Another World Champion to Drive the 3 Pointed Star: Mercedes-Benz the New Automotive Partner of Triathlete Sebastian Kienle
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- Handover of a new V-Class to IRONMAN World and European Champion Sebastian Kienle marks the beginning of a new partnership
- Aerodynamic tests in the wind tunnel in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim
- Mercedes-Benz, with the new V-Class, is this season once again the official automotive partner of the IRONMAN European Tour
- The club of "world champions in a Mercedes" finds a new member in Sebastian Kienle
STUTTGART -- March 13, 2015: A
new partnership has been launched in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim: Mercedes-Benz
is the official 2015 automotive partner of the reigning IRONMAN World and
European Champion, Sebastian Kienle. On 10 March, Nicolai Berger, Head
of Marketing Communications and Product Information for Mercedes-Benz Vans,
handed over a new V-Class on behalf of the company to this outstanding
30-year-old athlete from Mühlacker in the German state of
Baden-Württemberg. The new training and support vehicle will allow Kienle
to prepare even better for his races. The triathlete has now joined an
elite group of world champions - which already includes Germany's men's
national football team and the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team
with Lewis Hamilton - in driving a car with the three-pointed star.
"Flexibility, staying power and top-level performance
– an exceptional triathlete like Sebastian Kienle and the
Mercedes-Benz V-Class have much in common. It is factors like these that
have made us keen to be involved in the sport of triathlon and we are
delighted to be able to support the World and European Champion in
defending his titles", said Berger during the handover.
"The V-Class is the ideal training vehicle. Even though all
my sports equipment, including my triathlon bike, takes up such a lot of
space, there's no need to compromise on comfort in the V-Class", commented
a delighted Sebastian Kienle on the partnership with Mercedes-Benz.
Kienle joins forces with Mercedes-Benz
engineers for tests in the Untertürkheim wind tunnel
Following the handover ceremony, the triathlon world
championship holder took the opportunity for a training session in the wind
tunnel on the Mercedes-Benz site just outside Stuttgart. With the help of
Volker Reichl, aerodynamics and acoustics expert for the Mercedes-Benz
V-Class, Kienle was able to test the aerodynamic efficiency of his
equipment with him on his triathlon bike. Such tests are all part of the
30-year-old's meticulous preparation for the 2015 season.
Sebastian Kienle is considered one of the strongest
cyclists on the international triathlon circuit. From 2010 until 2011 he
held the world record for the 180-km cycle race in a long-distance
triathlon. The 30-year-old professional athlete, who lines up for the
Baden-Württemberg-based Tri-Team Heuchelberg, was voted Triathlete of the
Year in 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the specialist magazine "triathlon".
Following two world championship titles in 2012 and 2013 in the
IRONMAN 70.3, over half the distances, Kienle last year secured the
double of both the World and European Championship titles in the IRONMAN
long-distance triathlon.
Mercedes-Benz
to remain official automotive partner of the IRONMAN European Tour for the
2015 season
Mercedes-Benz Vans is a
committed partner to the sport of triathlon and will this year, once again,
remain the official automotive partner of the IRONMAN European Tour. Along
with more general support, the deal includes the provision of V-Class
vehicles to the national organisers for support and shuttle services all
year round and for all competitions. In addition to this the new
Mercedes-Benz MPV will be accompanying the European competition series with
wide-ranging communications activities and comprehensive branding along the
competition routes plus vehicle displays and its own exhibition area at the
IRONMAN Expo in every event location.
IRONMAN is
the elite form of triathlon. The race is made up of a 3.9-kilometre swim, a
180-km cycle ride and a marathon run over 42 km. The three disciplines
are raced back-to-back without a break.
Mercedes-Benz V-Class: performance
pure
The new V-Class is the ideal
partner for people who enjoy sports and leisure activities: It boasts
maximum flexibility and performance with the highest possible levels of
safety and efficient energy consumption. In addition, it blends the
generous amount of space and the functionality of an MPV with the hallmark
strengths of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car.
The
interior allows a wide range of seating and loading configurations. With a
few quick movements, it can be converted from a load compartment for
several bicycles to a comfortable MPV for the whole family or for business
partners. Top performance is ensured by the ultramodern 2.1-litre
four-cylinder diesel engine with two-stage turbocharging. The
top-of-the-range 140 kW (190 hp) engine in the
V 250 BlueTEC boasts a mighty 440 Nm of peak torque while
still only burning a frugal 6.0 litres every 100 km.
Untertürkheim wind tunnel used to optimise wind
resistance
The wind tunnel at the
Mercedes-Benz site in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim is used for testing the
aerodynamics of all types of vehicle. The 9000 m³ of air contained
within the 125 m tunnel, which is laid out as a ring, can be
accelerated to as much as 250 km an hour – corresponding to a
Category 4 hurricane. At the heart of the system is a nine-blade axial
fan with a diameter of 8.5 metres and an output of
5000 kW.