Sunday 1st June – ITU World Duathlon Championships, Pontevedra, Spain

Sunday 1st June – ITU World Duathlon Championships, Pontevedra, Spain

Report from Howard Jeffrey: I went to Spain over the weekend to do the ITU World Duathlon championships in Pontevedra. Lined up physically and mentally in pretty good order. Congested start (at 8.35a.m., so cool) helped me ease into the first 5 K which was undulating round the old town with some tight turns. 21.05m got me to the transition and sharply onto the bike leg. Slight technical hitch at the first turn when the handle bars turned but the wheel went straight on! Re-assembly of the bike in the hot room then it standing in the cool morning air just left the clamp a bit loose. Overcame the worst of the problem by leaning into the bends. The bike course went straight uphill for 9K then straight back down with a couple of level bits. I stopped on the hill to straighten the bars but moving them just made it looser. Apart from ‘crabbing’ up the hill a bit I got to the top and made the turn. Hitting speeds of 60+ KpH on the downhill was a bit unnerving and although leaning to steer worked in the main I had to hit the brakes a few times and because I was ‘reaching sideways to hold the bars’ couldn’t get into the aero position so was losing time. There was a lumpy section of concrete at the bottom of the hill where it was like the Pink Panther cartoon ‘overtaking the front wheel’! I got to end of the ride and managed a 10.45 2.5K run. That got me to 15/24 in the age category in 1.15.34 which was within 7 minutes of the winner (as opposed to 10 last year). I reckon the problem with the bike cost me 3 minutes and a top 10 finish but all good experience for the next major (Euro sprint tri in Austria) in a fortnight.

7 thoughts on “Sunday 1st June – ITU World Duathlon Championships, Pontevedra, Spain

  1. Well done Howard! Sounds like you need a support crew – bike with no steering sounds like fun. Where is pontevedra?

  2. Great achievement Howard, especially with the technical hitch! But like you say, all good learning for next time….

  3. well done Howard, you can take me next time and I will assemble your bike 🙂

  4. Your report made me chuckle Howard ,it is just brilliant. I agree with Ursula it was a great achievement indeed , I would add a hero as well for carry on racing with a huge failure of your bike, well done Howard, I am really impressed by your adventure in Spain.

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