What’s your take on the swim being reduced to 750m?
When it comes to decision making, the sport follows a set of rules, and decisions must be made in accordance to the the rule book that has been put in place in order to protect the competitors.
I’ve noticed that the swim in Cape Town has been subject to debate. Not only did we swim in waters of 11.4 degrees, but we had to do so full-pin. I’m no expert, but I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. Decisions were made on the spot in accordance to circumstances and the rule book.
Did the swim affect the rest of the race?
You can’t deny that the gaps were smaller during the swim. That said, ten fewer minutes for a race can make a bit of a difference, but not the biggest of differences. In the end, the swim was a little more intense than it would have been for the complete distance.
The bike course in Cape Town differs from the ones of previous races this season. Did it allow for any type of selection to be made?
Without a doubt, it was different from what we saw in Auckland and Gold Coast. The course was a little more demanding, but there was still quite a bit of movement within the pack and in the end, the weaker cyclists or even some having an off day must have felt in in the legs. I can see that from a spectator point of view, it may have been a little less interesting.
Should we expect more demanding courses on the circuit?
Not necessarily. It is after all a series, and we need all types of courses. Nothing is less exciting than races without suspense. Why not even plan for future races with even more out of the norm race courses : Surf to City with swims in huge waves and criterium style bike courses, King & Queen of the mountain style race on hilly terrain or a Fast and Furious race where the times would be extremely fast..
When the group is that big, is it even worth it to set a hard tempo in the attempt to tire out your competitors? A breakaway seemed virtually impossible.
Nothing is ever impossible. The athletes always make the race.
In the women’s race, Nicola Spirig did what you have to do to bridge the gap to the leaders regardless of the course profile. That totally nullified the chances of the lead group to get away after the swim. Then Duffy did what she could, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
In the men’s race, the gaps were pretty small because of the swim. On this type of course it’s harder to get away on the bike, especially with guys like Gomez, Brownlee andd Murray who are getting ready to take the race coming out of T2.
With the absence of Gwen Jorgensen, we were expecting to see Zafares or True take control of the race. In the end it was Spirig, in a solo effort, that was able to do the job. Is it safe to say that there still is not a women equivalent to Alistair? One that is able to make a difference in all three sports?
What happens in a race depends on the athletes feeling of the day. One race is just one stage of the WTS circuit, and nothing more. We’ll see in Rio and Chicago who steps up to the plate. Most of the athletes are working towards those races.
Alistair was a little more passive than we’re used to seeing him. Can you explain his patience during this race?
Alistair is a highly intelligent athlete and he knows what to do to get the most out of each situation. I think that this weekend, he adapted to the circumstances and was successful in winning the race. What more could you ask for?
I’m looking forward to seeing how things will play out over the next few months.
Vicky Holland’s win was out of the norm, given the fact she exited the water some ways back..
It’s a surprise, yes, but not out of the norm. The women’s race was particular because of an important number of absentees. Vicky had an opportunistic race. She’s a talented athlete who has had big results yet she kind of flies under the radar.
What do you think of Team France?
I’m extremely happy for Vincent (Luis) who finally had an olympic distance result worthy of his potential. The next step for him will be to show this at FFTri identified events like the Rio Test Event and Chicago. He should be very satisfied.
Pierre was really solid also. Three straight strong performances. The most important is consistency. Let’s not forget that he podiumed in a difficult race behind Brownlee and Gomez.
As for the others, they all had different experiences and I haven’t had the chance to talk to them, but I know their potential and am looking forward to hearing about it.