Former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt spoke to us at the 220 Triathlon Show last weekend about why she’s decided to do the super-sprint race at ITU Hyde Park this May, after having a baby just 12 weeks ago.
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As a dancer and performer, Wyatt says she’s very competitive and is already pushing herself hard in training – doing squats with baby in her living room – but admits she does find it a bit of a shift to get into the race mentality where it’s “all about winning”.
For our complete photo galleries of this year’s 220 Triathlon Show, head here. For more videos from this year’s show, go to our YouTube channel.
They breed them hardy on Scotland’s west coast, which is just as well because Irvine local David McNamee could not have picked a much tougher assignment for his first tilt at non-drafting racing.
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The 26-year-old triathlete, who made the surprising decision to turn his back on a stab at the Rio Olympics in favour of going long, must have thought he was back in the ITU ranks after lining up alongside 61 other professional men for the start of Challenge Dubai.
In a race characterised by testing conditions and beset with controversy, the flying Scotsman clocked 3:55:03 to finish 21st. Once the desert dust had settled, 220 columnist Tim Heming caught up with McNamee to discover if he was content with his debut, what he learnt and whether it has whetted the appetite for Ironman South Africa on March 29.
Let’s clear up the controversy first. Your training partner and long course mentor Fraser Cartmell emerged from the swim sporting a black eye. Why did you lay one on him?
Sometimes he just gets a little bit cheeky. No, he’s got a bit of a bruise but I can honestly say it wasn’t me and he has no idea who it was either.
Did you manage to settle and train satisfactorily in Dubai pre-race?
I had a bit of a travel nightmare. My flight from Glasgow to London was delayed so I missed the connection and stayed in a hotel overnight. I arrived on Tuesday, a day later than planned, but my bike didn’t. It was a bit of a farce and a nervous wait.
The homestay I had with Fraser was good though. The family were part of the local Tri Dubai Triathlon Team and doing the race too so their local knowledge helped massively. We’re so used to cycling from the front door, but in Dubai we had to drive to a safe cycling area.
We took a 25min trip out to the desert and rode 50km on closed roads which were perfectly tarmacked. There is a bike and coffee shop and it’s purely for cycling. It was quite surreal.
And I understand you had to borrow a bike?
I don’t have a sponsor right now so I’ve borrowed a BH bike [Beistegui Hermanos] which is a big European brand. It’ll take two to three more months to feel confident riding a time-trial bike as it’s completely different from what I know. Every day I pick up something new and the whole race was a massive learning experience.
With the bumper prize purse it was always going to be a big draw, but did you expect so many professional men to turn up in Dubai?
I knew that when that amount of prize money is put up [$300,000, with the carrot of $1,000,000 for any triathlete winning all three Triple Crown races], it’s to be like a who’s who of 70.3 racing. It’s the start of the season also so it doesn’t clash with any other events, but lining up with 65 guys did feel like being back in the ITU ranks.
The rough conditions meant the swim course was changed and made for a challenging start. What was your experience?
I enjoyed it. The choppy swim quickly breaks the field up and I found the first 300-400 metres comfortable. I wasn’t leading but sat safely inside the front group which is a million miles from ITU where I’m fighting for the whole 1500m to get out in the top 30.
Sighting looked difficult, but you emerged with Jersey’s Dan Halksworth at the rear of a front pack of 16. Did you realise your position?
Yes, I knew from racing so much that there were very few people behind me and there also wasn’t a breakaway after the first lap. I didn’t find sighting hard but that comes from years of experience.
We continue our interview with Scottish long-distance debutante David McNamee.
On to the bike and although the splits were still fast, conditions made for a strongman’s course as giant Dane Martin Jensen proved…
The bike was tough and a lot windier than I expected. I felt ok for the first 10-15mins but after 20mins the pace I thought was quite conservative became really hard to hold. I knew I’d lose 5-6mins but didn’t think it would be 10mins plus. My legs fell apart after 50-60km and there was a massive headwind all the way home as the last 20-30kms turned to a crawl.
In ITU racing, if you are 3-4mins behind the leader you are out of the race. At 60km I realised I was 4-5mins back and mentally my legs packed up and went home. I was tired and struggling and started switching off a bit – and that made things worse. It’s something I need to improve on.
How did you cope with the 20metre drafting rule?
It’s a great idea and at that distance you aren’t getting any drafting effect. It’s the first time I’d done any proper non-drafting stuff and I found it hard to pace the effort off the person in front. A lot of the time I’d be at 20metres and switch off for 20-30secs and realise I’d lost another 10metres and had to push again to catch up. In ITU racing the focus is on the wheel in front, where you are in the bike pack and you know the course off by heart as it’s often a 5km loop.
The controversy in the men’s race stemmed from people taking the wrong route. Was it difficult to follow the course?
