Bike check-in day HERE
Swim HERE
BIKE
The bike is the longest part of any triathlon - in terms of both time and, of course, distance. So it’s strange that I often find it the hardest part to write about. People often ask what you think about while you’re on the bike for the majority of a working day… the reality is that the time goes pretty quickly. I tend to think of myself as something of a machine or robot at these times - balancing pace, power etc with remaining hydrated and fuelled. That’s not to say it’s unenjoyable, however.
Heading out on to the bike course at Roth was a particular rush, as you go back over the bridge that is thronged with the spectators who are watching the swim. It’s loud and easy to push too hard - I kept my eye on power while allowing myself to get a little carried away for that first kilometer or so. After that, it was down into the aero position and all about staying steady and consistent on the power numbers.
Error #2: Not an error per se, but if I raced Roth again, I’d add a bigger gear to my cassette (think I had a 12-25 on) as I ran out of gears very easily when descending, when I’d have liked to be able to keep the power on a little longer.
The bike course at Roth is, basically, 2 loops - with a little added on at the end. You can sort of split the loops into thirds: the first third is very undulating and on the whole pretty fast; the second third is windy and includes a slow section around the biggest climb in Greding; the third section is again very undulating but has lots of opportunities to pick up the speed.
At the top of the steep section, the Greding climb flattens out a little, tho it’s still a decent climb. Trying to keep my foot on the gap as I went past Felix Walchshofer (the head of the Challenge race series doing his first Iron distance event to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Challenge Roth) and flicked into my big cog, but my chain came off in the process. I swore loudly, drifted to the side of the road to make sure I was out the way of other riders, hopped off the bike, struggled with the jammed chain for 30 seconds or so, finally managed to get it back on, and then struggled to get some momentum back as I had to start riding again in a way higher gear than desired. A minute or two lost, but nothing disastrous.
There was a nice, fast descending section, some more rolling hills and then, suddenly and magically, we came zooming down the hill into Hilpolstein and, before I even saw the sign ‘Welcoming Triathletes’, I could hear the manic roar of Solar - surely the most iconic and magical hill in triathlon. At the bottom, the crowds are 5-deep and louder than South American football fans - but suddenly, after a few metres, the barriers disappear and the spectators become a tiny tunnel of support - no more than a few centimeters apart, they magically part just enough to let you get your bike through, cheering like crazy people as you pass through. It’s insane and fantastic, some patting you on the back as you ride, others posing for selfies, others offering high-fives… I did the whole thing with a giant smile on my face.
There were almost 70 drafting marshals out on the course, which was fantastic and I definitely saw quite a lot of people getting pinged for drafting. That said, I still saw plenty of little groups come by which is sad and disappointing - cheating is cheating and the German uber-cyclist types seem to specialize in it more than most - and that, no matter how hard a race tries to limit drafting, there’ll always be those dedicated to doing it.
Finally, I went up Solar for the second time (still amazing although the crowds had definitely thinned out compared with earlier) and prepared myself for the final fast section where the average speed would pick up considerably… except, that didn’t quite happen. It was quick but nowhere near as quick as the first loop, in spite of me pushing the same power numbers. Strange, I thought, putting it down to the headwind which was definitely playing a part.
Just after the junction on the road between Freystadt and Hilpolstein, I went over a few bumps that really rattled up and through my bike. “Don’t remember those from the last loop,” I thought, but I was probably just starting to feel tired and ready to get off the bike. After passing the swim start for the third time, I headed into a sharp, fast left hand turn and almost lost the rear wheel completely as it slid across the tarmac… I’d heard stories of tubular tyres almost rolling off the rim due to heat (180k in 35C would count) and guess that’s what was happening, choosing to exercise caution through the rest of the course. The final downhill into T2 was welcome, and I jumped off the bike feeling a little tired but generally good, well-hydrated and like I’d taken on sufficient nutrition.
It wasn’t until I picked my bike up from T2 after the race that I noticed the flat tyre and then realized my dumb-ass mistake. I can only assume it was a slow puncture as I definitely didn’t feel it blow, but I kicked myself for making such a stupid mistake; I had ridden at least 20k on a flat and maybe even more on a soft tyre. Had I noticed early, jumped off and given it a blast of Pit Stop, I’m pretty sure I could have shaved quite a few minutes off my bike split time, but, on the other hand, I think I have to be grateful that my mistake didn’t result in anything worse, like a coming off in a corner.
Bike time: 5:26:23
(solid bike ride and, like the swim, definitely within my parametres of success but, also like the swim, tinged with just a small amount of regret as it could have easily been a little quicker)
T2: 02:02
(again, really happy and kept it short and simple - also managing to get some suncream on in the process)