Race 4 Division 2 Grand Prix rendezvous Mimizan.

Ok let me just give a little background, then tell the race story.

In France the first division grand prix series consists of 16 teams. After the 5 race season the bottom two teams are kicked out for the following year. The 13^th and 14^th teams must prove they belong in the first division, by racing in the grand finale at La Baule. In La Baule the remaining division 1 teams are joined by 2 teams from the second division. If one of the second division teams beats the 13^th or 14^thteam they gain entry to the first division, and relegate the bottom team to the second division.

Last year the French Triathlon Federation decided to consolidate the second division, as previously it had no real structure. They invited any interested clubs to submit their teams for a revamped, similar to first division grand prix series. To the horror of the French Federation 42 clubs submitted teams. Way more than they anticipated. With no exclusion criteria set for this season they have left all 42 clubs in the division. As with the first division, the top 16 will stay. The top two teams after 4 races gain automatic entry to the first division while the 3^rd and 4^th fight it out at La Baule.

As you can well imagine it is very cut throat.

Race conditions in Mimizan could only be described as flat fast and hot. It took until the final hour before the race to work out if it was a wetsuit legal swim and a further 15 minutes to locate my wetsuit and the rest of my race kit, which was in the team van, which was conveniently bogged in the car park. None of the team knew where it was! This left a rushed preparation, which included my tri bars being rejected from the race for an inadequate bridge piece. I was not too worried by all of this as my biggest concern was the start of the swim. I had been thinking of this for a while now. 42 teams of 5, makes 210 athletes on the start line. Now that may sound ok as many triathlons have this many or more, but there was a difference. In this race there were no hack triathletes. No guys who would be taking it easy in the water. In division 2 this year were actually 5 teams from the last years first division, Olympians, and world champions. If the first turn can was less than 200m off shore there may be death!!

In the team brief by our manager for the race (Rodolphe Boutier) I learned that the swim start area would be divided into 42 boxes. Each team could select which box they started in and due to the numbering, we were the second pick. We eventually agreed that the far right box had the best line to the first swim can and would give us some free space. It was after the warm up and while standing in our box that the unfairness of French racing really hit home. The turn can was off to the right, and the start area was like a concave type shape, not a straight line. Not the best, but nothing to really worry about. It did make it very difficult for the teams in the middle bays. Some of the teams decided not to take their box choice, but rather start on the right of us, outside the box area. One team was ok but then another and another came over and before we knew it there were at least 30 guys standing to out right, out of the start area. The youngest guy on our team, Pierre Guilloux said something about the situation to one of the many officials, and was nearly disqualified. Madness! Why have the boxes at all?

No one was permitted to warm up in the start area of the swim, not a problem for most of the French as they do no warm up anyway. When the whistle blew I ran to about knee deep water and then dove out as far as I could. I did not know the depth but thought it may drop away pretty quick. It did, leaving a bit of a pile of athletes mess behind me. I sprinted, mostly due to fear of being drowned, and tried to head to the right as quick as I could. To my left I could see a few guys leading that side of the swim and to my right was no one. At about 150m there was a guide buoy that I thought I had to stay the left of. I was way too far to the right so changed course to get around it. About 2 meters from the buoy I was still too wide but was trapped by a guy who had moved up on my left. I pushed into him, lost some speed and was instantly swam over by the person who was on my feet. And then I think by the next. Now I was under the water and under the can, desperate for air. I pushed to the surface and found I was smack against the inside rope of the swim course. Still getting hit I grabbed it and pulled myself along it to get back to some clear water. I got around the main turn can without incident and sat on the back of what I thought was the lead pack, exiting the swim in 15^th.

