The world of optical heart rate monitors for athletes is growing fast – Fitbit has just taken the wraps off its new Surge, a ‘Fitness Super Watch’ which combines eight (count ‘em) sensors including GPS and optical HRM. Advertisement Unveiled alongside the more affordable Charge (£99) and Charge HR (£119) models – which combine activity tracking, Caller ID and in the latter’s case an optical heart rate monitor – the Surge will cost £199 when it lands early next year. Coming in three different colours (black, blue and our pick, tangerine), the Surge features built-in GPS to track pace, distance, elevation and more, and its smartwatch features include Caller ID, text…

The dates are confirmed – triathlon’s test events for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held on 1-2 August next year, with qualification points up for grabs and huge crowds expected. Click Here: Argentina Rugby Shop Advertisement The routes will take athletes along Copacabana beach on the restaurant-lined Avenida Atlantica, with the Olympic course also climbing through local neighbourhoods – along the same route as the real thing in 2016. The 2015 Rio de Janeiro ITU World Olympic Qualification Event will feature a start list of 75 men and women, and will offer the maximum level of Olympic qualification points available, putting it on par…

Following this morning’s news that triathlon’s test events for the Rio 2016 Olympics will take place on 1-2 August next year, 220 columnist Tim Heming offers his thoughts… Advertisement It’s clearly not been easy to secure a date and fix the course for the necessary test event for Rio and the ITU are cutting it fine. They have ensured it will be a strong field by making it a Level 1 Olympic qualifier, but ideally this race would have been confirmed at the end of the summer so it could take its rightful place in the World Series. Instead, it will now not be part of the Series, and has…

Eton Dorney – known as one of the flattest and fastest triathlon tracks in the UK – has been chosen to host a qualifying event for the 2015 ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships. Advertisement The Eton Sprints will take place on 23 May next year, sending athletes on a 750m swim in the famous rowing lake, followed by a 21.2km bike and a 5km run. This year, the three top finishers all posted sub-1hr times. Advertisement To secure your spot at the Eton Sprints, head to www.humanrace.co.uk/triathlon. Click Here: wicklow gaa jerseys

After back-to-back wins on triathlon’s toughest stage, Australia’s Mirinda Carfrae can rightfully claim to be the world’s best long-course triathlete. Advertisement She’s kindly agreed to join us for a live Q&A at 7.30pm tonight (Wednesday 29 October) to field your questions! Whether it’s training issues, what went through her mind on the Queen K highway or something else entirely, send them in to [email protected] Advertisement (Main image: Paul Phillips) Click Here: converse shop

Sitting comfortably? This new performance cycling collection from Paul Smith looks superb for the growing ‘cycling chic’ niche, but the prices may give you palpitations. Advertisement The Paul Smith 531 collection uses high-performance Swiss-made Schoeller 3xDRY fabric to fend off water while wicking moisture away from the body, and insulation and breathability is provided by 100% New Zealand Merino wool layers. Windproof front panels on items such as the gilet offer a shield against the driving wind. Bright orange is a recurrent theme for many outer pieces like the gilets and jackets, along with subtle reflective stripes and reflective branding, whilst elsewhere there’s different shades of stealth black, dark purple…

Australia’s all-conquering Kona queen Mirinda ‘Rinny’ Carfrae believes that she ‘still hasn’t reached her ceiling’ in terms of performance, and plans to keep returning to the Big Island. Advertisement Replying to a 220 reader’s question in our live Q&A last night on what her next goals will be in triathlon, she said: “My goal has always been to try and find my potential in this sport and particularly in Kona. I still don’t feel that I have reached my ceiling and while I feel that way will continue to return to Kona and see how fast I can go! You can never have too many world titles.” She also admitted…

Resolve was needed in spades for the 25th edition of the Winter BallBuster, with chilly wind and hammering rain battering duathletes on Box Hill in Surrey last Saturday. Advertisement Athletes struck up a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ on the start line to mark the occasion, with 220’s Matt Baird arriving just in time after meeting heavy traffic on his way there. Other athletes lining up included Mark Kleanthous, who took part in the first ever edition. Racers set off at a steady clip in calm but cold conditions for the first run – a 12km loop of Box Hill. Click Here: France football tracksuit Andy Greenleaf led the way into…

Click:Spearmint Nicotine Pouches We were recently reminded by a reader that sometimes acts of kindness by total strangers are the only reason we can finish what we started on race day. Advertisement With that in mind, we asked our readers on Facebook – who was your good Samaritan this season and why? Here’s what we got back: Advertisement Who would you like to thank for their outstanding kindness? Let us know in the comments! Click Here: f1 racing suit for sale

The December 2014 issue of 220 Triathlon went on sale this morning, featuring a 20-page Kona special, 6-month training plan to get you ready for your first Ironman and lots more: Advertisement 20-page Kona special: including men’s and women’s race reports, and we chat to Dave Scott and Mark Allen about Iron War Race your first Ironman in 2015: 6-month training plan plus key sessions from British legend Spencer Smith Cannondale Slice launch: we attend the big unveiling on Big Island Pool tools: how to use them to sharpen your stroke technique, plus a 1hr pool tool sesh Tested: Garmin’s new Forerunner 920XT; four turbo trainers; eight bike jackets; and more PLUS win a Mango road…