Archive for Ramblings
While you were away …
Posted by: | CommentsViva cada día como es su ultimo
Every now and then, life gets a little crazy and unpredictable. The last 6 weeks have been that way for me as I embarked on a new and unexpected direction in my career. All things considered it is a good thing and despite the naysayers and warnings that I might be biting of a little more than I could chew, I remain optimistic and excited at the prospects that lie ahead.
The down side is that I have had to prioritise my life in order to get everything done and unfortunately that has meant that my TriLifeAdventure project has suffered neglect so as to allow me to focus on other things. To those of you that come here regularly, I apologise and please bear with me as I figure out how to work this back into my calendar. To the spammers, that clog up my comments page, thanks for reminding me that TriLifeAdventure still exists but seriously, if you haven’t figured out that this is not an adult site, then you are probably too stupid to be allowed on the internet. Please disconnect immediately and cancel your subscription with your ISP.
I couldn’t possibly hope to cover all the events of the last six weeks in one post so I have picked three highlights from the common areas of Ironman (or Iron distance if you prefer), ITU and Technology. Hopefully these will satisfy your requests for information and remind you of some of the amazing achievements that we have seen in 2010.
Chrissie smashes Ironman record
Forget the argument over whether it is an official Ironman race or not. With the WTC digging themselves a hole around the qualifying series and the growth in both TriStar and Challenge events, it will soon become irrelevant as athletes, and the public in general, focus on athletic achievements over silly side shows about who owns the title ‘Ironman’.
Chrissie was so dominating in Roth that her nearest rival, Rebekah Keat, who despite breaking the 9 hour barrier with an 8:52, was over 30 minutes behind. The net result 8:19:13 will go down in the history books as the greatest result by a women over the 3.8/180/42km distance for now.
I suspect that this will be short lived though as Chrissie appears to get faster each year and with her swimming improving to the point where she will exit the water with the lead men, combined with a biking ability that will keep her up there, we may even see her go faster in a year or two.
While the men’s times have appeared to stagnate, Chrissie and the other leading ladies like Julie Dibens and Catriona Morrison, continue to knock big chunks of time off existing race records and suddenly we are faced with the prospect of a women possibly finishing on the overall podium one day. All I can say is bring it on and I hope is spurs the men into action so that we can see Luc van Lierde’s 7:50 finally being improved upon.
ITU World Championship Series goes down to the wire
Unlike last year where Emma Moffatt won four events and walked away with the series title, this year has seen a new crop of athletes contending for victory while Moffatt and Kiwi, Andrea Hewitt, have quietly gone about collecting points for the overall series victory. With neither athlete having tasted victory it has been their consistency that has paid off.
With one race remaining, and bonus points on the line, it appears that Hewitt might have the edge. Her deficit to Moffatt is only 52 points and while Moffatt has suffered in recent weeks, only just getting into the top 10, Hewitt has still being contending the finishes which gives her the psychological edge going into the season finale in Budapest.
It is however not a race between these two as newly crowned ITU Sprint Triathlon World Champion, Lisa Norden, could take the title with a victory, provided Moffatt and Hewitt failed to get on the podium. Personally I don’t see this happening and its likely that Canadian Paula Findlay will produce another victory and deny Norden her chance for the double.
Orbea step out of the shadows
Unless you are Spanish, or a committed Crowie fan, you have probably not given manufacturer Orbea more than a sideways glance. Sure they have been around for a long time and their road bikes are pretty impressive but they have not done anything spectacular that appeals to the triathlete in me.
That was until I saw the Odin helmet.
Yes, most of us race with aero helmets on but lets face it, you spend hundreds of hours training with a regular helmet on so why not put down the extra dollars and get one that does a great job? In this regard the Orbea may just have trumped the Giro/Bell monopoly and produced something that will not only do a fantastic job but also turn a few heads in the process.
Quoting their website, Each helmet is built using a certain number of layers, and a specific material is chosen for each layer according to its features. The more layers there are, enables the surface area of the helmet to be reduced, providing it with better ventilation and a more compact structure. The Odin consists of 4 layers: polycarbonate, carbon fibre, EPS and nylon. Other features include:
- Retention system independent from helmet straps.
- Dual injection retention system.
- COOLMAX fabric pad system.
- Ergonomic adjustment system.
- Rubber support surface for a smoother feel.
