Michael Raelert is looking forward to take the next step at the City Bikes Ironman 70.3 Miami on Sunday. After his long break from racing he started late into this season and ranked third at the Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl in early September. Two weeks after this event in Austria he took the victory at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Ruegen. “I would like to go on with this,” says Michael Raelert a few days out of the race in Miami. “But I absolutely know that the Ironman 70.3 Miami on Sunday is a very tough race. The course is flat and fast, you’re not allowed to make any mistakes. You have to stay focused and concentrated during the whole race – and you really have to speed up.”
Three years ago, Michael Raelert fought for the title at the Ironman 70.3 Miami with the current Ironman World Champion Sebastian Kienle from Germany, Michael Raelert finally finished in second place. "The race is incredibly fast," he recalls, "after my long break it will be exciting for me to see, where I am at today and if I can hit the gas from the start to the finish line." Michael Raelert heads into the race with the goal that he wants to win, but moreover this weekend means an important milestone on his way back to the top. "Such extremely dynamic races are incredibly important to achieve the speed you need on a world-class level," says Michael Raelert.
Michael Raelert has been preparing for this race for a couple of weeks in Clermont, Florida. He went to Clermont in mid-September together with his brother Andreas, Raelert-Brothers-coach Wolfram Bott and a strong training group. "The constellation in this group was very good," says the 34-year-old, "all the others were focused on the Ironman Hawaii, so the level of fitness was absolutely high in all disciplines." While the rest of the group left Clermont in early October to race in Kailua-Kona, Michael Raelert remained in Florida. He focused on his training for the race in Miami for three more weeks in Clermont and adjusted his body to the high temperatures which are expected for the Ironman 70.3 Miami.
On Sunday, Michael Raelert wants to take the next step on his way back into the world elite. He faces not only a hard race on a fast course, but as well a strong pro field including the Ironman 70.3 Miami champion of 2012 and 2013, former Ironman 70.3 World Champion Terenzo Bozzone from New Zealand. "In this race, you can not hide," says Michael Raelert.