I had a pretty ordinary transition, slow may be a better word, and headed out on the bike further behind. After about 2km of all out, kill yourself riding I tacked on to the back of four others. In the process I had dragged one other guy who, as much as I yelled at him, would not help. The six of us were now the second pack, with nine guys about 15 seconds in front of us. For the rest of the 20km ride this gap stayed about the same. In the last 5 km I was of the mindset that there was no need to catch this group as I was feeling comfortable in the small group, and

everyone was working. Catching the lead pack may instigate a serious breakaway, and we had put time into the packs behind us. When I say packs behind us, that is what I thought at the time. I learnt after the race the ‘packs’ behind were actually one massive peleton, with about 90 riders taking up the whole road for about 250m. (the 3 small photos are the first 3 of 5 photos that Cameron took of this bunch)

We entered transition for the run just as the last guy from the front bunch was running out,

about 10 seconds behind him. I ran out quick, but not stupidly quick. I felt good and wanted to build into this run. I was second out onto the run from our group, lead by a guy from Czech Republic. I did not see the other guys from the second pack again, and after about 1 km was starting to catch and pass the slower runners from the front pack. I was happy with the strength I felt on the run until the last 1km where I really started to tire. I had now been training for 5 weeks, not a great deal of time, and I could feel that. I think I ran the last 500m looking back more that to the front. This was a common sight as people are trying to keep their place and care little for time. The gap to the guy in front of me was about 3 seconds, painfully just too far, while the gap to the guy behind me was 8 seconds, just painfully too close. I crossed the finish line in fifth. Not overly happy, but happy to have lived through the swim.

I later learned the winner of the race had finished third in the world under 23 last year, and had beaten the French champ who was fifth in the Olympics. The Czech, Premsyl Svarc, from the second pack ran his way up to second, while former world Champion, and duel Olympian Oliver Marceau was third.

The French guys in the team were stoked. They had all been in the big bunch, watching guys crash around them. Places were sorted on the run with Laurent Triquet running into 12^th,

Herman Landemaine 39^th, Pierre 64^th and Guen Dupas 79^th. Team points are calculated by the first three across the line, so the French boys were even happier to learn that as a team we had finished 4^th. They packed their stuff up and rode back to the hotel for showers, chatting and laughing. As there was still another race with Adam and Cameron racing, I stayed to help them then rolled over to the race site to look at the results, now posted. TOC

Cesson Sevigne were third! I asked an official and he confirmed it, we had placed third. He then proceeded to tell me that the team had been fined for not being present on the podium. Love those French rules.

Race 3. 18eme Triathlon International Laval

My third French race took place in a town called Laval, about 70km from Rennes. Laval was a very pretty and fairly large town, situated on the Mayenne river, which would be the location of the swim leg of the race. In accordance to the ever increasing trend of French racing the start time of the race was late in the afternoon and most aspects of the course and rules remained somewhat of a secret to those not fluent in French. I knew the race was an Olympic distance race, called Courte distance (CD) in France. This time there was 4 non French Cesson Sevigne triathletes in the race. Adam Beckworth and Cameron Bartram form Australia and Brooke Pattle from New Zealand. We all jumped in the water early to make the most of the skimpy 3 minute warm up time. I was actually told off for getting in too early, as the race briefing was taking place. I tried to explain that I couldn’t understand what was being said and time was far better spent in the water, however I too was not understood so not wanting to risk getting disqualified before the start (easy to happen), I jumped out. The course of the swim was North for about 400m to a red turn bouy. Keeping it on your right, go around then South for about 700m and around another bouy (which I was told about but could not see). Another 180 degree turn in your right and into the final 400m back up the river to the swim exit (Natation arrivee). The one big factor in the river was the current heading South.

I had lost the others in the warm up and decided to push my way into a good start position early. As the first section of the swim was into the current I went as far left (against the bank) as possible, where the current would be less. A few others had the same idea. We lined up behind a rope that spanned the width of the river. In a strange moment I watched the rope all of a sudden raise up into the air and then remember a whistle. I took of swimming then looked to my right to confirm if it was the start. It was. Ok, I had not missed it but very easily could have. I went out pretty hard and soon found myself in clean water. Over to my right and the middle of the river was someone flying. “That has to be Beckworth” I thought. He had dropped everyone off his feet and had the lead ski to follow, good position. I noticed a few swimmers move over my way and get on my drag. For now this was ok as I was just happy I was not getting punched and kicked. It also meant I was swimming faster than them. By the first bouy Adam had stretched his lead to about 20m and I still had one guy on my feet.

