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Post by andrewearlwood on Feb 15, 2023 8:56:18 GMT 8
Cam is listed on the start line at IM South Africa. It’s a pretty stacked field (Brownlee is racing, as are top 10 Kona finishers Mignon and chavelier). I doubt Cam will qualify as he simply hasnt done the work on the run this off season: perhaps because 2022 really burnt him and he wants to have the energy to peak for Triathlons later in the year, rather than being toasted already when he starts his big block of training like he was by August. However, he has only noodled through run weeks ranging from about 20 to 60km a week since November, with only one 90 km week thrown into the mix at the beginning of this month. Of course, he may not even turn up - he has a history of entering races on the off chance he might race, but then pulling out if he isnt ready. However, his Insta feed has the question ‘would you like to see this legend race [IM SA] again?’, so he’s obviusly thinking about it. On the other hand, last I heard he was meant to be racing in the Tour of the UAE next week. So there is that as well.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 1, 2023 9:48:06 GMT 8
Thttps://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cameron-wurf-to-mix-ironman-training-with-ineos-teamwork-through-2023/
While he hasn't done the early season work on the run to be competitive for the win - or even seriously challenge for a WC qualifying slot - this weekend, this actually may be a good thing in the long run: I got the impression that by the time Cam got around to doing his specific IM Kona prep at the beginning of August last year he was already pretty toasted. His strava for that month’s training based in Andorra backs that up, as does his very last blog post at the beginning of September.
Depending on his team commitments he may well be in better shape for a qualifying performance in late May (Lanzarote) or June (Nice). Lanzarote was actually his target KQ race last year, but that got changed at the last moment when he decided to do St George (which also freed him up to do that 1 week corporate trekking thing in Namibia with Ineos in May and also help debut Pinarello’s top end gravel bike at Unbound Kansas in early June).
I suspect that after IM South Africa the team will through him back into the roster for a couple of mid spring stage races - and maybe even Roubaix in April) before letting him concentrate on a specific build into those two target ironman races (perhaps having him along to a TDF training camp as well in May through, as he used to do even when not on the team roster back in 2017-19: probably to pace Gerraint through his big training block).
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 3, 2023 6:39:29 GMT 8
So Wurf had Covid in Kona and long Covid for a couple of months afterwards. Explains a fair bit. He finishes his blog with an outline of his racing plans for the year: basically one stage race and one ironman per month. cameronwurf.blogspot.com/
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Post by prince on Mar 3, 2023 7:09:06 GMT 8
so he shouldn't have any excuses at Ironman Sth Africa to blitz it.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 3, 2023 7:56:11 GMT 8
so he shouldn't have any excuses at Ironman Sth Africa to blitz it. He hasn’t done the run or swimming training. Past performances are good indicators of future success, and Wurf’s past indicates he need 1-2 months of back to back 100km+ run weeks and 16km+ swim weeks to put in a world class ironman performance. His starva has him only averaging 46km a week running and 10km a week swimming this year. So, I think he’ll have a Solid race in South Africa, but with Brownlee, two top 10 Kona Frenchmen, and two very handy South African ironman all gunning for a world championship qualifying slot, Cam is only really looking at minor place, if we are being honest. However, I expect him to be in very solid ironman shape at the end of may for Lanzarote June for IM Nice. I think, given his schedule, they are actually his focus. IMSA is just an early season ‘tester’ for Cam that fits in with his INEOS schedule (was going to South Africa anyway for the product launch of the new Grenadier 4WD). He is likely to be available for the tours of Catalonia and Basque Country at the end of this month and mid April, but Giro aside, there actually isn’t many races on the pro tour calendar thereafter until June - so a 6 week build into Lanzarote looks very much on the cards. He’ll probably only do one stage race in June, so he should still be in good shape for Nice. If he isn’t on the Tour de France roster then July also looks pretty clear for a build into IM Switzerland. I think being underdone NOW is probably part of a bigger plan to be in good form later on this year.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 3, 2023 10:21:05 GMT 8
so he shouldn't have any excuses at Ironman Sth Africa to blitz it. thinking about this comment further, and looking at his Strava since the beginning of the year, I think he is aiming to go enough in the swim to get out with the pack that is behind the Brownlee group, put in a bike split akin to what he did in Copenhagen and Vittoria, and then click off a marathon at 4min/km pace. He is a very efficient 4min/km runner, and all of his running this year seems to be geared towards that: including his 22km run back to Torquay after the Cadel Evans classic at the end of January, his annual practice marathon in LA the following Friday (2.55hrs, but with the last 3km jogging at 6min/km with his doggie) and his 10 mile treadmill session after the last Tour of the UAE last Sunday. So I think a 2.50 marathon split is an achievable goal. That might be good for two things: 1. A WC qualifying spot for Nice, and 2. Improving his PTO ranking points from 75 (currently 45th ranking position) to around 80 (which would put him on the cusp of a top 30 ranking and hence an automatic invite to the PTO race in Ibiza).