- Winter Kit: a kit consisting of pads and an inner liner for winter use (great for those in colder climates)
Trek Project One
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Recently I have spent some time playing around with Project One on the Trek website. Not that I have the money to buy my dream bikes unless I win the lottery or something equally unexpected but one is entitled to dream and thanks to Trek you can live out that ‘kind in a candy store’ fantasy and build the bike of your dreams.
Of course it helps that they currently have the most desirable road and TT/Tri bikes on the market. This is further boosted by the fact that we are all glued to the Tour de France coverage, where Team Radioshack, demonstrate their awesome capabilities.
Options range from orange or green flames to simple black. Personally, I have always had a soft spot for black and white. The simplicity makes a statement and if done well it can be far more effective than some of the more outrageous designs floating around.
Recently I have added some red to the mix as the combination is proven to be the most striking to the human eye. Scientists have determined that the first colour an infant can see is red (we see black, white and grey for the first eight weeks) and I think this basic instinct is never far from the subconscious mind when picking out colours in a crowd.
So without getting overly philosophical, here are my favourite designs. Do yourself a favour and take a few minutes to go build your own. If nothing else it can be very therapeutic.
Tour de France 2010
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It’s July and the world’s attention turns to France, more precisely the Tour de France. Despite the distractions of the Soccer World Cup and Wimbledon, the largest sporting event in the world is about get underway and I find myself being constantly drawn into conversations over who might walk away with the coveted maillot jaune (yellow jersey) this year.
In a sporting event that lasts three weeks and covers over 3000 kilometres, there is no such thing as a safe bet. Meticulous preparation and perfect form aside, riders also need a little luck to ensure victory. An untimely crash or unforeseen incident can wreck someone’s chances in an instant and with the opening week traversing the cobbles of Belgium and the notorious cross-winds of northern France, anything can, and most likely will, go wrong.
So to the matter at hand, selecting a handful of possible victors from the 198 riders that will start in Rotterdam. Crystal ball gazing at it’s best but I am going to be bold, stick my hand up and list them in the order I see them finishing.
Lance Armstrong
Seven time Tour de France champion and arguably the master at winning le Tour. From the brazen 21 year old, through the cancer years and his return to the top, Lance has proved over and over again that he knows what it takes to win this race. Last year, with very few racing miles in his legs, he returned to the Tour and finished third but more importantly he showed that he was prepared to play the consummate team mate, even when those around him were not following the plan.
This year with a team built around him again, he will go on to write another chapter in his amazing story. Finishing on top of the podium once more before jetting off into the sunset to continue his tireless crusade against the disease that once threatened his life.
Alberto Contador
Defending champion and the most successful grand tour rider of the new generation. He is a young, brash, talented, climber that can time trial better than most. Sound familiar? Yes, I could be describing a young Lance Armstrong and in many respects it is these traits that have brought Contador similar success.
Unfortunately for him, he won’t have Armstrong by his side and in his place will be Alexander Vinokourov. I doubt Vinokourov will show the same loyalty to his team mates, especially since the Astana team was originally created for him by some of his more influential Kazakhstan comrades. Come crunch time Contador may end up racing his own team and for the young man, with a sometimes fragile ego, this may prove too much.
Cadel Evans
They say nice guys always finish last and Cadel Evans may be the epitome of this statement. That was until last year, when in an inspired moment, he launched an attack that would see him end up as World Champion. Since then he has looked a different rider and one has to believe that if Contador and Armstrong spend too much effort trying to beat each other, Evans might slip away and take victory.
Andy Schleck
The younger of the two Schleck brothers, Andy has proved with his second place last year that he has what it takes to get on the podium. For him to succeed though, he will need to take time in the high mountains and this years tour, doesn’t have quite the right profile. I expect that we will see Andy and Contador going head to head in years to come but for now, he will have to content with fourth place.
Bradley Wiggins
The double Olympic champion turned grand tour rider. Bradley Wiggins is as famous for his incredible track exploits as he is for his dramatic weight loss and subsequent transformation from a 82kg pursuiter to a 72kg tour contender. With Team Sky created around him he has the dedicated support he needs to match his self belief and he will definitely factor in the final result. A win may be too much to ask but if he got it right then there can be little doubt that his CBE will be upgraded to a knighthood at the Queen’s end of year bash.
