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Co-founded by two-time Ironman world champion Chris McCormack, this new series sees the traditional swim, bike and run triathlon turned on its head. In total, there will be five unique race formats, each comprising a 300m swim, 6km bike and 2km run (see link below for each format). In each event, athletes will compete for prize money, championship series points and the prestigious ‘series leader’ jersey and the individual ‘swim, bike and run leader’ jerseys.
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$1.5 million dollar Super League Triathlon unveiled
Held in Jersey the athletes, which featured GB’s Jonny Brownlee and South Africa’s Richard Murray, were to race the Triple Mix on day one and the Eliminator, on day two.
Day One: The Triple Mix
Triple Mix is a three-stage race with a 10-minute break between stages and a pursuit-style start in Stages 2 and 3.
Stage 1: Swim-Bike-Run
While Jake Birtwhistle received pole position on the pontoon at yesterday’s slot draw and led out of the 300-meter swim that kicked off Stage 1, Brownlee was right on his shoulder and got the jump out of transition onto the 5-kilometer bike leg. After five laps over the flat yet technical YESSS Power bike course going over cobblestones and through tight dead turns, the Australian contingent of Birtwhistle, Matt Hauser, and Aaron Royle took the lead. It was on the run where Brownlee, Blummenfelt, and Murray asserted the dominance that would mark the rest of the race regardless of what order swimming, biking, and running would take.
Blummenfelt finished the two-kilometre run in first, with Murray and Brownlee in close pursuit. Olympic bronze medallist Henri Schoeman came in a distant fourth as the rest of the field splintered into smaller chase groups.
Stage 2: Run-Bike-Swim
After a 10-minute break, the pursuit-based start for Stage 2 sent the top three off on the run with an 11-second lead. In the hands of these fleet-footed athletes those 10 seconds quickly ballooned to call into play the 90-second elimination rule. With a time gap of greater than 90 seconds to the leader, Ben Shaw was eliminated unceremoniously, as were Dan Halksworth, Crisanto Grajales Valencia, and Joao Pereira.
Once on their bikes, Blummenfelt, Murray, and Brownlee worked together to grow a monstrous lead with clear road behind them. Still joined at the hip by the time they jumped back into the water, Brownlee surged ahead by a few strokes leaving Murray to chase him through the finish chute. Schoeman kept fourth place with a great swim after slipping backwards in the bike pack, while reigning world champion Mario Mola crept up into sixth.
Stage 3: Bike-Swim-Run
The final stage of Triple Mix started with the bike leg. With the big three once again out in front, the stage saw a few more eliminated by the 90-second rule including pre-race swim favorite Richard Varga and world number five Fernando Alarza. Ben Dijkstra crashed out on the bike leg, leaving British hopes entirely in the capable hands of Brownlee.
Once into the swim, the three men played tactical, holding positions with Brownlee out in front, Murray sitting on his feet, and Blummenfelt just a little further back. The race would be decided on the run.
It was Blummenfelt who had a bit more gas in the tank as he and Murray dueled through the run leg; ultimately, the Norwegian sprinted ahead for the day’s win. Their race-within-a-race relegated Brownlee to third place, while Schoeman held strong in fourth.
“It feels so good. Especially Murray he’s really strong on the run so I wasn’t really sure of a way to get him but super pleased. I think the fact that we started the next stage with a gap played a huge role. We went hard in the beginning and kept going and worked well together,” said Blummenfelt, who is third in the year-end world rankings. “My plan was actually to stay a little bit more calm in the first stage but it’s too hard with this many people around cheering you on. I didn’t plan to go that hard in the beginning but seems the day played out well.”
Brownlee, a first-time racer in the Super League Triathlon formats, had a bit of adjusting to do. He said, “I took out the start in the first swim and it was full on and we had to keep going. And then I made a mistake there towards the end and it cost me the race… I’m really tired but I’ve got to do it all again tomorrow. I had the advantage of a home crowd, and it’s great to see lots of Jersey people around supporting me, so thank you.”
Defending champion Murray did not lack in taking his chances on the day. “I realised it was a four-kilometre run on the trot and I decided that was the moment to try and go for it today. Luckily I had these two men next to me to come with and it was definitely a really hard day. It was my first breakaway ever and the crowd was amazing and it’s very hard to be in a breakaway so kudos to the guys who do it every race,” he said. “Blummenfelt managed to get the better of me today but it was great from these two guys.”
