Daniela Ryf: Build to Hawaii begins

California and Texas will be the training and racing base for the first part of the season for four-time Ironman World Champion, Daniela Ryf.

The exceptional triathlete from Solothurn has once again focused her season planning on the Ironman in Hawaii. In June and July, fans in Switzerland will also see her racing in home country.

Can the last year still be topped? Can she continue to improve? These are the questions inevitably asked by those following Daniela Ryf's sporting performances. But for the four-time Ironman winner, who in 2018 broke a number of course records, these questions are not something she spends time thinking about. The 31-year-old exceptional athlete been preparing for the new season for some time with clear goals for 2019.

Oceanside, Texas and new partners
The Solothurn native has been training in Gran Canaria for weeks, "working her way" in the gym, improving her technique and stamina. Training conditions in spring are ideal for her preparations.

In the meantime, Ryf has confirmed her race calendar for 2019. Daniela Ryf will kick off on April 6 with the 70.3 Ironman in Oceanside, California. And the second race of the season will also take place in the USA, where Ryf will compete in the Ironman in Texas, the North American Championship on April 27. "I always wanted to take part in these two races," says Ryf. In addition to the possibility of a first form test, it's a good time to surprise her fans in the USA. Oceanside is also less than an hour's drive from Irvine, the headquarters of Ryf's long-time bike sponsor Felt and she will use the opportunity to meet with the Felt team while she is there. Daniela Ryf is particularly looking forward to the race in California. Her last race in Los Angeles was eight years ago - a race she still has beautiful memories of. Ryf will then focus entirely on the Texas race.

Starting in Rapperswil and Zurich
After her time in the USA, Daniela will return to Switzerland to launch her own Daniela Ryf collection with the Swiss sports label Scatta.

She will also release a new sports nutrition line of products with Swiss company, Nutriathletics. Daniela, who has studied food science and is passionate about good nutrition, has been using Nutriathletics products since last year. She is delighted to announce a partnership where she can work in partnership to develop new and innovative nutrition products.

• June 2: 70.3 Ironman in Rapperswil-Jona
• July 7th: Ironman Austria, Klagenfurt (AUT)
• September 7th: 70.3 Ironman World Championship, Nice (FRA)

If everything goes according to plan, Daniela Ryf's highlight of the season will again take place in Hawaii at the World Championships. Ryf still must qualify to be able to compete. As a reminder: Despite jellyfish bites under both arms, hellish pain and numbness, the current Swiss athlete of the year completed the Hawaii Ironman in record time. Only 24 men were able to master the toughest endurance test of the sport faster than she did.