Nick Kastelein made his return to competitive racing in 2021 after battling back from a broken pelvis and multiple broken ribs.
A bike crash six months prior to CHALLENGEMIAMI in March this year saw Kastelein hospitalised, with long road back to competing at the top level of triathlon.
But the Australian, ranked at #10 for Team Internationals ahead of the rescheduled Collins Cup, completed a remarkable recovery with an eighth-place finish in the South-East Florida race.
After his admirable performance in the USA, Kastelein’s attentions then turned to CHALLENGEGRANCANARIA.
And it was on the volcanic island that his epic comeback was crowned with a medal, as he came home in 3rd place, just over a minute behind Europe #1 Jan Frodeno and only 12 seconds off Europe #17 Pablo Dapena Gonzalez.
Kastelein made an excellent start to his race in Gran Canaria, clocking the fourth fastest time of any athlete during the swim as he trailed frontrunners by just five seconds.
He remained in touch with the leaders following a solid bike leg in sweltering conditions, but it was his pace on the run that earned him a spot on the podium.
Kastelein was the quickest athlete over the 21.1km course, shaving six seconds off Frodeno’s time, who is renowned as one of the strongest runners in triathlon.
“Nothing sweeter than a hard-fought race!” he wrote on social media. “3rd place and some ugly running towards the end there.
“And very proud to be a part of this little team we have, because without all of them, days like this wouldn’t be possible – so thank you!”
Kastelein’s hopes of earning a place on Team International for the Collins Cup remain very much alive following his performance in Gran Canaria, and he will look to build on that display ahead of the event in August.
Here are Nick’s ‘Weapons of Choice’:
Swim
Goggles: Zoggs
Wetsuit: Deboer Fjord 1.0
Speedsuit: Deboer Tsunami
Trisuit: Ryzon Verge
Bike
Bike frame: Canyon Speedmax CF SLX
Frame size: Small
Front wheel: Zipp 858
Rear wheel: Zipp Super 9
Tyres: Continental GP 5000
Component Groupset: SRAM AXS
Computer: Wahoo Elemnt Bolt
Power meter: Quarq Dzero
Crank Length: 170mm
Helmet: Oakley Aro 7
Cycling Shoes: Bont Zero+
Saddle: Gebiomized Stride
Hydration System: Canyon
Run
Shoes: Nike Alphafly
Eyewear: Oakley
Headwear: Ryzon
