Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 15:23

Marceau: “It was much harder than I thought”
Mullan: “I always loved running, now I need to learn to cycle!”

(press release) 17 APR 2011, Portocolom / Spain

Olivier Marceau (SUI) is the winner of the inaugural TriStar Mallorca, Marcel Zamora (ESP) and Normann Stadler (GER) placed second and third, respectively. Eilean Mullan (IRL) won her first race as a professional athlete before Tamsin Lewis (GBR) and Heidi Jesberger (GER). The triathlon race over unique distances in the authentic village of Portocolom, Mallorca, was an opportunity for many of the sport’s greatest athletes to test their shape at the beginning of the season.

TriStar Mallorca has met all expectations today with more than 350 participants and one of the best casts of the stars of the sport of Triathlon. Olivier Marceau was the winner of the first edition of Mallorca TriStar111 on a fun day packed with suspense, which has brought thousands of spectators to the Club Nautico Porto Colom in Felanitx, Mallorca.

“The race was much harder than I thought and the bike course is really demanding,” said Marceau, who finished in 3:40:29. It’s Marceau’s second TriStar victory after TriStar Monaco in September last year.

Spaniard Marcel Zamora, who finished in 3:40:56, added: “The climb up to Sant Salvador is beautiful, and although the race is not easy I had a lot of fun end enjoyed it a lot today to race all those other world class athletes.”

“After I crashed on the bike I could not keep the pace on the run, unfortunately, but it was a great race to start the season, regardless,” said two-times Ironman World Champion Normann Stadler after finishing in 3:41:24.

Eilean Mullan from Ireland had her first go as a professional athlete, and it might be we’ll see her name more often in the future. She managed to keep up British Tamsin Lewis’ pace on the bike and was the stronger runner in the end. “I always loved running, now I need to learn to cycle,” said Mullan, who finished in 4:10:27, with a twinkle in her eyes.

“She is just the best runner,” said Tamsin Lewis, second in 4:12:22. Germany’s Heidi Jesberger came in third almost a quarter hour later in 4:26:21. “I think I was just too timid on the descents. Anyway it was a wonderful race experience and I look forward to more,” she said after the race.

TriStar55.5 Mallorca, which also took place today, offered the same race with the half distance, especially for beginners and fans of short distances. Richard Calle Martinez from Barcelona, won in 1:57:04, and VILLALONGA LLUFRIU Catalina Villalonga Llufriu from Palma de Mallorca won the female category in 2:29:17.

TriStar Mallorca supports ASPANOB, a local cancer care charity, together with Livestrong™. Thorughout the race weekend, funds are collected on spot and online in order to help ASPANOB held cancer affected children and their families.

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 15:22

Click here to download the official results.

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 12:39

Olivier Marceau wins his second TriStar111 title today in Portocolom, Mallorca. "The race was harder than I thought" said Olivier, who managed to get the lead on the Run and who finished in 3:40:29.

Marcel Zamora finished second in 3:40:56...

...

and Normann Stadler, who took the lead on the bike and kept it until out on the run finished third in 3:41:24.

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 12:19

Normann Stadler came in first on the bike, but his opponents do not want to give away the win of the inaugural TriStar111 like this. Now they are all giving everything out there along the beach - check the CURRENT RACE RESULTS and you'll be in the picture! ;)

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 11:49

Today it's Agustin TRIGO's birthday! He lives in London, races with #582 and turns 31 today! Cumpleaños Feliz!

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 11:45

The Run course of TriStar Mallorca will take athletes out eastwards along the harbour of Portocolom, and then along beaches until the lighthouse. Heading back to town, they will come to the turning point at the harbour, before going on the second loop.

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 11:42

TriStar Mallorca supports ASPANOB! This association of parents of children affected by cancer in the Balearic Islands was created in 1987 by a group of parents who met in order to improve the quality of life of kids between 0 and 18 years with cancer and their families in the Balearic Islands. Since then, ASPANOB has been growing, working day by day with the satisfaction of seeing, year after year, how their activities increased and more important programmes expanded.