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 3, 2023 18:38:05 GMT 8
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Post by Peter on Mar 6, 2023 8:24:01 GMT 8
Meanwhile at South Africa 1. Leon Chevalier (FRA) – 7:11:44
2. Bradley Weiss (RSA) – 7:16:03
3. Mathias Petersen (DEN) – 7:20:55
4. Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE) – 7:23:15
5. Cameron Wurf (AUS) – 7:27:55
France’s Leon Chevalier notched the biggest win of his career so far as he closed out a clear-cut win at IRONMAN South Africa, which was also the African Championship.
The 26-year-old took over the lead early on the run from Cam Wurf (AUS) – who had set the pace on the bike – and never looked back, crossing the line over four minutes minutes ahead of Bradley Weiss (RSA), who was runner-up for the second year in a row.
Mathias Petersen (DEN) rounded out the podium in third, with Wurf just being overhauled by Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE) for the all-important fourth and final qualifying spot for the IRONMAN World Championship.
The build up to the event had seen pre-race favourite Alistair Brownlee rule himself out 48 hours before as a precaution due to a “slightly sore hip”.
Swim – Conditions curtail first discipline
Due to incoming storm reports of thunder and wind, both the PRO and age group swim was delayed by 30 minutes and shortened to 900m.
It was no surprise therefore that the gaps were small, with 2022 third-place finisher Matt Trautman (RSA) out of the water first alongside Weiss.
Chevalier was at +38s heading out of T1, while Wurf was at +30s before beginning his customary charge on the bike.
Bike – Wurf puts pours on the power
Wurf’s build-up to the race had seen him riding with distinction again for his INEOS Grenadiers team at the UAE Tour and it didn’t take him long to surge into the lead on the bike, albeit in very different conditions which were overcast but humid.
Cam Wurf bike IRONMAN South Africa 2023 photo credit IRONMAN South Africa
Cam Wurf showed the way on the bike [Photo credit: IRONMAN South Africa]
After 60km he’d put over a minute into what was now a three-man chase pack – Chevalier, Weiss and Trautman.
But things changed in the second half as Trautman dropped out of the equation, Weiss fell over four minutes behind – but Chevalier closed the gap to just 40 seconds by T2.
Run – Chevalier takes command
And within the first 3km of the run it was Chevalier who was in front and the man who has wins at Embrunman and the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon on his CV was never to be headed from that point onwards.
Leon Chevalier run leg 2023 photo credit IRONMAN South Africa
Chevalier was in splendid isolation on the run [Photo credit: IRONMAN South Africa]
His lead wasn’t far off five minutes at halfway, with Weiss now closing down Wurf by this stage.
And as the marathon wore on many eyes were on Wurf to see firstly whether he could hang onto third place – and then fourth once he’d been collared by Petersen.
But agonisingly he was run out of even that in the closing stages, with Svenningsson sealing the final Nice spot.
Pro cyclist Wurf’s marathon time was 3:03:41, in contrast to the 2:47 of the front two, Petersen’s 2:45 and Svenningsson’s 2:52.