Blummenfelt now sits atop the point standings and went into day two with 25 points. Murray is four points behind at 21, while Brownlee has gained 18.
Day Two: The Eliminator
The Eliminator format has three stages of swim-bike-run whittling the field down to the fastest 15 and then 10 to race for victory. The conditions were even wetter than the women’s race held an hour earlier as rain continued to pour down on Jersey. Not only would the fastest survive, but also the ones with the least mishaps.
Stage 1
Jake Birtwhistle and Brownlee were among the first few to exit the 300-metre swim and head out onto the five-kilometre bike leg composed of five laps around a one-kilometre circuit. The wet roads made what was already a highly technical course even more threatening. The optimal spot seemed to be up in front among the athletes with good bike handling skills. Those hanging off the back were more inclined to take risks to bridge back up, with crashes taking athletes like Dmitri Polyanskiy of Russia and Ben Dijkstra of Great Britain out of the running.
Blummenfelt found himself in the front bunch on the two-lap run on the one-kilometre circuit and could not resist taking the Stage 1 top finish ahead of Brownlee and ascendant Aussie Aaron Royle, who finished ahead of compatriots Jake Birtwhistle and Matt Hauser, who got the last pontoon spot into Stage 2.
Stage 2
Hauser’s 15th place finish from the previous stage became a distant memory as he pushed out to the front of the swim with Brownlee on his feet. He was determined to make the final stage unlike on Hamilton Island, when he was eliminated as the 11th finisher in the second stage.
Strong swim-bikers Ben Kanute of the USA and Australia’s Ryan Fisher pushed the bike pace to ensure they could finish the run in the top 10 even with fast runners coming up behind them. While Blummenfelt fell back to as far as 11th on the bike, this was more of an energy-conserving move as he found the front on the run again, this time with Royle in second and Brownlee in third. But finish order within the top 10 would hardly matter, as it was the Stage 3 finish that counted for the win.
Stage 3
Athletes poured out every ounce of their speed on this final stage of the Eliminator. Aggressive racing would either be rewarded with a win, or a crash out as the rain grew even more insistent. Once again, Hauser led from the swim out onto the bike with Kanute chasing. Brownlee, showing his mastery of these trademark British conditions, sat in third. Murray was on the back foot from the swim and cycled in the back of the bunch. However, with most of the men getting off the bike together, an excellent transition put Murray right back in the race — for second.
Blummenfelt had gone off the front in the final lap of the bike. Once his running shoes were on, he shot off in what looked like a controlled sprint and never let up. It was all Brownlee could do to keep him in sight, and Murray ran out of road to fight for the runner-up position.
Brownlee said, “I had a massive advantage there with British weather and British crowds so thank you to everyone for coming out even in this weather. I enjoyed today; I actually think I got fitter from yesterday, but Kristian was far better than us all the whole weekend and I was absolutely nowhere near him today. Well done, and well done to Richard as well. It’s great fun, it’s great racing and hopefully everyone’s enjoyed it.”
Murray responded, “I think Kristian was definitely ahead of both Jonny and myself today as well as yesterday but I gave it everything and the crowd was amazing. The weather didn’t play ball but the guys were safe out there most of the time and we had a great time.”
Blummenfelt said he could not help his gutsy approach to the day’s racing. “I tried to play a little bit safe in the beginning and just make it inside the top 15 and top 10 but it’s just so hard to hold back when I like racing,” he admitted. “Hopefully I get winter off training now and I’ll be fit for next year.”
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Missed the Triple Mix and Eliminator? Watch them again on Super League Triathlon’s Youtube channel youtube.com/superleaguetriathlon
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Super League Triathlon crowned its first queen Katie Zaferes from USA, with fellow American triathlete Summer Cook taking second and Nicola Spirig, from Switzerland, third
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Co-founded by two-time Ironman world champion Chris McCormack, this new series sees the traditional swim, bike and run triathlon turned on its head. In total, there will be five unique race formats, each comprising a 300m swim, 6km bike and 2km run (see link below for each format). In each event, athletes will compete for prize money, championship series points and the prestigious ‘series leader’ jersey and the individual ‘swim, bike and run leader’ jerseys.
$1.5 million dollar Super League Triathlon unveiled
Held in Jersey the athletes raced the Triple Mix on day one and the Eliminator, on day two.
Day One: Triple Mix
Triple Mix is a three-stage race with a 10-minute break between stages and a pursuit-style start in Stages 2 and 3.