The association, after twenty years, is still faithful to the principles and objectives that motivated its creation. All ASPANOB activities are aimed at helping and giving support to kids with cancer and their families, to improve the family's acceptance and dealing with the illness, the detection of problems and the family's needs, providing the necessary solutions.

If you want to support ASPANOB, too, you can do so right now, online. Please click here to make your donation, no matter how little it might be, every donation counts!

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 11:20

Yes, you can! Follow the 55.5 race via the LIVE TIMING tab as well. Of course! ;)

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 11:02

While the leaders do their thing, why don't we take a look at some of the athletes' slogans? They are encouraged to let us know their mottos for the race. Here is a choice:

It hurts less when you smile

#647 Ali Steed

Faster than the first woman

#215 Jürgen Reineck

Have Fun Every Day

#556 Lieve Govaerts

Nunca un paso ni mirada atras! (Never a step back or looking back)

#594 Daniel MAYANS GONDAR

One second in front of Macca

#182 Peter Heudorfer

La vida es el mejor deporte (Life is the best sport)

#65 Sebastian Adrover Obrador

Pain is just weakness leaving the body

#104 Luca Pelissero

Beating Paul Deen (#114) since 2009

#124 Paul Burton

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 10:51

While 75 of the TriStar111 athletes are already through km 50 on the bike, the TriStar55.5 will start their race in about ten minutes. Then athletes of both races will soon mingle on the beautiful bike course of the inaugural TriStar Mallorca.

Our official photographer will also soon come into our intimate office at the finishline (read "180 decibel and 2 Spanish-speaking race announcers":-) ) in order to select and upload the best shots from the bike ride.

_{(in the photo: leader Normann Stadler at the turnaround after 50km)}

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 10:01

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 10:00

You can win a free entry* today by answering this question:

How many of the 350 athletes in today's TriStar111 and 55.5 Mallorca have ALREADY DONE a TriStar race in the past?

You can win by posting your estimation on our Facebook Wall The closest estimation will win the entry today in the afternoon.

_{*a free entry for any race except TriStar Germany-Worms}

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:57

You can read the spotter updates on the right in our twitter feed. We should get info every 10km in addition to the timing points that will show up in the LIVE TIMING tabs.

As automatic timings come in, we humans here feel kinds needless*grin* - you can get live timing info and filter it as you with in the LIVE TIMING tabs like in no other race on the planet. B-)

Got feedback for us? Like what you see? Got a message for anyone out there? Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;) Yes, you can! ;)

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:32

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:27

The eldest athletes in today's race are

#224 Johann MICHELON (AUT, 63 year) in the 111 and #643 Tomeo MULET SEGUI (ESP, 61 years) on the 55.5.

_{Johann Michelon}

The youngsters are:

#522 Xavier COVA TORDAY (ESP, 19 years) in 55.5, and #21 Niclas BOCK (GER, 20 years) in the 111 race.

_{Niclas Bock}

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:21

Need a closer look at what the participants will have to face today?! Click on the image to see it in Google maps!

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:15

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:08

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 09:08

TriStar has a slight focus on the bike section of each race, which is quite obvious when looking at the breakdown of the distances. Additionally, all races try to feature special bike layouts that remain in people's heads.

The thing that will definitely remain in the participant's memory is the climb up to 494m San Salvador. A very technical part of the race on narrow, winding roads. That's definitely the main difficulty of the race (both up and down!), and it was the topic in almost every athlete's conversation we could overhear in Portocolom.

Here's the bike map:

And the corresponding profile:

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 08:52

TriStar111 just started, and in about 10 minutes times you will be able to see the first rankings if you click on the LIVE TIMING tab. There are three options (all links on top of the page)

• CURRENT RACE RESULTS - that's the leaderboard
• RESULTS PER SPLIT - self explanatory
• PERSONAL RESULTS - everything you need from your personal favourite

We hope you enjoy that we're providing the most recent and convenient system of displaying times on the internet in the world of triathlon - with TriStar you can filter and check the times YOU need. Yes, you can!