Afterwards winner Chevalier said: “The day started off with uncertainty, with lightning and thunderstorms, and it was a tough call to make for the organization but to shorten the swim was the right call. And probably what was best for everyone’s safety.”
He continued: “I was near the front of the race coming out the water and then I worked hard on the bike. I was on the bike with the two local boys, Matt Trautman and Bradley Weiss, and we worked hard on the bike. Unfortunately, Trautman had a puncture, and I was able to distance Bradley, which is good because I know he is such a strong runner.
“Then I set off on the run, Cameron was up front, but I managed to reel him in quickly. I had two good laps on the run and two tough ones, and it got really warm on course too. There was an amazing crowd and great support throughout the course, it was unbelievable. I am really happy with that win.”
ISUZU IRONMAN Africa Championship 2023 Results
IRONMAN South Africa, Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth
Sunday March 5, 2023 – 3.8km / 180.2km / 42.2km
PRO Men
1. Leon Chevalier (FRA) – 7:11:44
2. Bradley Weiss (RSA) – 7:16:03
3. Mathias Petersen (DEN) – 7:20:55
4. Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE) – 7:23:15
5. Cameron Wurf (AUS) – 7:27:55
6. Jon Breivold (NOR) – 7:30:39
7. Arnaud Guilloux (FRA) – 7:35:09
8. Andrea Salvisberg (SUI) – 7:39:06
9. Michael Weiss (AUT) – 7:42:58
10. Matt Trautman (RSA) – 7:49:40
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 6, 2023 8:28:00 GMT 8
Wurf stuck like glue to 4min/km pace until half way into the marathon. Then the wheels fell off big time. That’s what happens I guess when you only run past 50km in a week once in the three months leading into an ironman.
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Post by prince on Mar 6, 2023 10:10:17 GMT 8
no one was going to beat Chevalier and doubt even brownlee would have come close. He is going to have a decent season.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 6, 2023 11:13:56 GMT 8
no one was going to beat Chevalier and doubt even brownlee would have come close. He is going to have a decent season. A 2:47 marathon is actually pretty ordinary these days. I’d have expected Brownlee to have stayed in touch either either Wurf or chevalier on the bike and have laid down something like a 2:42 marathon (ie. what Hoffmann has run on that course). That said, Leon is a very handy ironman. He is always capable of staying in contact with the Uber bikers coming out of the water behind the lead bunch, regardless of whether they bridge. He can run a 2;47 just about every time. So he either wins - or in major championships - finishes very high up. But the guys who can do what he does - or better - in the swim/bike sections and then run a 2:40 marathon - or better that he needs to focus on. Not the likes of Wurf, skipper, Lionel. In short he needs to find a few minutes in the swim, and take his marathon down by 7 or more minutes. Leon has already had ‘a decent season’, last year but yesterday just looks like a repeat & not a step up to the next level. However, it’s only an early season race, so it will be interesting to see whether he progresses or just plateaus for the remainder of the year.