Stage 1: Swim-Bike-Run
Carolina Routier, Sophie Coldwell, and Emma Jeffcoat found clear water off the pontoon start and came out of the 300-metre swim together, but most of the athletes emerged together to form a huge chase pack which swallowed the lead swimmers once on the bike leg.
Coldwell and British compatriot Jodie Stimpson worked to put pressure through the first few laps of the five-kilometre bike ride. With the field splintering between a large front group and solo athletes trying to bridge the gap, those off the back fell victim to the 90-second elimination rule. Sameera Al Bitar found herself more than 90 seconds behind the lead athlete and was forced to retire partway through the bike.
Stimpson, Coldwell, and Claire Michel of Belgium came off the bike together, but with the athletes so close together, Spirig emerged out front with Zaferes right on her shoulders. Summer Cook managed to stay in contention despite struggling with the technical bike course, while Lucy Hall and Mariya Shorets were eliminated after the bike leg.
During the two-kilometre run, Michel, Spirig, and Zaferes took turns out front, but it was Michel who took the tape ahead of Spirig and Zaferes. Cook ran herself into fourth.
Stage 2: Run-Bike-Swim
With only 10 minutes to recover before starting another two-kilometre run and only seconds separating the lead three women, it didn’t take long for Zaferes to move up front. However, Spirig, Cook, and Michel came with her surge to create a 20-second gap to chasers Stimpson, Coldwell, and Rachel Klamer.
Spirig put pressure on and gapped the leaders with her trademark bike power and great handling, but after a while Zaferes answered the surge. Apparently, Zaferes had thought one of her tires had gone flat, but once confirmed that was not the case, she confidently rode back onto Spirig’s back wheel before taking the front into transition.
Zaferes made sure to hit the water ahead of Spirig, and her stellar technique ensured she crossed the Stage 2 finish line first.
Thanks to the gap the two had created to the rest of the field, an additional seven women were eliminated, while Laura Lindemann took a nasty bike spill but was able to continue.
Stage 3: Bike-Swim-Run
The Swiss-American tandem played tag team throughout the opening bike leg, maintaining their lead while a race for third happened behind them. Coldwell teamed up with Kirsten Kasper to leave the rest of the field, but once the race entered the water the athletes bunched up again while Zaferes and Spirig stayed clear.
Out onto the run, Zaferes began stretching her legs and her lead to Spirig, who was never able to reclaim the front. The former collegiate track star made the final few hundred meters of the run look easy, celebrating into the finish chute.
“When I first got on the bike I was a little off technically with the corners, but I got more comfortable and moved up and was happy with how the race progressed as it got on,” Zaferes said. “The swim feels as horrible as all the boys told us it did, so at least I was prepared for that and didn’t panic. I felt nervous especially after having raced last weekend, but I felt good. I really hope to approach tomorrow just like I did today and hope the same result comes away from it, but Day 2 gets significantly harder. I’ll go for it for sure though.”
It has been only a few months since Spirig gave birth to her second child, but today’s race showed she is still one of the most fearsome athletes to contend with on any starting line. She said, “Thank you very much for all the support from all of you. It has been great being here. I was just, it was amazing, I had good fun and I hope I’m a bit of an inspiration for all moms.”
Meanwhile, Cook used her stellar run to take herself into third place overall, the youngest on the Triple Mix podium. She said, “I’m feeling really good about today, I wasn’t sure about what to expect coming in; I felt like it could go either way. I was really proud of myself to just go out there and compete, not be afraid to put myself close to the front and just race my hardest. I haven’t really thought about tactics going into tomorrow yet. I’m kind of just trying to stay in the moment today and focus on what I needed to do. I guess I’ll have some thinking about strategy to do tonight.”
Day Two: The Eliminator
The Eliminator format involved three stages of swim-bike-run, with the field progressively growing smaller. Only the top 15 finishers of Stage 1 would go on to Stage 2, and only the ten fastest finishers of Stage 3 could compete for the Eliminator win.
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Stage 1
GB’s Sophie Coldwell led through the 300-metre swim with Kirsten Kasper of the USA and Carolina Routier from Spain in second and third, but a logjam at the bike mount allowed Coldwell to break clear. Compatriot Jodie Stimpson found her way up onto Coldwell’s wheel, with the two athletes working together to control their race over the five-kilometre bike course where slick cobblestones and tight corners posed many dangers to success.