I couldn’t comment on whether it was badly signposted at that roundabout. I had no difficulty, but I’m the 20th person in line and if a mistake is going to happen it’ll be at the head of the race when marshals may not be paying attention as they are not expecting people to arrive.
Will Clarke remarked before the race that you were one of the few triathletes who could negative split a 10km run off the bike. You ran 1:13:33 for the half-marathon, so how does that sit with you?
I ran ok. I got off the bike and didn’t realise how far behind I was, started quite hard and felt good. The last part of the ride was so horrific I thought the run was going to be a really long struggle, but then I got to about 4km and saw Terenzo [Bozzone] coming the other way and realised I must be a good 15mins down. I was in no-man’s land and could see 500-600m up the road and there was nobody there.
I still ran the first 10km well and 10-15km was ok, but over the last 5km, at the point it really hurts, I knew I wasn’t in the race any more, and it was a lot slower than it could have been. I was still happy to get the half-marathon in my legs though, and at no point did I think it pointless or that I should just stop.
Ultimately, the test of strength will happen in four weeks in Ironman South Africa. Again, it’ll be new and I won’t know until the day. It might go well, but could be a disaster.
The upshot was you finished 21st and second Brit behind Joe Skipper. Do you have any thoughts on his performance?
Joe’s known as a really great biker and it was a good course for him and played to his strengths. He delivered a really good performance and seems to be improving every year. It will be interesting to see how he does for the rest of the season.
What were the biggest lessons to take from Challenge Dubai?
I was surprised how hard people went out in the first 10km. That was something I hadn’t considered and it’s similar to ITU in that once you get out on the bike, your main focus is to get to the front of the race. In ITU you have to be with the leaders by the first 20km or you’ll never get there. I also need to learn how to focus on the person in front to keep the gap consistent.
How do you rate your performance out of 10?
Probably six. I’m happy with the swim, and happy enough with the run. I wasn’t expecting great things from the bike but wanted better. The big downside was mentally switching off. It shouldn’t be an issue for me to bike 90km at a good pace and the more time I spend on a TT bike the stronger I’ll be in the aero position.
How important was Fraser’s help in Dubai?
It was great and will be for the next month in South Africa too. He knows exactly what he’s doing and it’s reassuring to have someone around like that. I’ll forget silly things and Fraser will have two of everything, so a lot of borrowing is taking place.
Finally, has it whetted your appetite for more non-drafting racing?
The main positive about this weekend is that I got an arse-kicking but have not come away disheartened. It went worse than I thought but I don’t regret not being on the Abu Dhabi start-list for the start of the World Series this weekend.
(Images: Getty)
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Follow our coverage of this weekend’s WTS Abu Dhabi on Twitter and online
The 2015 World Triathlon Series starts in Abu Dhabi this Saturday over sprint distance (750m swim/20km bike/5km run), with Jonathan Brownlee and Jodie Stimpson the biggest British names on the start pontoon.
Jonathan’s older brother Alistair has been forced to pull out with an ankle injury, while top British women Non Stanford (2013 world champion) and Helen Jenkins (2011 world champ) will give Abu Dhabi and the next two rounds in Auckland and Australia’s Gold Coast a miss in order to continue their winter training, according to British Triathlon.
The men’s race will include reigning WTS champ Javier Gomez and his Spanish compatriot Mario Mola, while other British men on the start line include Adam Bowden, Mark Buckingham and Gordon Benson. Other podium threats include Richard Murray (RSA), João Pereira (POR) and Sven Riederer (SUI). Start list here.
“Winter training has been great and I’m looking forward to racing this weekend. It’s a sprint race so anything can happen but I know my 5km running speed is good,” said Jonny Brownlee. “It’s a shame for Alistair that he’s not racing but it’s a big year for us all with Olympic qualification and it’s still very early in the year at the moment.”
The women’s race will see Britain’s Commonwealth Games medal winner Vicky Holland line up alongside 2014 WTS champ Gwen Jorgensen (USA), two-time World Champion Emma Moffatt (AUS) and fellow Brits Lucy Hall, Emma Pallant and Heather Sellars. Other top women include Andrea Hewitt (NZL), Kirsten Sweetland (CAN) and Anne Haug (GER). Start list here.
Stimpson, who has been based in San Diego in the lead up to this event, added: “It’s good to be getting the season underway. This is a sprint race so it’s a good chance to see where I’m at before the next two races in Auckland and the Gold Coast.”
The action gets underway at 11am UK time (3pm local time) with the elite women’s race, followed by the elite men’s race at 1pm UK time (5pm local time). Full coverage is available live on triathlonlive.tv (20% discount here), and the BBC will show the men’s race live on the Red Button Service. Disappointingly, the BBC will only show the women’s race live on the BBC Sport website, along with a highlights package of both races on BBC2 on Monday 9 March at 2.45pm.
