News in brief: At the 15th Tour Transalp from June 25th to July 1st, 2017, Faris Al-Sultan, the 2005 Ironman World Champion, will be at the start. The 38-year-old Bavarian ended his triathlon career last year and is now looking for new sporting challenges: The Tour Transalp 2017 is one of them! Faris Al-Sultan will contest the seven-day stage race across the Alps with Dr. Werner Leitner.
The two athletes have known each other for many years. dr Werner Leitner was a co-founder of Faris Al-Sultan's Abu Dhabi Triathlon team. In 2009, Faris Al-Sultan and Dr. Werner Leitner also contested a mountain bike race together in South Africa. The experience of more than 20 years of endurance sports could definitely prove valuable at the Tour Transalp 2017. However, the two athletes have not yet inspected the demanding route. According to their own statements, the two-man team, which together has more than 80 years under their belt, is primarily about having fun - but they don't want to follow behind.