A wise decision it seemed, for further back in the pack small mistakes on slick patches of road cost athletes some skin and more as they crashed into each other. Two pairs of athletes crashed in the same location one lap apart, taking them out of contention for Stage 2: Desirae Ridenour of Canada and Emma Pallant of Great Britain, and Barbara Riveros of Chile and Emma Jeffcoat of Australia.
Meanwhile, the leading Brits proved well capable of handling the wet, riding into transition with a clear lead for the run. Day one’s leading athletes Zaferes and Spirig seemed content to let Coldwell and Stimpson surge ahead; after all, one only needed to rank 15th and higher to move on to the next round.
Coldwell and Stimpson high-fived each other and crossed the finish line together after the two-kilometer run, while Spirig was unable to resist her competitive nature and surged to third place.
A race-within-a-race unfolded for 15th place, with Claire Michel of Belgium clinching the final spot into Stage 2 ahead of Russia’s Anastasia Abrosimova.
Stage 2
The big names were still among the 15 to toe the Stage 2 start line. Coldwell and Stimpson emerged from the water in front, with a few athletes in the back caught in some accidental fisticuffs on the swim.
Zaferes, Spirig, and Kasper stuck close to the two Brits to hit the run in the lead group. Coldwell faded, allowing Spirig, Zaferes, and Kasper to finish second, third, and fourth to Stimpson.
It became a heated race for the last five spots on the Stage 3 pontoon. After a while on her own, Cook finally bridged up to the leaders. Rachel Klamer, Charlotte McShane, Emmie Charayron, and Melanie Santos beat Non Stanford for the chance to race once more.
Stage 3
While the athletes had been largely tactical through the first two stages keeping their chips close, Stage 3 of the Eliminator was where they would spend them. It was time to see who could go fastest over the now-familiar course.
The pace was up as athletes stretched out single-file over the swim. Coldwell once again was first out of the water, followed by two Americans Kasper and Cook. The three pushed to make a break on the bike, but a hard-charging Spirig pulled Stimpson and Zaferes right back up onto them.
It seemed a battle between Spirig of Switzerland and Zaferes of the USA as they got onto the run, but it was here where the American’s fleet feet took her to the front, never to look back.
Meanwhile, Cook’s track-and-field background came good as she put on a surge of her own to pip Spirig for second. While Kasper attempted to make it an all-American podium sweep, Spirig held strong to clinch third.
“On the run I knew when I made the pass I had to gap them or else it was game over. So I really just went for it and I tried not to look back. I was running pretty scared at the end but it worked out,” said Cook post-race. “I was really nervous yesterday morning and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was a little bit scared but I ended up thinking last night that yesterday’s format was one of the most fun races I’ve ever done. Today was pretty fun too but I’m still in a little bit too much pain to appreciate it yet.”
While Spirig slipped to third overall after coming in second yesterday, finishing at the pointy end in a top-caliber field was a testament to her strength and quality as an athlete. She said, “It’s good fun, I think it was tough for everyone today with the weather and with the format but well done to the girls and I think I did my best. I’m very happy.”
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Zaferes takes home the top prize of $18,000 and the first women’s trophy for Super League Triathlon after a consistent season on the world triathlon circuit. “It’s just so cool, it’s a different style of racing. It’s a fun style but it is so painful and you cannot hide anywhere,” she said. “I would love to do more of these.”
This article was first published by our sister website BikeRadar.com
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Ahead of the Ironman world championships in Hawaii, Zipp has rolled out its latest incarnation of the humpback-whale-inspired aero wheels with the 858 NSW. The deep aero hoops fluctuate in rim depth from 77 to 88mm, and will come in clincher and disc-brake models in November for a whale of a price at $4,400 / £3,730.
Zipp has dropped eight new wheelsets and one of them isn’t 700c
Zipp changes the nature of aero with the 454 NSW wheel
Why are deep-section aero wheels faster?
Disc brakes: the pros and cons
In early 2016, the SRAM-owned company introduced a magnet-based (instead of spring-based) freehub with the Zipp 404 NSW wheels.
Then, at the end of 2016, Zipp debuted the humpback-whale-inspired shape with the Zipp 454 NSW.
The new Zipp 858 NSW has both the magnetic Cognition hub and the undulating, textured rim, but in a super-deep format targeted especially at triathletes.
With braking handled at the rotor, Zipp engineers have a broader aero canvas with which to work
Humpback-whale rims?