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 08:32

The Swim starts at Portocolom Harbour from the water. Tha participants start from the water with the pros ahead - they wear differently colored swimcaps so they are easier to distinguish. It's a clockwise swim around 4 buoys before the athletes can exit the water. 1000m for the TriStar111 athletes and half the distance for the 55.5, with the same start and exit areas.

TriStar 55.5 will start at 11:00 only, so there's enough time to cheer on the 111 athletes in the meantime! Here's the 55.5 map:

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 08:19

Here's a look at the clubs with most participants in today's 111 race:

• Triatlon Portocolom Herbes Tunes (17 athletes)
• Bimont Ccandratx.es (10)
• C.E. Trias.Som (7)

and for the TriStar55.5:

• Bimont Ccandrxt.es (12)
• C.E. Trias.Som (7)
• RKS (9)
• Triatlon Portocolom Herbes Tunes (17 athletes)

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 07:47

Some more stats on most represented countries:

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 07:32

Time to look at some stats of today's TriStar111 race:

• 202 athletes signed up
• 178 males
• 24 females
• 28 Pros (23 male and 5 female)

In the TriStar55.5 we'll have:

• 148 signups
• 126 males
• 22 females
• 3 male professional athletes

And those numbers add up to:

• 350 athletes
• 304 males
• 46 female
• 31 PROs (26 male, 5 females)

Thank you all for choosing a unique race over unique distances! Yes, you can! :-)

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 07:08

The bike park is getting busy as the starters of TriStar111 Mallorca and TriStar55.5 walk in the bike park. All race setups here in Portocolom are built at the Club Náutico, on the west side of the harbour. In an hour and a half, the start will be given for TriStar111, at 8:45.

TriStar111 is the new race that has been added here in Portocolom, while the Olympic triathlon that has taken place for the past 13 years is turned into the TriStar55.5 race.

Written by André Karsai | 17.04.2011 @ 06:45

It's a great morning here in Portocolom after a quiet night - athletes went to bed earlier than usual after the Energy Party last night, and have gotten up earlier than usual, too. Well, not as early as in other races most probably, that's thanks to shorter distances in TriStar! :-)

The bike park opens in 15 minutes for the 111 athletes, and they will pump their tyres, prepare the bikes and get ready for the race while wishing each other a good day.

We're looking forward to an exciting race with the impressive start list we'll have, and it will certainly be an exciting day, also here on TriStarLive.com. Thanks for being here!

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 18:06

The Bike Park of TriStar Mallorca is filling up with athletes checking in for tomorrow's race. We're soon heading over to the race briefing and Energy Party at Hotel Cape Colom and will try to get some impressions from there up into our flickr album before going to bed tonight. Our official photographer who's been shooting all day long will also upload his pre-race impressions so you can flip through the albums online tomorrow during the race while athletes are between timing points! ;)

We'll prepare two different ranking tabs for you, one for TriStar111 and one for TriStar55.5, so you can choose which race you'd like to follow with the live rankings.

Looking forward to having you online tomorrow, too. Sunny regards from Mallorca,

Yes, you can! ;)

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 18:01

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 17:38

Jaume Vicens lives in Felanitx (the "x" here is pronounced like the English "j" in "jungle") and has been setting up this race formore than a decade. "We started as a Olympic distance race 13 years ago, which eventually was turned into a sprint race of the prestige series, and later back into a Olympic race. The layout of the race was pretty much the same as now, but the climb up to San Salvador was not part of the race. In 2009 and 2010, the race was a qualifyer for the Spanish National Championships"

"Around 40 people help me since years to get everything done before the race, and I am happy to have people like David and Luis around to make this happen. The support from the local authorities is great. We had 250 athletes racing last year, mainly locals. Now with TriStar, more than 350 signed up, 150 of which are international guests - that's incredible!"

"Everything is set up and we're checking things this evening after the Energy Night", he said while talking with Xisco Bonnin, headmarshall in tomorrow's race.

_{(in this photo: Xisco BONNIN, Jaume Vicens and his wife and volunteer Helena)}

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 14:58

The bike check in is about to start and we're looking forward to get some words and images from the athletes in the bike park. ;)

_{(in this photo: Till Schramm and Ain-Alar Juhanson)}

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 14:47

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 12:22

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 11:39

On a very sunny moring, athletes came to the official swim training and wetsuit testing session by sailfish wetsuits. The water temperature is 17,5 degrees today, and if there's no extraordinary heat wave swapping into the harbour of Portocolom tonight, wetsuits will be allowed (even recommended!) tomorrow during the race.

