying areas are proven for an age team, there bask in been lower than 6 athletes in that class taking portion.
Speed practising & prep
Whether or now now not you’re racing the lengthy or the heart distance tournament: getting ready to bustle at Venture Almere-Amsterdam manner you with out a doubt desire to expend loads of time in your aero space in the dawdle up to bustle day. It’s easy to fail to bear in mind that an nearly pan flat path profile manner there’s no let up from being down on your bars! It’s a path where staying aero is de facto crucial in case you’d decide to bask in your ideal efficiency – particularly if it’s windy – so that you don’t desire to hunt down yourself having to take a seat up straight too normally.
Get historic to conserving your TT space/riding down on your drops, and be particular you moreover practice taking on nutrition on this space in practising. Your abdomen is in a worthy extra compressed space in case you’re riding aero and that may perchance presumably bask in an influence on digestion.
That flat path profile moreover manner there’s no chance to freewheel or tumble the tempo. “Fabricate particular to prepare for straight roads and thus no chance to bolt easy on the legs,” says 2023 PRO champion, Els Visser. “You’re going to desire to push nearly the total bike path.”
And while we bought lucky in 2023 that the wind changed into once very form to us, you with out a doubt desire to be bright for windy stipulations on bustle day must you’re now now not so lucky. Get historic to riding in a head wind and a horrid wind so that you recognize how your bike handles.
That sustained effort on the bike can moreover bask in an influence on your dawdle – in case you’re pushing the tempo and staying aero, it’s easy to attain again off the bike feeling tight and with your legs feeling cooked! Fabricate particular you practice running after conserving your aero space on the bike in practising so your body is successfully-versed in shifting between the 2 disciplines. I’d had a huge demolish in the have faith up to the bustle, which supposed I couldn’t dawdle for a few months and arrived on the open line with very little dawdle practising in my again pocket. That lack of running off the bike made the marathon a endure-fest!
Dash & accommodation
With Amsterdam honest correct a transient distance away, getting to Almere is amazingly easy, with the global airport successfully-connected by allege and by bus. After I did the bustle in 2023, we travelled over from the UK on the ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland which changed into once simplest an hour or so power away from Almere. In the occasion you’re using or renting a automobile from the airport, there changed into once heaps of parking on the bustle venue – and this changed into once accessible on bustle morning too. All of that makes for a truly stress-free abilities in case you’re travelling to bustle at Venture Almere-Amsterdam!
There’s an substantial vary of accommodation to select from in Almere. The metropolis centre Leonardo Hotel is a truly short stroll away from the bustle venue. Or you’ve bought the Van der Valk Hotel which is a little additional out attain the green living of Almeerderhout.
If love me you to decide to self-cater earlier than a bustle there are heaps of Air BnB (or the same) alternatives, too. My traffic and I rented a villa in the Zeewolde living which changed into once a few 30 minute power away from the bustle and a terribly nice, tranquil living. It changed into once truly easy to bolt back and forth to the bustle venue, and there bask in been heaps of bike paths round (as you’d request) which made it easy to tick off the final couple of rides earlier than bustle day.
Spectators – Cheering is an persistence sport
Spectators, gain ready for loyal multisport action. With heart and lengthy distance triathlons, aquabike racing and relays – there’s by no manner a dreary 2d at Venture Almere-Amsterdam.
The Esplanade is the correct space to plot up camp for the day. In the stadium, you’ll be on the coronary heart of it all. From here you have to presumably also survey the open, discover your athlete on the manner out of T1 and T2 and you’ll moreover be in a neighborhood to cheer them on as they pass by on each lap of the dawdle path. And for sure, you’ll bask in front row seats for the enact line celebrations!
Whereas your athlete is out on the bike path, influence the loads of the nearby seashores – it’s now now not normally you have to presumably also hop from metropolis centre to sea bound with honest correct a little while’ stroll. You’ll score heaps of beachside cafes and bars to cool down at, keeping these energy ranges topped up for some crucial cheerleading responsibilities once your athlete gets out onto the dawdle path.
Speed-cation – A laidback metropolis with heaps to hunt down
After your bustle, it’s successfully worth spending a few extra days in Almere for a publish-bustle shuttle. It’s a large unsightly to hunt down Amsterdam, but the metropolis itself moreover has heaps to offer.
Almere has seven seashores to abilities, and in case you’re lucky with the climate, these are a large space to cool down and delight in the solar – and with any luck the glory of a original triathlon non-public ideal. In the occasion you’re feeling energetic, you have to presumably also moreover try some water sports while you’re there.
For nature-lovers, head again to the Oostvaardersplassen Nature Reserve which you’ll bask in passed by out on the bike path at some level of the bustle. Right here is each at times regularly called the ‘birthplace of rewilding’ and you’re liable to stumble upon the full lot from rare birds to wild horses. These travelling with kids may perchance presumably perchance moreover desire to try the Klimpark Relaxing Wooded space which has all styles of activities including climbing, archery and water sports – ideal for carrying the kids out in case you’re exhausted after racing!
If structure is extra your thing, take an structure tour in the metropolis centre to treasure all this contemporary metropolis has to offer. There’s moreover the principle procuring avenue in Almere Stad which has a large choice of outlets, bars and restaurants on your publish-bustle celebrations.
General, I stumbled on that Almere had a terribly nice, laidback vibe which changed into once honest correct what I wished after ticking off yet every other beefy distance triathlon.
Be section of triathlon history at one in all the enviornment’s oldest lengthy distance triathlons
Host to a couple European and world championships, Venture Almere-Amsterdam is the final triathlon birthday party. Bringing you a festival of multisport, test your limits as you’re taking care of this flat, snappily – but tense – path.
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