In order to challenge for ITU world titles, athletes need to complete five of the nine rounds of this year’s World Triathlon Series, plus the Grand Final in Chicago in September. The Series will visit five continents, with Auckland up next on 29 March – full schedule here.
We’ll be covering all the action live on our Twitter feed here, and will have race reports right here on the website – join us!
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Who do you think will win this year’s WTS Abu Dhabi? Let us know in the comments!
The weekend’s nearly here and that means one thing – training time! Our readers have been asking for help on dealing with coughing fits in the swim, what the best TT bikes are for under £1,000 and more…
“I have been swimming since last August and have taken in my fair share of water when swimming, as I am sure many others have. However last week for the first time I thought that I had inhaled some water as I had a choking fit and seriously thought this was it. I couldn’t get my breath and had to be slapped on the back and then given the bear hug. I eventually got my breathing under control but it was pretty scary.
“I have looked on the web to see what is happening as I can’t be doing with this every week, as its very frightening and draining, both mentally and physically. From what I can find it sounds like laryngospasm, where the larynse goes into spasm and closes up and it can last for up to 60 seconds. I am just wondering if anyone else has experience this whilst swimming and how they control it. I am booked into a few open water triathlons this year and am really worried if I get a spasm whist in open water.” Lisa G
“Garmin 920XT for sale – only used a few times, have bought a Fenix 3 instead to replace it. Fully boxed with all manual and accessories Include HRM Run chest strap to provide running metrics £320 posted. Thanks.” Chris Howe
“We have booked a holiday in Mexico in November and I discovered that the Xel-Ha triathlon Maybe on whilst I’m there. Has anyone done this one and if so what advice can you give me?” A J
“I have bought the Cannondale Caad 8. I am yet to ride it out owing to looking after my children (priorities I suppose!) so am yet to do a decent ride! I had been told prior to purchase about the possibility of turning the seatpost round, but then forgot about this during the fitting of the bike. I will be asking when it goes back for it’s service however in the meantime was wondering what the opinions were. My bike has aerobars on. Thanks!” Meachley
“I’ve got some cool looking Sunwise polycarbonates but they condense up due to the corrective insert. There must be other myopics out there. What do you use? Same goes for goggles – wasn’t concerned in the pool but as I want to get into open water, I’d prefer to see where I was going. Any advice gratefully received!” Laparotastic
“I have decided to take the plunge and buy my first TT bike for Windsor triathlon this year. With a maximum budget of £1000 I would really love any help in deciding which bike is best for my money.” Rob Browne
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“Do you guy’s and Gal’s wear socks when you bike and run or do you go sockless, I am going to do my first triathlon in May and I see lots of people going sockless but I think I will be more comfortable if take a minute to dry my feet and put some socks on and if I am more comfortable then I believe I will be quicker on the bike and run leg of the race.” ianw2462
Pre-race talk centred on the stacked field for WTS Abu Dhabi, but all that faded when Gwen Jorgensen unleashed a run of incredible ferocity to overhaul leader Flora Duffy (BER) and take gold in stunning fashion.
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The 2015 World Triathlon Series got off to a beautiful start with air temperature a balmy 26° as they started the sprint distance race (750m swim/20km bike/5km run) just after 3pm local time. Carolina Routier (ESP) took a firm lead of the swim, followed by Britain’s Lucy Hall.
Jorgensen left the water 38secs down on Routier, with Jodie Stimpson (GBR) further back still. Routier quickly established a lead pack of 10 or 11 athletes that included Lucy Hall, Flora Duffy (BER), Lisa Norden (SWE) and a number of American athletes including last year’s WTS Stockholm winner, Sarah True (née Groff).
By the halfway point and around half an hour on the clock, a large chase pack including Jorgensen, Stimpson, Aileen Reid (IRL) and Emma Moffatt (AUS) was chasing hard but found themselves unable to bridge up to the leaders, who reached T2 with a lead of around 1min.
Onto the run and the only thing that could happen, did happen – Jorgensen unleashed her ferocious run, blowing through the field with an astonishing pace of 20kph according to the speed gun.
Jorgensen overtook Duffy just after the end of lap one, with her fellow US athletes nipping at the heels of the Bermudan. There was only one outcome possible though, with Jorgensen crossing the line in 58:59mins, followed by Katie Zaferes (USA) and Flora Duffy.
Britain’s top finisher was Jodie Stimpson in 17th position with a time of 1:00:11, followed by Lucy Hall in 35th with a time of 1:00:56. Heather Sellars placed a respectable 42nd on her WTS debut with a time of 1:01:18, and Emma Pallant finished 50th in 1:02:05.
Full results and splits here. For our report on the men’s race, head here.
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What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments below!
All eyes were on two athletes ahead of the men’s WTS season opener in Abu Dhabi: reigning ITU World Champ Javier Gomez and Great Britain’s Jonny Brownlee.