Aside from looking and sounding cool, the point of aero wheels is to reduce the drag caused by the bike and rider moving through the air. Deeper rims generally accomplish this compared to a box-section rim by smoothing airflow.
Taking a trick from golf balls, years ago Zipp added a dimpled texture on its rims to create a thin turbulent boundary layer that allowed the bulk of the air to flow past more smoothly. (Relatedly, Castelli had dimples on forward-facing portions of Team Sky skinsuits at this year’s Tour de France.)
So what do water-bound whales have to do with aerodynamics? Well, hydrodynamics and aerodynamics are both fluid dynamics, so many principles can apply across both. For example, you can feel drastic changes to drag by sticking your hand out the window of a car on the highway and changing its shape, and you can do the same thing with your hand in water when in a boat.
The 858 NSW rim-brake wheels feature Zipp’s notched Showstopper brake track
In any event, Zipp engineers looked at how smoothly a humpback whale moved through the water, and decided to test some whale-inspired shapes on its rims in CFD.
Zipp concluded that this undulating shape allowed for higher-frequency wind vortex shedding. Instead of side pressure building up and then releasing in pulses (think wheel shudder in crosswinds), the NSW shape lets pressure quickly release more often, resulting in a more stable experience in addition to a faster one, Zipp claims.
ZIPP 858 NSW weights, details, prices and availability
858 NSW Carbon Clincher Disc Brake wheels
1,834g (850g front / 984g rear) claimed weight
77mm / 82mm rim depth
23.7mm max width
17mm internal width
24 front / 24 rear spokes
Centerlock rotor interface, but lock ring not included
Thru-axle and XDR compatible
Front wheel: $2,000 / €2,000 / £1,695
Rear wheel: $2,400 / €2,400 / £2,035
Available November 2017
The 858 NSW Disc wheels are centrelock
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858 NSW Carbon Clincher Rim Brake wheels
1,750g (
808g front /
942g rear) claimed
77mm / 82mm rim depth
24.4mm max width (front)
23.7mm max width (rear)
17mm internal width
18 front / 24 rear spokes
Showstopper brake track
XDR compatible
Front wheel: $2,000 / €2,000 / £1,695
Rear wheel: $2,400 / €2,400 / £2,035
Available November 2017
Favourite for a top-10 finish, GB’s Tim Don has been forced to retire from this year’s World Ironman Championships just three days before race day.
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Filmed from his hospital bed in Kona, the world’s fastest Ironman (7:40:23 at this year’s Ironman Florianopolis, Brazil) informed his fans via social media that he had a fracture of his C2 vertebrae at the top of his spine, after being hit by a car in training.
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Important update from Tim
One of the triathlon’s greatest athletes and captain of the USA Team for the Collins Cup, Karen Smyers, tell us which USA athletes she thinks will be making the podium at Kona
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The Collins Cup: a new Ryder Cup-style team competition for long distance tri
Is the Collins Cup the future of triathlon?
My top USA female pIck is Heather Jackson:
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Heather had a breakthrough race in Kona last year to get on the podium, improving on her 5th place in 2015. She has shown that she has cracked the code for performing well on the lava fields and has geared her season around peaking there again this year by not over-racing in the months leading up to it. If she can limit her loss on the swim (her one weakness), she can utilise her bike strength (which is arguably second to only Ryf) to create some separation on the fastest runners rather than just closing the gap, which will set herself up for another podium finish. History has shown that those that have finished in the top three in the past in Hawaii have the greatest chance of getting on the podium in the future, so Heather is definitely a good bet.
My top USA male pick is Tim O’Donnell:
Tim, like Heather, has statistics on his side in that he has been on the podium before (3rd in 2015), which gives him a strong probability for getting on the podium again. He does not have a weakness as he is a front pack swimmer, a strong cyclist, and has the marathon legs to back it up (2:51 in Kona in 2013). But there are three other factors that make him one of my favourites:
He is tenacious and a fighter; when he went through a bad patch last year in Kona, he lost a few places on the run but then pulled himself back together to finish 6th
He is coached by one of the greats in the sport, Mark Allen, who has given him the tools to master the physical AND mental demands of Hawaii.
And finally I believe that a happy balance in life reduces stress and frees up the body and mind to race at one’s best–having a healthy daughter added to the family in August will have him in excellent spirits.
