There are a few people who consider the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany, to be the second most important Ironman race in the world.
Nikki Butterfield will get a taste first hand as she will go to the start line.
There are many aspects to the race in Frankfurt, though, that set it apart from every other race in the world. There is the finish line, which takes place in the Romerberg, the site where German kings were once crowned. There is the crowds that line the bike and run course (and, for that matter, line the lake in which the swim takes place) that make athletes feel like they're competing in the Tour de France rather than a triathlon.
This year everyone is paying very close attention to the potentially screaming fast women's race. There are several women's match up that is possibly the most anticipated match-up that spectators will see this year … other than Kona, of course.
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