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 09:27

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 08:52

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 08:28

Written by André Karsai | 16.04.2011 @ 07:55

Yesterday was the first day packed with official program here in Portocolom. The Star&Co opened it's doors (well, there aren't any...) and 100 athletes picked up their race packs and the welcome present - a backpack from zoot. The bike course recognition and press conference were held, and a photo shooting with the TriStar ambassadors was staged at the Cape Colom Hotel.

Today it's the last day before TriStar Mallorca. On the program:

athlete registration from 10 o'clock

check in of bikes and bags from 15-18:00

followed by a quick briefing (everything has been published online already so no need to get stressed last-minute!) and the Energy Party at the Cape Colom Hotel.

Then most probably participants will try to hit the sack early, while the organisers will make sure everything is in place - it pretty much feels like it and all are looking forward to a great race day.

Here on TriStarLive.com you'll get more impressions from Portocolom, an overview about the funniest race slogans of participants, a preview on the course, all accompanied by some images and short video clips. Hope you enjoy, and if you have feedback, click on the link in the top right corner! ;)

Yes, you can!

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 22:42

Our TriStar Ambassadors Coralie Lemaire, Ain-Alar Juhanson, Esben Hovgaard, Joel Jameson and Olivier Marceau had a photo shooting this afternoon at the Cape Colom Hotel. Martin Steinthaler - TriStar's official photographer - managed to stage some great sets - thank you, Tine!

You will see some of the images in future advertisement campaigns... and here's a short "making of". Enjoy.

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 17:25

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 15:55

Dear Lluís Segura,

no need to be anxious! ;) TriStar is a Fun race, and as long as you're not up for the win, there's no need o push too hard - enjoy the race and the atmosphere ;)

Self evidently, this is valid for everyone... it's just that Lluís sent us a message, so we thought we'd reply here ;)

We're proud that you have chosen TriStar55.5 Mallorca to do your first triathlon! Cool! :)

^{Original Message from Lluís, #631 in Sunday's race:}

My first triathlon, so anxious!!! I’m sure I will enjoy it 100%.
Lluís Segura

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 14:45

Chris McCormack
“I thought I wanted to win all TriStar races that I am doing this year… until I saw the start list, which is incredible for this weekend. The long ride makes it a hard day as you cannot relax on the bike. My fitness is definitely good for this time of the year and I am looking forward to pushing it here in Mallorca. I find the distances very tough because you get off the bike more tired than in other race formats.”

Normann Stadler
“I have been to Mallorca more than 40 times in the past 20 years, so I know the island quite a bit. TriStar Mallorca is my first race this year, and I am looking forward to it. I like the short swim and the long bike, but I also know that the run will be hard.”

Marcel Zamora
“I am happy to compete with the world champs here. While both Macca and Norman won Hawaii twice, I was successful in Portocolom triathlon twice (laughing). I think the move to the TriStar format already made and will make the race in Portocolom more international over the coming years. TriStar Mallorca is definitely one of th hardest races of the circuit.”

Olivier Marceau
"I like the TriStar111 distance, it will be a good training and exciting with such a great field. The race course is just great with the nice cycling and the beautiful run course. I look forward to Sunday.”

Ain-Alar Juhanson
“It’s my first time in Mallorca, and my second in a TriStar race. The format is fun and recovery is quick. The start list is exceptional and it will be very interesting to see how the race unfolds on Sunday.”

***

Jaume Vicens, race director
“It’s a pleasure to see the Portocolom Triathlon grow into an international event and I am overwhelmed with the startlist this year.”

Gabriel TAULER, mayor of Felanitx and relay participant (runner)
“This race is possible thanks to the support of many local hands. To have such great champions of the sport of triathlon here is an honour, and we’re looking forward t welcoming you back in Portocolom year after year.”