If he can put all three of his best legs from the past into one race in 2017, he will be at or near the front of the race all the way to the finish.
My dark horse is Jodie Robertson.
Jodie is practically a rookie in the sport (3rd year in the sport, 2nd year as a pro) and has already a big Ironman win to her credit with her victory at Ironman Texas in April of this year. She comes from an elite marathoning background (2:34 PR) which gives her an edge on every other competitor in the field including Daniela Ryf. She had a respectable 20th place in her debut in Kona in 2016, and her win in Texas shows she knows how to handle heat. Another year of accumulated cycling and swimming training coupled with her huge talent on the run, should propel her to a huge leap up into the top 10 contenders in Kona.
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220 named Karen Smyers the 9th greatest female triathlete ever
#IMKona @PatrickLange1 pic.twitter.com/UCRSuA0Pp4
— IronmanLIVE.com (@IRONMANLive) October 15, 2017
Germany’s Patrick Lange has won the 2017 Ironman World Championship after a 8:01:40 overall split that smashed the Kona course record. The victory came after the reigning champion Jan Frodeno pulled up on the run due to injury and doggedly hobbled to the line in 9:15:44.
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After Tim Don’s pre-race pull-out following a car crash, Brit hopes were pinned on Scot David McNamee and he finished in a stunning third to break Spencer Smith’s 20-year Brit men’s Kona record of fifth.
GERMAN THREAT
Gary Lineker once said that, “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and, at the end, the Germans always win.” Much the same could be said for the men’s race Ironman World Championship race in Hawaii in recent times, with 55 pro men swim, biking and running for eight hours before the Germans win, with Sebastian Kienle (2014) and Jan Frodeno (2015 and 2016) taking the past three titles in emphatic style.
After his two consecutive wins, Jan Frodeno’s big target for the 2017 Ironman World Championships was Craig Alexander’s course record of 8:03:56 set in 2011 and, beyond that, a crack at becoming the first Ironman in history to go sub-8hrs in Hawaii.
Frodeno’s biggest rival was Kienle once again, with the bike powerhouse – and no slouch on the run – aiming to make up the expected arrears on the 3.8km swim to create enough daylight between himself and Frodeno onto the marathon run. Their compatriot Patrick Lange, third in 2016, would also be a contender after a record-breaking 2:39:45 marathon 12 months before.
For the Brits, David McNamee was the big hope to break Spencer Smith’s 20-year record of fifth, with the hugely sad news of Tim Don being hit by a bike in the build-up overshadowing the GB pre-race news.
INTO KAILUA BAY
The 3.8km swim in Kailua Bay was led out by the American Josh Amberger in 47:09. Frodeno was over a minute back in 48:27, with Brits Harry Wiltshire (48:32) and David McNamee (48:40) in the front group. Kienle was over 5mins behind.
At the 2:30hr mark of the race, Amberger had a 30sec gap to Frodeno, America’s Ben Hoffman, Nils Frommhold of Germany and Bermuda’s Tyler Butterfield. Yet the big movement was coming from behind, with Canada’s Lionel Sanders, Aussie Cameron Wurf and Kienle passing the main chase group and closing in on Frodeno at the front.
By 70km of the bike, Sanders had the overall lead and was delivering an average power output of 303 watts and average pace of 29mph, with Kienle and Wurf nestling behind. Normann Stadler’s bike course record of 4:18hr looked under threat.
With the wind picking up and temperatures rising over 80C by 10am Hawaii time, rumours were circulating – via the 1994 Ironman World Champion, Greg Welch – that Frodeno had an injury and had been having treatment in the week beforehand.
The battle on the famous Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway would continue throughout the bike, with Frodeno dropping 2:10mins back from the white hot trio of Kienle, Wurf and Sanders at the 100 mile (160km) point.
The close of the 180km bike saw Cameron Wurf enter T2 after 4:12:54, with Stadler’s record absolutely crushed. Sanders was 54secs back, Kienle 1:34, and Frodeno 2:16 in arrears. Lange and McNamee were close to 10mins behind. The run was on!
NEW BIKE COURSE RECORD: @CameronWurf established a bike course record in 4:12:54 – more than 5 minutes faster than Normann Stadler in 2006. pic.twitter.com/5mhGCA6YIU
— IRONMAN Triathlon (@IRONMANtri) October 14, 2017
On his third Kona attempt, Sanders took the lead early in the run but looked to be moving gingerly, as was Frodeno, who had been moved to walking pace after 5km on the run.
