Kitzbuhel World Cup
22 July 2008
There's one part of this sport that I never will get bored of having to deal with. "Racing" and getting to do it in some of the most beautiful places on this planet!!
Kitzbuhel is in the heart of the Austrian alps. With green rolling hills and mountain peaks that look so step Only a crazy man would try to ski down them (which they do by the way) its hard to think about racing! Luckily for me though I left my skis at home and all the other tourist stuff is on hold until after Beijing!!
This race was all about finishing off a block of training that had lasted over 10 weeks. You all know I've been based in Font Romeu, at the French Altitude training centre during that time. I've done some other races directly from there but this was slightly different as it was at the end of my block and presented some other challenges because of it.
Awhile ago we had looked at where I could take an easier week in this last month before Beijing. Of course when time is so tight its not easy to work this into a programme for such an important race. But rest too is just as important. Something had to give, either I tapper up for Kitzbuhel and be a bit more fresh for the race and start my last block of hard training directly after. Or train right through Kitzbuhel, not be too fresh for the race and take my easier week after it.
We decided to go with the second option as I was ticking along nicley in Font Romeu. So just rolled the training through Kitzbuhel.
It's a great feeling coming directly from altitude (well for me anyway). I have the feeling that I can breath through a straw sometimes.... which as you can imagine is good for the head if your heart rate is around 180+. I did have some clear objectives in the race though and I'd really try to focus on them and not get caught up with what other guys were up to. To say i want to have a good swim, bike and run is fine but by cutting it down even further to the bare specifics you can get so much more out of the day.
THE RACE-
My swim was going ok until around 1000 meters into it. Then some kind sole in front of me lost the feet of the guy he was swimming behind (I know who he was, and he knows I know it was him! if you know what I mean...) I realised it slightly too late and over the last 500 metres a gap opened to the front guys. I pushed past "him" and took 5 guys with me into transition.
We jumped on our bikes and pushed really hard to get back to the front of the race. I wanted to push on the bike at the start anyway. I just thought it would be from the front, not to get there. Not to worry, the gap of 20 seconds slowly came down and by 10k we were back on. After that the front group was about 20 strong. No one really was doing much for the rest of the ride and in the end the 3rd group caught us to make 50 guys heading into T2 for the run. I made sure as I always do that I would be in front off the bike.
With a big group like this one of two things always seem to eventuate. Someone generally just streaks it in the first k's guys try to follow and they blow up. Or everyone just runs quite controlled in a big group until guys get dropped from the change in pace. It actually happened both way's today. Ivan Rana who had not won a world cup since 2003 blew us away on the first 2k by himself. And then behind him a group of 8 guys ran together 15 seconds back including myself, Bevan and Athens Bronze medalist Sven Riedier. For the next 8k this is pretty much how it stayed. Rana in front by 15 seconds, but our group kept getting smaller and smaller every lap. In the end it came down to racing for second as Ivan had his best day for over 4 years. I waited as long as I could for the sprint into the finish. And in the end sprinted Sven for 2nd.
It was all I could have asked for with all things considering. The race had everything, and it was a great hit out 4 and a bit weeks before Beijing.
I'm now heading back to my Home in Germany for a easy few days of training post altitude and post race. I'll start to get back into it near the end of the week and then I have a little sprint race on the 2nd of August in Germany. It will almost be like my last quality session before Beijing.
We then head over to Jeju Korea to meet up with the New Zealand team for 12 days prior to traveling to Beijing for the BIG race on August the 19th.
So hope all is well with everyone, take care and speak soon.
Kris
Kris Gemmell
www.gemmell.co.nz
Professional Triathlete and ITU Athlete Representitive.
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