220: You already organise some Tour de France-themed single day bike races, but what impact will the buyout have on your multisport events? Can we expect to see Human Race expand into long-distance triathlon and duathlon events? Advertisement Nick Rusling: Good question. Although ASO don’t organise triathlons currently, with Human Race in the ASO family they’ve just acquired 26 years of triathlon experience. We still have people working on those events who started in 1990. ASO love triathlon and our calendar of events was a key part of why they wanted to buy Human Race. We added a middle-distance race at the Woburn Abbey Triathlon this year also (the WoBurner). We’ve begun long-term planning…

This year’s Ironman Hawaii had everything you could possibly want from a World Championship; drama from the outset, broken records and great racing. Daniela Ryf’s record breaking performance that saw her take victory for the second year running  proved her to be one of the greatest female triathletes ever, while Iron-distance record holder Jan Frodeno’s victory rarely looked in doubt. Advertisement Photographs by Paul Phillips, www.competitiveimage.us

INSPIRING DUO: Jeff Agar pulls his son, Johnny, who suffers with cerebral palsy, along the bike course © Tom Pentington/Getty Images for IRONMAN Advertisement THE LONG ROAD HOME: Elite male athletes make their way along the iconic 112-mile bike course, battling rough winds and soaring temperatures as they go. © Tom Pentington/Getty Images for IRONMAN  POLITICAL FiINISH: The former Prime Minister of Finland, Alexander Stubb, celebrates finishing © Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images for IRONMAN ON THE LONESOME SIDE: Out on their own, underan unforgiving and relentless sun and surrounded barren lava fields, a lone athlete makes his way along the 112-mile bike course. © Tom Pentington/Getty Images for IRONMAN EXTREME AERODYNAMICS: German athlete Boris Stein maximises aerodynamics…

The half-distance race consists of a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km cycle and a 21km run. The bike leg starts in Peguera and takes in Es Capdellà, Calvià, Palmanova, Magaluf, El Toro, Santa Ponça before returning to Paguera for the run leg. Advertisement Riders also venture into the foothills of Serra de la Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Need more tempting? Check out this gallery above. www.challenge-family.com/challenge-paguera-mallorca/ Advertisement Photographs courtesy of www.joseluishourcade.com

Fed up with  your bike being pinched stolen locking it securely? A pair of inventors from San Francisco could have a novel solution that could detour thieves The Guardian have reported. Advertisement  The entrepreneurs, Daniel Idzkowski and Yves Perrenoud, have invented a bike lock called SkunkLock that looks like a standard bike lock, but when compromised is anything but as it emits a noxious chemical deterrent. Called formula D_1,  the pair say that the chemical is a US legally compliant pressurised gas that, when expelled, causes shortness of breathing, potentially compromised sight, and induces vomiting. “At two feet it was pretty bad. It was absolutely vomit inducing in 99% of…

Olympic gold and silver medallists, Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, along with bronze medallist Vicky Holland, will be attending British Triathlon’s annual award ceremony on 12 November. Advertisement Joining them will be Paralympic gold medallist Andy Lewis and silver medallist Alison Patrick, as well as triathlon volunteers, officials and coaches from across the country. Alistair said: “It’s been a fantastic year for the sport and I’m looking forward to celebrating the team’s achievements in Rio. “The British Triathlon Awards Dinner is always a fantastic evening and it’ll be great to catch up with my teammates in my home town next month.” The Rio heroes will also be taking part in a question…

ITU World Champion Flora Duffy has won her second world title of 2016, the Xterra World Championships in Kapalua, Hawaii. This was Duffy’s third Xterra World Championship title in a row, equalling Julie Dibens record of three straight wins from 2007-09. Advertisement Always the favourite Duffy led from the outset and posted the fastest swim, bike, and run times to take the win in 3:14:59, more than 10-minutes ahead of runner-up Lesley Paterson from Scotland. Fellow Brit Jacqui Slack came 7th. “The 3-peat is really cool. It’s actually probably even cooler with the fact that I also won the ITU World Championship and then to back it up with this,…

For many age-groupers, the 2016 ITU Leeds Triathlon failed to live up to expectation, with organisational issues causing chaos across the course and many athletes demanding refunds for a disappointing race experience. Advertisement In light of this, Leeds’ organisers British Triathlon and Ironman have created the Leeds Fund Programme – a £40,000 pot that will be distributed among British triathlon clubs who had competitors competing at the race. In a statement, the organisers said: “The aim was to provide an amazing race experience where triathletes of all levels and abilities could race from Roundhay Park through the streets of Leeds to a packed city centre. However this was not achieved…

“You’ll be hot, cold, hot, cold – that’s the nature of swimrun…” says Michael Lemmel. “Or, in the case of this race,” muses fellow race director Mats Skott, “cold, cold, cold cold…”  Advertisement We’re at the race briefing for the inaugural ÖtillÖ World Series 1000 Lakes race in Rheinsberg, Germany and not one of the 150 teams starting are underestimating the challenge ahead. The next day we’ll face a 43km course that includes 10km of lake swimming in temperatures ranging from 10-14 degrees, plus the air temperatures are unseasonably cold, too. Brrrr. Early start Race day dawns fresh and misty and we’ve got a 7am coach trip to the start line in…

Italy’s first full-distance Ironman triathlon is to take place on September 23 2017 in Cervia, a seaside town in the Italian province of Emilia-Romagna, Ironman have announced. Advertisement Ironman Italy Emilia Romagna will be Italy’s second Ironman event with the country previously hosting the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Pescara, located 300 km south of Cervia. “We are thrilled to be adding a second event in Italy which will contribute to the further growth of our European series,” said Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Managing Director of Ironmnan Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Last year more than 3,000 Italian athletes raced in our European races. Bringing a full-distance Ironman race to Italy is something we have…