Alessandro Degasperi

Alessandro Degasperi tried various sports before starting his triathlon journey at the age of 15.

He would soon join the Italian national team and was participating in European and World Championships whilst taking part in triathlons over the Olympic distances.

One of his finest years over shorter distances came in 2005, when he would claim the first ever European Winter Triathlon Championship and then add victory in the Italian XTERRA at Villacidro in Cagliari.

Since then, success has followed over longer distances. IRONMAN Lanzarote, a race that Degasperi describes as his favourite, yielded a pair of victories in 2015 and 2018, whilst he also secured excellent top-20 finishes at the World Championship in Kona in 2016 and 2017.

To add to those notable moments in his career, he has also notched a string of other podium finishes on the professional circuit.

Val di Fiemme, one of the main valleys of the Dolomites in Trentin, is where Alessandro trains year round despite the location being better known for winter sports.

He does occasionally move out during the winter into warmer climates and often uses the Predazzo Sports Centre as his training headquarters. He usually trains alone.

Alessandro’s favourite discipline in triathlon is the run, because he says that is when he usually picks up positions. Meanwhile his least favourite is the swim.

Alessandro says he can’t live without ice cream while his favourite cheat meal is hamburger with fries, His heroes include Roger Federer and Valentino Rossi and his favourite holiday location is Club La Santa in Lanzarote.

And if Degasperi had to give one piece of top triathlon racing advice, it would be that i