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The 2008 European Championships Cross Triathlon will take place in the Netherlands, on the Wadden sea Island of Ameland. The championship races will take place on Saturday September 13th, 2008 while the regular race will take place on Sunday September 14th. Because of the strong tide in the Wadden sea it is not possible to have all the races on one day.

The organisation has prepared a three day programme starting with a opening ceremony on Friday evening. Click here for the events website

Courses
The championships consist of a 1500-meter swim in the Wadden sea followed by a mountain bike course of 35 kilometres which takes the participants through the polder, dunes, forests and over the sandy beach. The race ends with a 12-kilometer run that also goes through dunes, forest and over the beach.

Other activities
The European championships are part of a Cross triathlon event that exists already for six years and has become the biggest cross triathlon of the Netherlands, attracting more than 350 participants in 2007. Next to the European championships there is a race for children up to 14 years old on Saturday afternoon. While they swim in a swimming pool they will finish at the same area as the European champion.  Many children of prominent athletes participate in this race.

The island Ameland
Ameland is one of the islands in the Wadden Sea which extents from the Netherlands through Germany on to Denmark. Mudflats with seals, rich birdlife and many rare plants can be found in this unique area which is nominated to become one of the UNESCO world heritage sites. The varying scenery on the island makes it a unique setting for sports events. After the exercise one can relax in one of the four picturesque villages on the island.
Ameland welcomes half a million tourists yearly, many of them repeat visitors. Other than the Dutch, many Germans and Belgians visit the island. They all associate the island with nature, healthy and active living and hospitality.
Ameland is reached by ferry from the village of Holwerd in the North of the province of Friesland. The ferry takes 45 minutes and carries cars as well. By public transport one takes the train to leeuwarden where you can transfer to bus number 66 to Holwerd veerdam /Ameland. On the island there is ample public transport and bicycles can be rented at many places. The Island has a variety of accommodations to choose from, ranging from cheap group hostels to 4-star hotels.
Registration information
ELITE:
Every National Federation has the right to enter eight (8) athletes per gender to the European Championships.
AGE-GROUP:
Every National Federation has the right to enter twenty (20) athletes per 5-year age category per gender to the European Championships.

Important: In all cases the National Federation takes the decision about an individual athletes participation.

All athletes need to officially register through their own National Federation. However, the organization committee would very much appreciate if you would also register directly with them through the online registration system. With this parallel registration the organization committee will have an up to date overview of the registration status. As a service to the athletes the organizing committee will forward the registration data to the National Federations. Only after the permission by the NFs has been received, an invoice will be sent to the athletes.

Pre-registration through the events official website is possible until August 31, 2008. A condition for registration is that you have read and agree with the competition rules. The competition rules can be found on the ETU website

Background information
The cross triathlon on Ameland started with a try-out in 2002 with 37 participants. In later years the event steadily grew. The organisation was granted the organisation of the Dutch Cross Triathlon Championships in 2004, 2005 and 2006.  Last year more than 300 people participated. More than 150 volunteers ensure the smooth running of the organisation.

The Championships are supported by numerous sponsors, both local and international, main sponsors for 2008 are Wagenborg shipping (the company that runs the ferry services to the island and a major shipping company) and Coca Cola/Aquarius (known from the sodas and sport drinks). Furthermore the province of Frysln and the local tourist promotion board significantly contribute to the event. Other sponsors are Restaurant Paal 13, Vishandel Metz, Camping Roosdunen, Camping Duinoord and Frisse Wind Events.

Click here for more information