Welcome to Lausanne, Olympic Capital!

I am extremely honoured and pleased to be able to welcome you to the various World and European Triathlon Championships, organised this year in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital.

Located between vineyards, forests and a lake, our city - the fifth largest in Switzerland - is the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, 15 international sports federations and numerous other sports organisations. As a result, over the years Lausanne has become the administrative capital of world sport.

Many people in Lausanne also actively practise sport, from popular to elite activities. There are over 20,000 licensed sportsmen and women – out of a population of 125,000 – practising 60 different sports at more than 330 clubs and associations.

Triathlon has a special place among them. The Lausanne Triathlon has been around for 12 years and has become an extremely successful and popular event. The high standard of the course, the excellent organisation and attractive setting make Lausanne the ideal choice for holding major triathlon competitions. After various events - the 1998 ITU Triathlon World Championships, the four World Cup rounds, the 2004 European Junior Championships and the 2005 Elite European Championships - our city once again has the opportunity of organising the World Championships. The world’s best triathletes will be able to test themselves under the watchful eyes of our knowledgeable crowds on a course, which is made all the more challenging and exciting by Lausanne’s topography.

We wish you an excellent stay here in Lausanne and look forward to seeing you again at other times of the year. You will discover a diverse city which always offers a warm welcome.

We wish you all the very best of luck!

Jean-Jacques Schilt
Town Councillor for Culture, Sport and Heritage
President of the Organising Committee of the
Lausanne 2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships

Dear friends,

While you have been training hard for this season, the organising committee has also been working hard to ensure that you are properly looked after when you stay here in the Olympic Capital – a courteous, respectful welcome and you race on challenging, safe courses. In this regard, I would like to sincerely thank the extremely proficient, positive and enthusiastic attitude of the organising committee.

Over the last few months, we have worked passionately to ensure that your – and our – World Championships are extremely memorable. We have therefore drawn on the lessons learnt from the 2005 World Championships and we have changed the Age Group races. All participants will therefore make four laps on their bikes, except for the Elite racers who will make seven laps.

During the last week of August and the first week of September we hope to welcome over 4,000 triathletes to the various events: World University and Firefigthers Triathlon Championships; European Police Triathlon; Lausanne Triathlon; the ITU Elite, Under-23, Age Group, Junior, AWAD and Aquathlon Triathlon World Championships. For ten days Lausanne will be the world capital of triathlon and we hope to celebrate with you in style.

Little by little we have managed to organise the 2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships, thanks to the excellent team of passionate friends, helped and supported by the City of Lausanne, the Canton of Vaud and the Swiss Confederation.

In the same vein, I would like to use this opportunity to thank our friend, technical delegate Michael Machaka, for his major efforts in bringing together the Swiss Triathlon Federation and the organising committee. I would like to wish him a speedy recovery. Michael, we miss you and we look forward to having you back in our great team.

We would also like to highlight the untiring support of our sponsors. I would naturally like to thank them for their assistance that allows us to promote triathlon and hold this event.

To all triathletes, I hope that you really enjoy our well-chosen courses and, in particular, that your experience here makes you want to come back again.

My greatest wish is for this amazing sporting event to be one marked by fair play, courtesy, competitiveness and mutual respect.

Let’s celebrate triathlon and sport!

Claude Thomas
Director

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