We turned with the current and really took off. Going under the bridges gave a great perspective as to the speed we were going. Not knowing how well he could ride or run, I decided to get rid of the guy on my feet. It had been easy for him into the current to get good drag. I increased my speed and started swimming to the right (seemingly off course). I think this works well as no one wants to swim further, and it leaves them with a tough split second decision. Stay behind in the drag and swim further (or off course as they don’t know what you are doing), or break your own water and swim the direct line alone. The erratic move worked and I swam back on line again, less the guy getting the easy ride (see photo 2).

The South most turn bouy turned out not to be a bouy at al but rather the bridge. I continued the remainder of the swim on my own and exited the swim in second. Adam had already been and gone through transition so I had that all to myself also. I raced through, jumped on my bike, and took off hard to get back to the front of the race. After about 2 km I could see Adam with the lead motorbike. At 4km, and the start of the main climb on the course I joined him and said we should work together and not allow the guy in third to join us. He was not too far back, possibly 15 or 20seconds. Over the top of the hill Adam started getting told off by the official on the motorbike. To our surprise, this race was apparently non drafting! It was not a lead motorbike but rather a draft official. There was not lead motorbike, so we had to navigate the course ourselves off the arrows on the road. We passed one intersection where an official just had a smile and was clapping next to some hap hazardously placed witches hats. Where do we go? I yelled out to him but he was not going to answer so we rode on, hoping to still be on course. Before long the guy in third had caught us and I gladly let him take the lead. It was a guy called Marc Lepetit from Bretagne Rennes triathlon team.

There were a lot of sharp turns and a few pretty technical descents, which I was not going through all that well. I recall thinking at one point “man I need to spend a bit of training time practicing corners at speed”. The real cause of the problem became apparent after the race. We headed back into town and to the 20km half way turn, which was situated at the exit of the transition and in front of the crowd. This was a bit of fun as I was feeling fresh and there was lots of people yelling. At the turn I looked back the see another Cesson rider with us. It was Herman Landemaine, a French guy who had ridden up to us. That made three Cesson fluro outfits at the front of the race with the lone guy from Rennes. It remained this way for the second 20km lap, and we entered transition all very close.

I took it very easy into the transition, and ran out easy also, some 20m off the other three. I hadn’t raced Olympic distance since Australian titles in Geelong and in that race had to pull out in the run leg with cramps. I didn’t want to have that happen again. I could see the lead three had gone out pretty hard for them but had not put much space between myself and them. I kept ticking along at around 70% of what I thought I could run and within 2km had tacked back on the back of the others. This allowed me to sit back and watch them for a while. The Rennes triathlon team guy tried a few surges which were short and not very strong so after one, I maintained the pace he had set and found myself with a small gap off the front.

I kept the pace and before long had a solid lead on my own. The run was 3 laps of a 3.3km loop all around the river we had swam in crossing bridges at either end. By half way through the last lap I had enough of a lead I was sure I could win, but had also tired quite a bit. I had now been only training for three weeks and my lack of fitness was starting to show. The guy from Rennes triathlon would not give up and kept trying to close the gap, making the last kilometre rather uncomfortable.

I crossed the line a 18 seconds clear of him, with Adam taking third. From Cesson, Herman finished fourth, Laurent Triquet sixth and Cameron finished tenth. We had done very well as a team and won the team section. Five fluro Cesson outfits on the podium, that’s enough to over expose the film in any camera! Brooke was awarded with a drafting penalty, after not knowing about the drafting either. She had to run an extra lap but still won. I found after the race while loading my bike into the team bus that my handle bars had snapped during the race, explaining my poor cornering.

Result from race 3; First