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Post by Peter on Mar 6, 2023 11:23:26 GMT 8
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Post by prince on Mar 6, 2023 12:19:26 GMT 8
no one was going to beat Chevalier and doubt even brownlee would have come close. He is going to have a decent season. A 2:47 marathon is actually pretty ordinary these days. I’d have expected Brownlee to have stayed in touch either either Wurf or chevalier on the bike and have laid down something like a 2:42 marathon (ie. what Hoffmann has run on that course). That said, Leon is a very handy ironman. He is always capable of staying in contact with the Uber bikers coming out of the water behind the lead bunch, regardless of whether they bridge. He can run a 2;47 just about every time. So he either wins - or in major championships - finishes very high up. But the guys who can do what he does - or better - in the swim/bike sections and then run a 2:40 marathon - or better that he needs to focus on. Not the likes of Wurf, skipper, Lionel. In short he needs to find a few minutes in the swim, and take his marathon down by 7 or more minutes. Leon has already had ‘a decent season’, last year but yesterday just looks like a repeat & not a step up to the next level. However, it’s only an early season race, so it will be interesting to see whether he progresses or just plateaus for the remainder of the year. yes, but it was his bike that told the story. He shut down Wurfs lead by the end of the bike. If the full swim went ahead, I doubt Wurf would have been first into t2. As for Brownlee, well, you need to start a race to be even talked about.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 6, 2023 18:30:44 GMT 8
Yeah, nah. That’s exactly how Leon rides all his key ironman races - he keys off Cam on the bike. In Kona he got a one minute penalty for littering and rode back up to cam. He marked him in both Majorca and St George. He rarely goes past wurf though. On the other hand Cam was doing what he had to, probably not extending himself knowing that the second half of the marathon was going to be brutal for him. Leon is only 26, so plenty of time to ‘take that next step’, but there is no evidence that he did that yesterday, which was a very much ‘same same’ performance when compared with those three other IM races I mentioned.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 7, 2023 14:00:52 GMT 8
Look. He did fantastic for an amateur, but his approach to this race - even if it was only an early season hit out - was completely amateurish. Bradley Weiss - who finished second with a 2.47 marathon - also posts his workouts on strava. In the lead up to this race he average 75km - or 5 hours running per week. Wurf only averaged 3 hours, or 46km of running a week. I suggest THAT is why he died in the arse after 18km in the run (or just after 75 minutes of running at his target 4 min/km pace). Sure he averaged 18 hours a week on the bike - compared to Weiss’s 11hours BUT IMO the difference between blowing up like he did and running a smooth 4min/km for most - if not all - the ironman is those missing two hours a week in run training over the previous two months. If you look through his strava there were weeks where for no apparent reason he was only running 25km or less (these were not the weeks he spent travelling either). If you look closely at his training, travel and cycle racing diary he had plenty of opportunity to put in some back to back blocks of ‘only’ 75km/5 hours per week of running and still do what was required to perform as an INEOS domestique. Missing out on an early qualifying slot is a missed opportunity, because if he has secured one of those it would have opened up other opportunities for himself (say doing a couple of PTO races) and the team (telling him to prepare for the Giro instead of Lanzarote for example). Rather than yo-yoing between very low volume and 100km run/20km swim weeks when preparing for a specific ironman, he’d be better off - and more professional - in having a ‘standard’ 75 km (5 hours) run / 14km (4 hours) swimming in every week that isn’t a travel week, bike race week or key ironman training week. IF he’d done that since Xmas he probably would have run at around 4 - 4.05 pace for 2.5 hours or more before hitting the crawl home shuffle button. He’d have podiumed and hence jagged a qualifying slot.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 10, 2023 7:22:07 GMT 8
Wurf’s race report from his blog: cameronwurf.blogspot.com/Coming back after Covid, he can be excused for prioritising his cycling training in Jan and February. Looking good for Lanzarote in 8 weeks though.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Apr 8, 2023 7:50:10 GMT 8
So Cam has been announced as the 7th INEOS rider fo Paris-Roubaix this Sunday. Which is odd, because after doing 1 day training in Belgium on Monday, he’s been back in Andorra training his arse off Swim-Bike-Running the rest of the week (including climbing up past 2500M on a couple of brutal cols overnight). That on top of a big swim-run week last week.
I wonder whether he will be as prominent in the first 200km like he was last year. Also, who is INEOS’s designated leader, now that Van Baarle has left? Ganna? Sheffield?
Speaking of Wurf, I notice on Strava that he has been doing double speed run workouts twice a week since his last race block. His stated key early season ironman Is Lanzarote, but I wonder either, after the Roubaix, he’s also planning a hit out in Ibiza in four weeks time - either the PTO race (he should qualify on roll downs, given the number of top 30 athletes who aernt racing) or the ITU long course race (which would suit him as a final hit out over a relevant distance 3 weeks before Lanzarote). Perhaps he’s do something typically demented and race both the PTO race and ITU long course the next day. I note he isnt on the starting list for either race, but that hasn't stopped him from a late entry in the past.
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Post by prince on Apr 8, 2023 13:01:56 GMT 8
isn't he on the start list for IM Texas? or does he just enter every race and do a no show?
