Hartwick Cross Country Trio to Represent United States in ITU Duathlon World Championship in Italy
September 24, 2008
From Hartwick College Sports Information Release
ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick College’s cross country teams will have this coming weekend off from competition as they will be without the services of their coach and one of their star runners. Head Coach Derreck Treadwell and sophomore Tim Sattler (Warwick, NY) will have a legitimate excuse for their absence as the pair, along with Tim’s brother and Hartwick alum Luke Sattler ’07, will be representing the United States in the 2008 ITU Duathlon World Championships in Remini, Italy from Sept. 26-28.
The duathlon consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg, and closes with a second running leg in a format similar to that of a triathlon. The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is the governing body of the sport internationally.
Treadwell will compete in the Elite World Championship on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1:15 p.m. (local time), while the Sattlers will race in the Men’s Age Group World Championship Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
Both Luke and Tim qualified for the event at the USA Triathlon’s duathlon national championships in Richmond, VA last April. Luke qualified with an eighth-place finish in the 20-24 year-old division of the USAT age group national championships. Tim took third in his division at the junior national championship.
“The Richmond race was my first duathlon and that was it, I was hooked,” Luke said. “I’ve been looking forward to the upcoming race in Italy since that day.”
In addition to the anticipation of participating in such a high-profile international event and representing their country, neither of the Sattler brothers have ever traveled overseas. “It’s difficult to imagine what it’s going to be like,” Tim added. “But I can guess it’s going to be so much bigger than the national event in April.”
Treadwell agreed with the younger Sattler. “Anything involving cycling in Europe has an immense following,” Treadwell said. “There’s going to be participants from all over the world from their respective countries and fans lining the streets throughout the course. It’s a lot like what you see during coverage of the Tour De France – it’s that big.”
While Treadwell and the Sattlers will be competing in different races, the courses are the same. The races begin with a 10-kilometer run, followed by 40 kilometers on the bike. After the cycling portion, the competitors still have another 5-kilometer race to the finish line.
Treadwell and both Sattlers have trained vigorously for the upcoming championships. Tim has been in season with the ’Wick cross country team since August and has had to fit in work on the bike when he’s not training with the team.
Luke has had to train on his own. “I would estimate I run about 50-60 miles per week and bike over 100 miles,” the elder Sattler said.
Treadwell’s preparation gets even more extensive. “Somewhere between 200-300 miles on the bike would be about right for me over the course of the week,” said the former Division I All-American at the University of Maine, “and I run between 60-70 miles.”
Treadwell is no stranger to these types of grueling physical competitions. He won the national title last fall at the Powerman Ohio Duathlon outside of Cincinnati, OH, and in the spring he broke the run course record at the Columbia Triathlon in Columbia, MD. Treadwell also raced in the Mooseman Half-Iron Man in Bristol, NH, the Philadelphia Triathlon, and the Rhode Island Half Iron Man on July 20th. Just over a month ago, he competed in Geel, Belgium at the Duathlon World Championships.
Despite the fact that some of the top athletes in the world will be competing in the Elite division in Italy, Treadwell has to be considered a strong contender for the title. “I would be happy with a top-10 finish in Remini,” said the Hartwick coach. “I’ve got a real good shot at it.”
“I need to thank Ommegang Brewery and Craig Van Cott of Unadilla Laminated Products for helping make this trip a reality for me,” Treadwell added. “Mavic Wheels, Chris Tomaselli of Felt Bicycles, and Fluid Recovery have also been instrumental in my success in these competitions.”
Additional information on the upcoming ITU Duathlon World Championships can be found at the official website at http://www.duathlon.it/.