Ironman Regensburg 2010

OK, there's been a change of plan on the Ironman race front for me this year. My plan was to do Challenge Roth on the 18th July, however I have now pulled out of that race. As you can see from the title of this thread, I am now doing Ironman Regensburg in Germany on August the 1st. This is a new Ironman event, here's what the organisors have to say about the race:

"Regensburg is one of the oldest cities of Bavaria, first mentioned around 179 AD, and long-time place of activity of current pope Bendict XVI. The city on the banks of the river Danube is known not only for its numerous historical buildings in the city center, which are World Heritage Site, but also for its university and three colleges. With a population of 133.000, Regensburg is the fifth largest city in Bavaria.

The swim course (3.8 k) of IRONMAN Regensburg is in the lake "Guggenberger See", located in an attractive recreation area of the city Neutraubling, just 12 k southeast of Regensburg. Here the international competitor field will face the first part of a long and challenging day. When the starting signal goes off at 7 a. m. in the morning, the athletes will transform the calm lake into white water within seconds.

The bike course (180 k), a 2-loop-course with impressive ascents, leads through the "Bavarian Forrest National Park", in the northeast of Regensburg. It passes the famous monument "Walhalla" and takes the athletes through the selective and attractive area south of the river Danube. The challenging bike course with 1.500 meters altitude difference is sure to be remembered not only for the beautiful landscape.

The concluding run course (42.2 k) is a 4-loop-course, mainly leading through scenic parts of the Danube Island and the Historical City Center of Regensburg. The finish line, as grand finale, is located near "Steinerne Brücke/Stadtamhof", a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. The varied race course is sure to provide beautiful and lasting memories for athletes and spectators alike. "

So it sounds like a challenging bike course! Perhaps not as quick as the Roth bike, I'm sure it'll be a great race if perhaps not as fast potentially as Roth could have been. I guess I need to get training on those hills now! Train smart bloggers.