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Post by andrewearlwood on Apr 10, 2023 7:41:06 GMT 8
isn't he on the start list for IM Texas? or does he just enter every race and do a no show? Pretty much. He likes to keep his options open as he juggles his pro cycling and ironman training commitments. He has to be flexible as he could get called up onto the racing roster on a moments notice. Last year he was meant to do ironman France - either as a training day - or a genuine Kona qualifier but had to pull out two days before because the team told him he was the reserve for their TDF roster as a cover for any covid related maladies in the days prior to the start in Copenhagen. As a consequence he ended up doing pretty much a full weeks ironman training in Denmark and when the team told him that they then needed him for the Tour of Walloon at the end of July that ruled out a couple of North American races that were meant to be his A race qualifying target. Instead he squeezed in Ironman Vittoria. I’d say Ironman Texas is entered either as a training day option or as a back up plan if the team tell him he is required for the big Tour De France training camps in May - and hence ruling him out for his designated ‘A’ qualifying race at Lanzarote at the end of May. Texas would be a good option because it’s still four weeks away and he’s been doing an insane amount of training already in the past two weeks, including a 270km/21km brick effort in Roubaix over night. The kilometre splits for the run were particularly impressive: start off at 4.30 pace and after a few km still on 3.55 pace until the last six km when he dropped it down to under 3.45 pace before jogging the last couple of kilometres.
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DaveT
New Member
Posts: 40
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Post by DaveT on Apr 11, 2023 18:12:05 GMT 8
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Post by andrewearlwood on Apr 14, 2023 5:15:49 GMT 8
Wurf to race PTO Europe in Ibiza as one of four wildcard entries announced overnight. Other wildcards include Frodeno and Ali Brownlee.
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Post by prince on Apr 14, 2023 7:48:14 GMT 8
Wurf to race PTO Europe in Ibiza as one of four wildcard entries announced overnight. Other wildcards include Frodeno and Ali Brownlee. well he is on the start list, lol. as was he for so many others.....
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Post by prince on Apr 15, 2023 3:07:31 GMT 8
I do hope we see him though and really hope Frodo and Brownlow show but I can’t see all of them there.
The women looks pretty decent as well
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Post by andrewearlwood on Apr 15, 2023 9:53:49 GMT 8
Wurf to race PTO Europe in Ibiza as one of four wildcard entries announced overnight. Other wildcards include Frodeno and Ali Brownlee. well he is on the start list, lol. as was he for so many others..... Barring an unforeseen malady he’ll race both Ibiza and Lanzarote next month. Unless he’s used for the Ardennes classics or being set for the Giro in May, there just isn’t much European pro cycling racing between now and the end of May. You can see it in his training as well. Big ramps in run volume and specific speed sessions. after Lanzarote I’d expect him to do another 3 weeks of cycle racing spread over June and July, before doing his specific Nice IM WC build and preparation in august. He’s already at a much higher preparation now than he was this year before IM St George, because he knows he has to qualify soon and with a shorter time frame to Nice in early September than Kona in October, he needs to take that specific base triathlon fitness all the way through to the start of his specific WC prep. I also note - going off his blog, interviews and social media comments it also seems likely that he will also race 70.3 Andorra and perhaps both IM France and Embrunman as training/reconnaissance days as part of his IM World Championship preparations (but not as qualifying opportunities).
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Post by andrewearlwood on Jun 19, 2023 9:11:28 GMT 8
So Wurf punched his ticket to the Nice edition of the Ironman World Championship later this year with a second place finish at IM Austria last night. Having fallen short by a single place at both IM South Africa and IM Lanzarote earlier this year.
I’m not sure whether last night was a ‘step up’ from his performance at IM Lanzarote a month ago, given that he ran a 2.56 marathon at both races. However, both races were a step up from his performance at IM South Africa, given that the winner last night - Mathias Peterson - ran a 2.45 at both races, but Cam ran nearly 8 minutes faster last night than his run split in Cape Town. I’d say he’s about the same level or running as he was at IM Vittoria last year, when probably means he’s probably only 70% ‘run fit’ at the moment.
