"For me here at the Men's Fitness Rough Track Triathlon, getting out fast in the swim will be the objective..."
The pre race press release:
Britain's top three elite off-road triathletes, Sam Gardner (#1), Tim McDowell (#2) and Jim McConnel (#3) have confirmed entry in the annual Men's Fitness Rough Track Triathlon. All three have just finished a gruelling year on the world championship circuit, with Gardner finishing third in the XTERRA European Championships.
“This will be my third entry in the Men’s Fitness Rough Track Triathlon,” said Gardner. “I won the first event in 2006 and last year I had a nightmare with jetlag and two punctures, so I only finished second. I always really enjoy Rough Track; it’s a great course at Dorney Lake, and I plan to be back on the top step again this year!”
Gardner will take on fellow Brits McDowell and McConnel, who have been nipping at his heels throughout the XTERRA European Championship series. The trio - friends, training partners and fierce rivals - will fight it out to take honours on home soil.
The pressure to do well was massive!
With only 800m of swimming, the chances of some groups forming during this flat off road bike leg was high, then it would just turn into a 9.5k running race, not really my idea of triathlon! After a brief chat with the other Pro's and contenders - including late entry Graham Wadsworth, who was only 60sec behind me last time we met - I'd made a plan to go flat out from the gun and try to exit the swim with a lead.
By the 100m mark I was into clear water, and preceded to pull out a 35second lead on the chase group by the time I hit the shore. A rapid transition and I was away on the bike for 4 laps of 5km, I knew Sam was going to be chasing hard, so i put the hammer down from the word go. Unluckily for Sam he punctured half way through the bike leg, and in the heat of the moment took another bike from a spectator (not the done thing and instant disqualification). As I didn't know Sam was now unranked, I tried my best to hold him off, but ended up coming into T2 5meters behind him. Swift again, my Inov8's were on and I was away first. Within 1km he had caught me and we ran together before he put in a decisive move, and stormed away to cross the line 90seconds in front. Feeling completely spent after such an effort in the water and on the bike, I had to really dig deep to maintain my position over the fast finishing Wadsworth.
After the race there was a few tense minutes, then the judges gave their final call and DQ'ed Sam, promoting me into first place and making me £200 better off for the effort.
Now I've had time to look through the results and analyse the split times, I can't help wondering how long it would have taken Sam to repair his tyre, or how much time he would have lost if he had continued to ride just on the rim, 90seconds????? I guess we will never know. . . . .
Men's Elite Podium.Tri24/7.com race report
1st - Tim McDowell (Inov8)
2nd - Graham Wadsworth (Tri4life)
3rd - Jim McConnel (Driven To Tri)
