TriStar, ‘the fun format of triathlon’, is building momentum for another year of growth in 2012. The series organizers have confirmed that TriStar is ‘preparing even better conditions for professional athletes, such as the introduction of the Pro Prize Purse, in nine of the TriStar events worldwide, that adds up to €90,000.’
TriStar Nevis, Mallorca, Cannes, Deauville, Lyon, Salzkammergut, Milton Keynes, Minnesota and Monaco will share a cash purse that will be distributed equally between men and women following International Triathlon Union (ITU) rules (top five ranked). This latest move is aimed at attracting top triathletes to TriStar’s most interesting and diverse destination events.
Meanwhile, pro triathlete Nicole Leder is now responsible for running a new platform to support pro athletes through a new TriStar ranking system, with a special online communications service and facilities.
A number of leading pro triathletes have raced TriStar events in the last two years, including athletes such as: Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, Normann Stadler, Marcel Zamora, Olivier Marceau, Fernanda Keller, Lothar Leder, Paul Amey, Desiree Ficker and Rachel Joyce… to name but a few.
TriStar race organizer Star Events wants to create a new incentive to compete and to fully enjoy the easy recovery format of the TriStar triathlon format. The prize purses are already confirmed at nine of the TriStar races, with the €90,000 cash purse to be shared between the top 5 ranked triathletes at TriStar111 Nevis (31 March), Mallorca (15 April), Cannes (29 April), Deauville (17 June), Salzkammergut (3 June), Lyon (15 July) Milton Keynes (29 July), Minnesota (25 August) and Monaco (2 September).
Nevis and Minnesota will offer US$10,000 (the Minnesota Pro Prize purse is sponsored by Urban Tri). The winners of six of the European races, with the exception of Milton Keynes, will share €10,000, and the first TriStar111 in Great Britain is offering professionals an purse amount of £8,000. The prize purse will be in each of the TriStar111 races, distributed equally between the top 5 ranked men and women, complying with ITU rules, and is reserved only for professional athletes.
TriStar pro support from Nicole Leder
Nicole Leder, the German professional triathlete who has raced several TriStar events in recent years, is now responsible for professional athletes participating in the TriStar Series. Together with the TriStar team, she is working on the development of an interesting program for all pros. This will be focused on athlete care on site at each event, and introduces special opportunities for professionals participating in TriStar races including a new PRO ranking.
“We have had several talks over time, and lots of it about how to improve and develop the activities in TriStar for the pros,” said Leder. “Throughout these talks my conviction has grown that this is an exciting opportunity to develop TriStar to an attractive platform for professionals. I think the conditions are more than good.
“It’s not only that I personally very much like this easy dynamic and recovery format. It offers perfect conditions and opportunities for professionals in all means. We aim to provide an optimal platform and offer best services for all pros and in every single race of the series. What I am doing now is to bring my experience and understanding of the professional community into the game so that we can implement our ideas perfectly into the events. I want to be the contact for the athletes as well as for the local organizers.”
The TriStar label is presented by Star Events, the Monaco based company specializing in organizing high quality sports events that are focused on fun, social responsibility and environmental protection.
The TriStar Series has grown to 27 races in 14 destinations in less than three years: Nevis (St Kitts and Nevis), Mallorca and Madrid (Spain), Lyon, Deauville and Cannes (France), Split (Croatia), Worms-Germany (Germany), Salzkammergut and Kufstein (Austria), Milton Keynes (United Kingdom), Estonia-Otepää (Estonia), Minnesota (USA), Monaco (Monaco).
TriStar has introduced new distances to the sport of triathlon (i.e., 111K and 222K), is officially recognized by ITU, and is rolling out a new Team Racing Concept T5.