That being said, there is a huge gap between running a 2.56 marathon and what he will need to just place in the top 15 at Nice in the World Championships. By my reckoning there is likely to be a bunch of folk who on a flat fast run course, with little humidity and a cooling sea breeze balancing out any late summer heat on the Cote d’Azore, who will run well under 2.40 for the marathon, having cycled with the main bunch and getting off the bike within 10 minutes of Wurf at T2.
Even assuming he gets down to his ‘Ironman Italy (2019)’ run shape, a 2.45 marathon may only see him battling it out for positions 7 to 15th.
What is clear however, is that Cam is well placed to swim with the ‘Ditlev Group’ and hence well placed to bridge up and indeed gap the stronger swim-bikers on that course. It is possible that a small selection of the likes of Ditlev, Wurf, Laidlow (when they bridge up) and perhaps Brownlee (if he makes the start line) and Frodo (if he wants to) could do some serious damage and put much more than 10 minutes on the Uber runners by T2. But even if that were the case, Cam would still need a very low 2.40s marathon (or better) to contend for the podium. when one breaks down his last three ironman marathons three things are obvious. Firstly he’s only about 5 seconds a km off the pace for the first phase of the run to where he needs to be for a low 2.40s marathon. In Cape Town, than first phase only lasted until about the 12km mark. In Lanzarote it lasted until about 17km, and last night until about half way. In the second phase of the run he drops off by about 10-15 seconds per km until the wheels fell, which they did at around the 25km mark in South Africa, about the 30km mark in Lanzarote and about the 33km mark last night. This leads me to two observations: 1. Cam needs more consistent volume - ie. those back to back 100km run weeks for about two months in a row before his taper. 2. Cam needs more consistent track and other specific speed work.
That is all doable, but he’s got to have a perfect summer for it to manifest.
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Post by Peter on Jun 19, 2023 13:14:48 GMT 8
Man his swimming has improved. Got out with the front group.
He is very happy in his inst post.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Jun 19, 2023 14:49:45 GMT 8
Man his swimming has improved. Got out with the front group. He is very happy in his inst post. Wurf doesn’t have the same problem that the likes of Sanders and Long have with swimming: probably because he grew up in Port Macquarie and did swim squad and nippers like most Aussie kids on the coast. Even back in 2016 and 17 when he was just starting out he was able to swim 52 minutes for an ironman leg. By 2019 he’d progressed to being a front of the pack swimmer - alongside the likes of Tim Don - at ironman Italy. With him, it’s just a matter of swim volume - or lack there of. He struggled with that last year because there were weeks at a time in the northern spring when he couldn’t swim because of the covid protocols applying to professional cycling: they were all placed in a bubble for the duration of each stage race, so going down to a public pool every morning was effectively verboten. Whereas this year, at races like the UAE tour and the Tour of Romandie he was able to swim every morning: he has consistently done 15 to 20km swim weeks now since august last year. He’ll never be in the Brownlee and Laidlow group (unless they are bludging) but the Ditlev and Norwegian hype group is certainly doable.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Jun 23, 2023 7:29:51 GMT 8
So he’s in Monaco doing some last minute prep for Ironman France this weekend. Also entered Ironman Andorra 70.3 next weekend. If he does both that will mean he’s done more triathlons in four months than he has done in the previous three years. Not bad, given his heavy work load as a INEOS domestique already this year. …
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Post by Peter on Jun 23, 2023 8:35:05 GMT 8
I’ll be surprised if he finishes France
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Post by andrewearlwood on Jun 23, 2023 13:24:01 GMT 8
I’ll be surprised if he finishes France In 2017, 2018 and 2019 he did ironman races back to back on successive weekends - and finished - at this time of year. … just saying. So there is that. I’m actually thinking that France was always his A race in this particular block of training, and he effectively ‘shut down the engine’ last weekend once Peterson went by him at the 27km mark of the marathon but he was still holding the gap to the rest of the field (and hence securing his WC ticket). We shall see whether he improves this weekend. He actually DID go faster on the second weekend in 2018 and 2019 when he did this sort of thing before …
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