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The stats made for interesting reading too – Jonny Brownlee had won four out of the seven previous WTS sprint distance races, while this was Gomez’s 100th ITU race start, but he had never won at Sprint distance before. As it turned out though it was a different Spanish athlete, Mario Mola, that was the one to watch.
The men’s event followed a thrilling women’s race which saw 2014 champ Gwen Jorgenson put in a ferocious performance on the run to take the win during the hottest part of the day (full report here). The men’s race began two hours later at just after 5pm local time and followed the same 750m swim/20km bike/5km run course. Conditions were warm and breezy with a 28 degree air temperature and 23 degree water temperature meaning no wetsuits, but great conditions for a fast race.
The one-lap swim was fast and tightly packed, with Anthony Pujades (FRA) exiting first in 08:48 followed closely by Aurelien Raphael (FRA) and Richard Varga (SVK). Jonny Brownlee came out of the water and into transition 21sec down. That time was soon made up on the bike leg though as by the end of lap one of four Brownlee and Gomez were cycling side-by-side with the gap to the race leader reduced to just 4sec.
For the remainder of the bike a huge lead pack of around 30 athletes formed including Brownlee and Gomez alongside Mario Mola (ESP), Henri Shoeman and Richard Murray (RSA), Vincent Luis (FRA) and Joao Silver (POR), leading to a tense and frenetic T2 as athletes jostled for position.
A small lead pack of three formed in the run shortly after T2 of Richard Murray, Mario Mola and Vincent Luis. Initially it looked like Brownlee and Gomez could bridge the gap from the chase pack, but at the halfway point and with 2.5km to go the gap was extended to 10 sec.
Shortly after, Mario Mola kicked early to put some serious pace into the run and managed to hold on until the finish – taking the win in 52:32 and achieving his second ever WTS podium gold, with Luis second and Murray third. Fourth was taken by Silva, while Jonny was fifth and Gomez sixth.
Interviewed post-race, Mola said: “I knew how fast Luis and Murray were [when sprinting] so I tried to put the hammer down before that… In the run I put in 110 per cent.”
Full results and splits here.
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What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments below!
Have you heard of the 50 Women To Kona campaign yet? The premise is simple – parity for pro men and women on the start line. At present the men get 50 race slots to compete for, while the women get 35, and this has got quite a few people riled…
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With International Women’s Day over the weekend, the campaign kicked up a notch with vocal support on Twitter from men and women, pros and age-groupers alike… Here are just a few of the comments that grabbed our attention in the past 48hrs:
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Did you join the call for 50 Women To Kona? Let us know in the comments below!
Did you catch the start of this year’s World Triathlon Series in Abu Dhabi last Saturday?
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We’ve got a full race report and video highlights here, as usual there are some amazing images too – take a look…
In the women’s race a few hours earlier, Gwen Jorgensen (USA) put in an astonishing run to take her first WTS gold of 2015 – full report and video highlights here. Gallery here.
With six months to go until the infamous Enduroman triathlon that sends athletes from London’s Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomph in Paris, the charity Help for Heroes is putting together a team of wounded, injured and sick military personnel to take on the challenge.
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The Help for Heroes Recovery Centre at Tedworth House in Wiltshire hosted a training weekend for 30 servicemen and women last weekend, all hoping to be picked for the final team. Those that don’t make selection will be offered a spot on the support crew.
“The magnitude of the challenge and the training required to successfully prepare for the event was soon realised by many after a brief on what to expect over the next six months,” said Rob Cromey-Hawke, a former Captain with the Army in the Royal Engineers who was injured during his second tour of Afghanistan in 2012.
“For those of us with disabilities, the confidence it will give us if we complete something no one else has done before will be phenomenal. Help for Heroes make you believe the sky is the limit in your recovery and this challenge is just another example of how much belief they give us to complete something we never thought possible.”
The training programme will run for nine months as part of Help for Heroes’ extensive Sports Recovery programme, and the challenge itself will begin on Saturday 26th September 2015. Last weekend’s training session at Tedworth House saw a team of sports scientists from Salford University donate their time to come and carry out lactate threshold testing on watt bikes so accurate personal training plans could be developed for each athlete.
Other training sessions over the weekend included run training using heart rate zones, racing wheelchair technique sessions (as some of the athletes have never used a racing wheelchair), swimming sessions, a bike time trial and lectures on nutrition.
The Enduroman Arch to Arc challenge requires relay teams to run 87 miles from Marble Arch, London to the Dover coast, to swim across the Channel, and finish with an 181 mile bike from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris, and has never been attempted by a disabled team before. To read a blog by a previous completer head here.
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The next training session will be held on 28/29 March in Catterick, Yorkshire. Recruitment for the challenge is open until the end of March; if you are wounded, injured or sick, serving military personnel or a veteran, and would like to get involved please email [email protected].