Race 2. La Rochelle triathlon (750/20/5) 3rd June 2007

Team Cesson all piled into the team bus for a journey to the coast to take on the La Rochelle triathlon. Adam, Tom and I were the last 3 to enter the race which took some time to happen due to some minor communication breakdowns. I had eaten far less Ravioli before this race so felt good as we lined up on the start line staring at the first buoy that (common place in France) was not straight out but over to the right of where we started. The crazy arbiter (race referee) made everyone keep all parts of their toes behind the line and kept walking up and down, delaying the start and threatening to pull out red cards to anyone you even looked like slipping a toe nail on the line and gain a precious 2mm advantage. Never mind the guys pushing from the back or the fact the line was not straight, he stuck to his guns. As soon as the gun went I pushed off the guy who had been molesting me from the second row and took to the waters to swim and wash. By the first can I was in about 4th position and stayed that way until shore. It was a rough swim as the course made us swim across the path of the waves and I spent allot of the last part of the swim leg hitting a guy that was doing the same to me.

Adam had lead out the swim by 20 seconds and I put in a bit effort at the start of the bike leg to get to him alone. It was in vain as the guys behind me profited off my drag, but refused to help. Before long there was a lead bunch of ten guys, of which I would say 5 were legitimately working. I did a bit of swearing, knocked a few guys who tried to cut in on me, then tried a few times to get away. It was a two lap flat but technical bike course with pretty strong winds. By 2/3Rd's of the way around the first lap I was stuffed. And then it all happened. There were a few weak attacks and then one guy went up the road and I went with him. we got a small gap but not enough, so I sort of sat up a bit as we passed the crowed and finished the first lap. Another two guys form Saint Jean de Monts joined us and we were a group of four. They seemed intent on keeping the pace going and it wasn't until I looked back and saw the lead had actually increased, that I understood why. That was it a good break was made and we all worked hard for the remainder of the lap, coming into transition just over one minute in front of the chase pack of 6.

I let the French guys lead in on the bike so I could copy the way into and out of the transition, and as I put my shoes on watched them go the wrong way. As I ran out my friendly arbiter from the start line blew his whistle in my ear, reminding me to turn my number to the front. What a nice chap! After 300m I had caught back up to second and just behind the lead guy from the division one team of Parthenay. He lead over the hill past the crowed and then hit the wall, leaving me in the lead almost by default. I pushed the pace for the next km and found myself with a comfortable lead and a lead bike to boot (less chance of getting lost). The guy on the bike was in for a big chat until I told him I couldnt understand much of what he was saying, he then kept the chit chat to a few key French sayings I could understand. Little changed from then on and I won the race. The end.

Adam came in fourth and Tom fifth, after both running away from anyone they came off the bike with. That elevated our team to the number one position, and made for great success on the podium.