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European Xterra Championships

Arrived late on the Tuesday before the race, my preparation had gone OK but I wasn’t feeling 100% in the zone. I practiced the bike course on Friday which seemed much more technical, rocky and sandy than the previous year. Having said that it was a fantastic course with some really steep climbs, fast descents, bike carries and obstacles to make you concentrate. I also practiced the swim course on Saturday which this year felt much more like the proper distance.

I was staying with my family (Anne and Sam) in the Gli Ontani about a mile from transition and the start. This is a popular location with other brits and the role call of pros included, Sam Gardner, Graham Wadsworth, LLewelyn Holmes,Pete Hawkins and Brit Female Elite Jackie Slack just back from an ITU win in Strathclyde. We really hit it off with Jackie and Rob (her boyfriend) and Sam wanted to race Jackie right up until we parted at the airport in Stansted…...sorry Jackie!

Race day. The swim is a mare here with all the Italians fighting out their own very competitive Italian Championships and so I decided to keep out of trouble and have a steady swim. On reflection I wish I had gone out faster as the heat and other incidents were going to compromise my day. It was 28 degrees at 7am in transition and I think it peaked at 34 by the finish, so hydration was the name of the day. It didn’t help when I lost a bottle on a fast decent near the start of the bike lap 1, but I had a reserve. Everyone was suffering in the heat and there was no shade until late in the lap. Through for the second lap and a big cheer from the support crew really pushed me on, but a heavy crash on a fast tight decent left me wounded and blood covered. As I jumped back on a French competitor passed and said ‘Mon Dieu’, I decided not to look and just carry on, but that familiar feeling of running blood down my arm and leg was a sign of the damage done. I couldn’t quite trust my front tyre after that despite having stopped to check it wasn’t punctured, so this made for a less than rapid finish to the bike leg.

Into transition two and I was moving OK, but the look on Anne and Sams faces as I came through was a picture. Sam apparently said what happens if Daddy runs out of blood? I actually felt fine on the run and put in a strong finish, but the steady swim and compromised bike ruined my day. I had come wanting to add points to my 5th place in the European standings and finish top 10 in age group but it wasn’t to be, so I move onto Xterra France on 11th July where I aim to continue my campaign.

I finished 19th in age group (two places better than last year) 204th overall in a time of 03:33:35

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Race report

Well, its done and dusted, and a huge challenge it was too. Torrential rain the night before meant the bike course was going to be completely different, but nothing was going to change the temperature of the water as we all shivered on the steps waiting to enter the 14 degree water. The rain came down but was irrelevant standing in a wetsuit. The most concerning thing was the distance of the buoys which seemed an awful long way away for a two lap course. It was described afterwards as more like half ironman distance.

I came out of the swim mid pack and managed to escape any major incidents. Out on the bike for what was to be a brutal segment of the race. The sun was out now so I concentrated on remaining hydrated and focused on the seemingly endless climbs and technical sections. It was a very difficult course to build any rhythm on as there was always an obstacle or climb just around the corner. Two laps done and it was just the 2km blast along the tarmac back to T2 left to do, I tried to get as aero as possible but there was no one to tuck in behind.

Out on the run and the sun was really hot now. The course took us up through a park, over bridges, across rivers, up steps, through woods and then around a castle to the beach where the pain really began. The last part of the run was roughly 4km of soft sand with 12ft drops into sand dunes, it was destroying my quads. I felt strong from the start of the run and managed to pick off six athletes by the end with only one passing me. Last bit of tarmac back to the finish and a time of 3:14 and 5th place in age group which I am really pleased with. It was a really strong field throughout all categories with over 35 pros turning out.

This opens my account in the points table that goes towards the Xterra European Championship title at the end of the season.

Overall I had a blast and am looking forward to Sardinia at the end of May.

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