Race 8. 4th time Round at Crazy Port Brillet. 7th June 2009
The race at Port Brillet has always been a hell hot race but this year it was far FAR from hot. Hail half way through the bike leg gave me harrowing flashbacks to Saint cyr and sent Herman Landermine back to his car to put on a vest…mid race!!!!! I warmed up in my wetsuit, considered swimming with a vest on and hid 
in Laurent Suppis van for as long as I could. But there was a brief parting of the black clouds, and we all entered the water without getting wet...Insert stupid "hope you didnt get wet in the swim" joke here --- I swallowed a heap of water and got that ‘you will die’ feeling about 200m into the swim so actually stopped and pumped out a little breaststroke (a skill I have seen perfected in every lane of every French pool, without fail). I regained the ‘you have a little air in your lungs’ feeling soon after and recommenced the race, all be it in 30th position. It took me quite a while to get to the front of the swim and longer after the race to explain to everyone I had passed what had happened. On the bike I soon found myself alone in the lead. There was a lead car with microphones on its roof blaring out 
some horrible music, which was not encouraging to get close to, but was in no means a contributing factor in my less than ideal ride time. The hail storm which felt not unlike trying to catch salt crystals in your eyes, while the rest of you lycra clad body is subjected to a sandblasting treatment that would bring back the hull of the Titanic to new, certainly halted my forward progress. I was actually yelling at some of the 5 spectators ‘you are crazy’, but on reflection they had umbrellas and I was the one with overflowing shoes. I popped my bike in its transition spot with a 1 min lead over Antoine Le soz and did the whole run with a similar margin. It must be mentioned that I was warned the forest section of the race was a little muddy, and it did not disappoint. It was so slippery I felt like I was in a cartoon with my legs going at 200km/hr and me going 2km/hr. Thankfully everyone had the same impression, no shoes were lost in the deep stuff and therefore, no time was lost. 
I must say it has been 4 years of wins here for me and I think back with great fondness to the first year with our surprise team with Adam, Cam, Herman and Laurent and how sp spe s..p…….oh I just cant go on, im getting all teary.
in Laurent Suppis van for as long as I could. But there was a brief parting of the black clouds, and we all entered the water without getting wet...Insert stupid "hope you didnt get wet in the swim" joke here --- I swallowed a heap of water and got that ‘you will die’ feeling about 200m into the swim so actually stopped and pumped out a little breaststroke (a skill I have seen perfected in every lane of every French pool, without fail). I regained the ‘you have a little air in your lungs’ feeling soon after and recommenced the race, all be it in 30th position. It took me quite a while to get to the front of the swim and longer after the race to explain to everyone I had passed what had happened. On the bike I soon found myself alone in the lead. There was a lead car with microphones on its roof blaring out 
some horrible music, which was not encouraging to get close to, but was in no means a contributing factor in my less than ideal ride time. The hail storm which felt not unlike trying to catch salt crystals in your eyes, while the rest of you lycra clad body is subjected to a sandblasting treatment that would bring back the hull of the Titanic to new, certainly halted my forward progress. I was actually yelling at some of the 5 spectators ‘you are crazy’, but on reflection they had umbrellas and I was the one with overflowing shoes. I popped my bike in its transition spot with a 1 min lead over Antoine Le soz and did the whole run with a similar margin. It must be mentioned that I was warned the forest section of the race was a little muddy, and it did not disappoint. It was so slippery I felt like I was in a cartoon with my legs going at 200km/hr and me going 2km/hr. Thankfully everyone had the same impression, no shoes were lost in the deep stuff and therefore, no time was lost. 
I must say it has been 4 years of wins here for me and I think back with great fondness to the first year with our surprise team with Adam, Cam, Herman and Laurent and how sp spe s..p…….oh I just cant go on, im getting all teary.
posted by Kristian at 2:02 PM
0 comments
+031.jpg)