Hard to see our defending champ walking at mile 3. pic.twitter.com/x0pxNvQNbl
— IronmanLIVE.com (@IRONMANLive) October 14, 2017
America’s Ben Hoffman was moving to the front as the main contender for U.S. glory since 2002, but it was Lange who has surging through the field. His made his move over the Canadian late in the day at the 23 mile (37km) point to break the iconic Ali’i Drive tape in 8:01:40. Sanders held on for second 2:27mins back and McNamee took third from Kienle at the death with a 2:45:30 marathon to make Brit men’s history.
Colorful, cheerful Ali’i Drive. There’s nothing like it! pic.twitter.com/Neub7oGWTK
— IronmanLIVE.com (@IRONMANLive) October 15, 2017
“I always always since I was a child, dreamed of this. I really had to fight–I had to fight so hard. Crowie [Carig Alexander] believed in me when we raced Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay, and he said ‘you’re going to win it’ and I said ‘No, I don’t think so.’ Honestly, I can’t believe it,” said Lange at the finish.
Pro Men – Finish
1 8:01:40 Patrick Lange
2 8:04:07 Lionel Sanders
3 8:07:11 David McNamee
4 8:09:59 Sebastian Kienle
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5 8:11:24 James Cunnama
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2nd in the world!
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For more amazing images by Wagner Araújo check out his website waguinhoa.com.br
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Hi everyone, here’s @wags.photo and I’m taking over 220 Triathlon account during the Kona race week! In this shot I went inside a Lava Tube, a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Tubes means the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long cave. Unique shot from the Big Island of Hawaii. Stay tuned this week for more shots from Hawaii! #triathlon #ironman #ironmanworldchampionships #kona #hawaii #photography #behindthescenes #220gram
Thursday morning can only mean one thing in Kona: Underpants Run! Here’s @wags.photo and I’m taking over @220Triathlon account this week to bring you the taste of Hawaii. Stay tuned for more shots! #underpantsrun #kona2017 #triathlon #ironman #ironmanworldchampionships #kona #hawaii #photography #behindthescenes #220gram
Time for the final checks for bike check-in this Friday in Kona, and another excuse to ride again in the Lava Fields 😉 All the 2.400 athletes will be checking their bikes and gear throughout the day. I’m @wags.photo and I’m taking over @220triathlon this week in Hawaii. Less than 36 hours to race start! #triathlon #ironman #ironmanworldchampionships #kona #hawaii #photography #behindthescenes #220gram
Oh the Hawaiian sunset! It’s always a magical experience. I’m @wags.photo and I’m taking over the 220 Triathlon account this week with exclusive images from Hawaii. Less than 24hrs to race start! #kona2017 #imwc #imhawaii #hawaii
The calm before the storm! All 2,400+ bikes rest at the Ironman World Championship transition area in Kona. I’m @wags.photo and I’m taking over the 220 Triathlon account for this week in Hawaii. This is one of my fave pre-race shots this year and my very last before race day. Stay tuned for more images and stories from the Big Island. #triathlon #ironman #ironmanworldchampionships #kona #hawaii #photography #behindthescenes #220gram
They’re off! Photo: @wags.photo #kona2017 #ironmanworldchampionships #kona #hawaii #photography #behindthescenes #220gram
What a day here for this man! New record in Hawaii for Patrick Lange 8:01:39!!!
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With the evenings getting darker and the lakes getting chiller, this is the time most of us start thinking about heading out to train somewhere a little warmer.
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With this in mind, we snapped up the opportunity earlier in the year to check out the newly-built 50m competition pool and fitness facilities at the Occidental Lanzarote Mar hotel.
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Situated just outside the holiday resort Costa Teguise, on the east coast, the hotel has long been a favourite for Brits looking for all-inclusive holidays in the sun. But with the growth of fitness tourism in recent years, the hotel are investing in new facilities designed to appeal to triathletes and tri clubs.
Island life
So why Lanza? Well, as the island is only 77km long, it’s perfect for triathletes to explore by bike. Roads are smooth and pothole-free (and largely traffic-free, as well!), while the Lanzarote climate is good for training all year round. January is the coldest month at 17 degrees C, while the sea temperature only drops to around 18 degrees C, making it perfect for open water training. It’s also popular with both pro and age-group triathletes because of the volcanic landscape, which gives a great pre-Kona training ground.