Felipe Martin, counsellor of Felanitx:
“Thank you for the organizers and the athletes for participating in TriStar Mallorca, which is a very important event for Portocolom and the region.”

Antonio NADAL, representative of the Counsel of the island of Mallorca
“Welcome to Mallorca, a paradise for sports, where you hopefully enjoy your race and a couple of relaxing days.”

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 13:21

European Duathlon Champion 1997, German Heidi Jesberger has done many triathlons over the past couple of years. She likes training in Spain, especially on the Canary and the Balearic Islands. She's an athlete who likes exotic destinations, too, and her 3rd rank in Ironman China last year is one of the successes of her career.

www.heidi-jesberger.de

_{photo: ©triaphoto.com}

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 12:45

Coralie has started triathlon at the age of 30, although she was always active in various sports. She eventually discovered her passion for running, which then brought her to cross-country running and triathlon. She loves the variety of the sport, and if you ask her to decide which is her favourite discipline, she'll answer that it's cycling - not because she really prefers cycling over swimming and running, but because she likes the fact that she can enjoy landscapes and discuss with friends while cycling. Coralie is amazed by the island and likes it a lot, looks forward to the competition although she does not know the competition too well.

coralie-lemaire.onlinetri.com

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 11:55

Joel originally comes from the rowing sport which he engaged in during five years. The British did his first race as a pro three years later in Antwerp – “the worst race ever in my career with a half-marathon of 1h27,” as he calls it. Joel is a professional athlete and successful coach today (or was it the other way round?) hoping to make more athletes discover the beauty of triathlon. He’s a great cycling fan, and has been running ever since. He likes the fact that triathlon is an outoor sport, and the fun factor combined with a good cause he finds in TriStar suits him well.

www.teamjameson.co.uk

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 11:52

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 11:02

Esben from Denmark spent most of his teenage years playing rugby and football until a knee injury forced him to look for other options. He started light swimming and cycling... as he loved running ever since, triathlon was somehow the next logical step. When he unexpectedly qualified for the national team to participate in the ITU European championships, he started to realize he could go further in triathlon. In October last year, he did his first TriStar in Sardinia - and won the race.

www.esbenhovgaard.dk

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 10:23

Ain-Alar Juhanson from Estonia became national duathlon champion at the age of 17, after starting out in cross country skiing. He eventually switched to triathlon, and later won Ironman Lanzarote twice. Today, Ain-Alar is the organizer of TriStar111 Estonia and enjoying the organizer side of triathlon as much as the active side as an athlete.

www.ainalar.ee

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 10:05

The man known as the first human to finish an Ironman sub 8 hours originates from the town of Worms in Southern Germany, which today is a TriStar destination. Lothar is one of the most successful German triathletes, multiple Ironman champion, three times German National Champ on the Olympic distance, and counts many more titles on his records. While still racing a lot and coaching others, he also became the race director of TriStar Germany – Worms. Lothar is crazy about cars and speed, so of you want to grab his attention (or distract him during the race), mention something with horsepower!

www.lothar-leder.de

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 09:27

Olivier Marceau of Switzerland is two times triathlon world champion, and he participated three times in Olympic Games, which is quite remarkable. He’s a short distance athlete who converted to long distance, and who has now found his perfect race distance in the TriStar111 format, as it combines the best of both worlds for him. Olivier won the first TriStar111 he participated in in Monaco last year. He finished second in the second race in Nevis two weeks ago, while he won the StarMile2.5 Nevis~St.Kitts Cross Channel Swim. Olivier is a triathlon trainer and reads a lot in his spare time.

www.oliviermarceau.com

Written by André Karsai | 15.04.2011 @ 09:06

Marcel is not only one of the most successful Spanish Triathletes, he’s also one of the most charismatic. Marcel was born in 1978 in Barcelona and has seen massive popularity at Ironman Nice – a race he has won five consecutive times! He won the Embrunman twice, which says enough about his capabilities of demanding bike course layouts. While cycling is his strength, he’s call rocket for his running abilities. Marcel is definitely eager to win TriStar Mallorca in his home country Spain, even if it’s an island here.

www.marcelzamora.com