INEOS Grenadiers pro cycist Cameron Wurf is joining the line-up for Super League Triathlon Malibu on September 17.
Wurf, an Australian pro cyclist has also reached the pinnacle of long distance triathlon winning IRONMAN events and qualifying for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. At Super League Malibu he will be taking on short course racing on the shores of Zuma Beach.
The 39-year-old will go head-to-head with some of the best cyclists in the sport such as Hayden Wilde and Jonny Brownlee as he sees whether he can mix it in a faster format of triathlon.
Wurf said “I am extremely excited but also absolutely petrified, crapping my pants, at the same time. I grew up as a kid on Sunday afternoons watching Macca (Chris McCormack) racing sprint triathlon on Channel 10 with Brad Bevan and Greg Welch and it was awesome to watch.
“That disappeared and then Super League came around about when I took up the sport and I’ve always followed it and wanted to be a part of it, watching it, knowing it isn’t the most suited to my characteristics but I want to experience it. Ideally, I will do really well and get to do it again.”
Wurf is a unique athlete. Having competed as a lightweight rower in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the Tasmanian spent the next decade forging a career in professional cycling.
Since taking a year out and then embarking on professional triathlon in 2016 he has risen in prominence. He became renowned for his colossal race schedule – starting nine IRONMAN events in 2017, and securing victory at IRONMAN Wales in September of that year.
Racing the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii, three times from 2017-2019, Wurf has improved on each occasion from 17th to ninth and then fifth, with the fastest bike split each time – his best of 4:09:06 in 2018 breaking the course record he’d set the previous year.
Wurf isn’t just a cyclist who can swim and run a bit though. He has developed alongside his formidable talents on two wheels and now consistently posts sub-3-hour marathons, with a best of 2:45:02 from IRONMAN Italy in 2019 – a race he won by more than 16 minutes.
However, Super League is an entirely different proposition. Wurf said “It’s the opposite end of the spectrum to what I have focused on.
“I’m looking forward to being on the start line with everyone. It’s a real honour for me. An entirely different field to what I’ve raced before.
“There are some great young stars. Some of them were only just being born when I was already in Europe competing in rowing in 2001. So, they are a lot younger than me but I am really excited to spend the week with the crew and to compete.”
Super League Triathlon’s 2022 Championship Series is:
- September 4: London, UK
- September 11: Munich, Germany
- September 17: Malibu, USA
- October 2: Toulouse, France
- October 29: NEOM, Saudi Arabia
