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Backstedt set for Abu Dhabi Triathlon

Swedish pro-cyclist Magnus Backstedt, who won the Paris–Roubaix in 2004 and a Tour de France 1998 stage, has earmarked next month’s US$230,000 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon for his global triathlon debut.

The road racing legend and eight-time Tour De France competitor hopes his participation in the March 2nd event will be an inspiration to others, proving it’s never too late to try something new.

“I have always had this idea in the back of my mind that I was going to do a few triathlon competitions before I retired completely from top level sport. I now feel that this is the right time to make the move. After some testing and a few calculations my coach and I thought it would be possible to get to a point where I would be competitive, at least in my age group. After that, who knows where I’ll end up,” said the 38-year-old, six-foot-four powerhouse.

“I would like to say that it’s never too late to make a change. If your mind is in it you can always achieve a goal. The important thing is to set realistic targets when you make the change and then build those targets as you get better.”

Retired in 2009, Magnus struggled with a number of health issues during his top-flight cycling career, including a serious knee injury, melanoma, a separated shoulder and broken collarbone.