The penultimate round of the 2011 ITU World Cup series heads to Guatape, Colombia, this weekend, the first time the country has hosted a World Cup since 1992. This year it’s the eighth stop on the 2011 World Cup tour; and big fields have turned out to race in this unique destination. At 6,300-ft elevation, many athletes have arrived early to get adjusted to the altitude.
Guatape is situated on the edge of a lake that was created in the 1970s when the government flooded the hilly area around it to create a hydroelectric dam. It has hosted ITU Pan American Cup events for the past three years, in 2009, 2010 and in June this year. The course starts with two-lap 1.5K lake swim with a pontoon start, before a four-lap 40K bike course and a four-lap 10K run along the waterfront.
Elite women start at 07:00 local time (UTC/GMT -5) on Sunday 6 November. Elite men start at 10:00 (UTC/GMT -5) on Sunday.