What does the Occidental Lanzarote Mar have to offer triathletes? Well, first up there’s that new heated Olympic pool, which offers 10 lanes overlooking the sea (above). For guests it costs from €2.50 to hire a shared lane (depending on time of day), or from €17 for a whole lane booking (maximum of 8 swimmers), making it perfect for clubs looking to hold training sessions.
When we visited, Alberto Lorrio, the resort’s Sports Manager, showed us round the purpose-built space next to the pool that is now home to Technogym aerobic and strength-training machines, as well as an indoor cycling room and a complete Cross training box. There’s also a cycling centre with bike hire, storage and mechanic services.
Sleep at altitude
If you’re looking for something a bit special during your stay, the Occidental has some impressive athlete-focused bedrooms as well. When we visited there was one altitude room available (from €144pp/pn) which includes a unit that can be set so that you choose the altitude you sleep at and they plan to open two more. There are also six Sports Suites (from €168pp/pn and there will soon be nine) which include bike storage and your own hot tub for post-training relaxation. All sports rooms even include a special Ironman-branded mattress!
Thanks to the size of the resort, there is plenty available for bigger clubs or athletes on a budget as well, with rooms available to sleep up to six athletes (ideal for youth training camps). Prices vary depending the time of the year, for example a week for training in a double room, half board from the 10 to the 17th of December costs around €345 per person per week.
Healthy options
The size of the resort also means that they can accommodate the needs of athletes as well as holidaymakers. Ok, so you’ll probably want to dodge the all-you-can-eat burgers (and beers) at the poolside bar and the old-school evening entertainment aimed at the older package holiday market, but head to the main restaurant for lunch or dinner and there’s a wide selection of healthy options available and special diets can be catered for. There’s also a private dining room that can be booked by clubs if you want to avoid the holidaymakers, plus the hotel offer an athlete package that takes into consideration that fact that most athletes won’t be wanting any alcohol. The spa also offers sports massage.
With a chilly few months of training ahead of us now in the UK, we’ll certainly be heading back to Lanzarote to check out how the resort is developing as a fitness destination. If only for the chance to dive into that amazing pool again!
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EXCLUSIVE 220 TRIATHLON OFFER. Save 10% by using the code ‘BATHLETE’ when booking directly through the website www.barcelo.com This code is not valid for group reservations. Training camps should contact the Sports Department directly.
Entries are now open for The open water endurance swimming race Red Bull Neptune Steps at Maryhill Locks in Glasgow.
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This adventurous race combines a 420 metre sprint swim in icy-cold water with eight canal gates to clamber over (a total climb of 18 metres). Each canal gate features a different obstacle to climb up – including cargo net, ropes, wood ladder, rope ladders and a climbing wall.
In March this year, Glasgow played host to more than 300 brave competitors, traveling from as far afield as Canada, Switzerland and Lebanon to swim, climb and conquer Red Bull Neptune Steps. Now the 2018 event is aiming to double participation, as the world’s only uphill swimming race continues to grow taking to the canal waters for this it’s fourth edition.
The competitors will compete in heats throughout the day. The highest placed swimmers from each round will then move onto the semi-finals and eventually the final.
The event launched in 2015 as the first ever fully supervised swimming event to take place in a Scottish canal.
Local swimmer Mark Deans has fought off some serious competition in recent years including Olympic swimmers and triathletes, accomplished Commonwealth Games competitors, and experienced adventure racers to string together 5 successive Red Bull Neptune Steps victories with wins in Glasgow and in Sweden. The Scottish champion swimmer recently smashed the world record for swimming 28.5 miles around Manhattan in what is considered to be one of the greatest challenges in endurance swimming, setting a new time of 6 and a half hours as part of the 20 Bridges marathon swimming event on July 23. Now, the 22 year old is relishing the prospect of defending his Red Bull Neptune Steps title following a nail-biting finale earlier this year. Looking ahead to the event Mark said:
“I’m aiming to continue my unbeaten record, and keep on winning this event for as long as I possibly can. Each year, the competition gets tougher and tougher, but I’m up for the challenge of defending my title for sure. In this sport, there’s no other event quite like it”
Red Bull Neptune Steps will take place on Saturday March 10 at Maryhill Locks in Glasgow. Entries open Tuesday 24 Oct, 10am at redbull.co.uk/neptunesteps
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For more information on watching the event or taking part please visit www.redbull.co.uk/neptunesteps
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