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This is my first of many pre-race updates, 2004.
This year promises to be the best in a while. Just when I
thought it couldn’t get any better. This year boasts a race like
I have never seen. Many more rookies and a biker super stud sure
to throw a spanner in the works. The women’s is sure to be a
magnificent battle that all starts in the swim.
Why is this year’s race different?
Easy, throw in a brit that has never raced here, that is
probably the best in the field, a Canadian that has Mark Allen’s
aura about him and Tim De Boom back to prove that he can still
go, and go fast.
I see the men’s race like this.
A 6.45 start gives the pros a chance to race the world
championships fair and square. Jan Sibbersen will try to break
the swim record as he did earlier this year in the German
Ironman. The race will begin early. Look for Lessing, my race
equal favourite to lead the second group form the warm waters of
the Pacific followed by euro flavour with Faris Al Sultan. These
guys will throw another element into this year’s 26th
running of the sports best race.
Because Lessing is such a threat, the others will panic and bike
a little to fast early on severely hurting their chances. Look
for the smart ones to run their own race (Reid DeBoom Brown).
Bjorn Anderson will emerge from the 3rd group but
will accelerate after the hilly start. Once on the Queen K, look
for the bent over his bike riding style of the strong Swede to
ride off into the North Kohala coast on his Lonesome.
The 4th and 5th groups will contain all
the contenders. Reid, De Boom, Brown, Stadler, Zack, Hellreigal,
Beke, Chaboux, Zyemtsev, Legh, Macormack, Bell, Tissink, Jacobs,
Lovato and Widoff. There’s just too many to mention, that’s why
this years race is so unreal!
This bike race will be fascinating to watch unfold as the
casualties will arise late in the bike and early in the run.
Whatever the lead may be from possibly Anderson or Stadler, Reid
will start out on his 5.15-5.30 mile pace and eliminate the men
to the boys.
He has done this the last couple of years and it destroyed the
field early.
Its going to take the strongest of strong this year, I feel the
race will be a bit quicker than normal early, providing us with
great viewing, but also look for broken dreams too.
More to come later in the week.
The women’s race is also another with a few girls I believe to
really step it up, namely Lisa Bentley having a stellar year and
Kate Major ready to crack into the podium.
I believe Nina and Natascha hold the favourite spots down but I
think its Nina’s time to shine. She’ll lead early on in the race
and will wait for the Swiss Miss to catch her mid or late in the
race. Bentley has been swimming and biking better than ever and
add that too her devastating run leg and you have to throw her
on the podium too, but what about the other Canadians? Lori and
Heather are too threats as always but will fight all the way
from behind and in true Canucky spirit, will take it all the way
to the line.
It’ll be interesting all right.
I will keep you updated as the week goes on.
FYI: Jurgen Zack always seems to have the worse luck in October.
A few years ago he fell in training breaking his collarbone,
another year it was his back, another year an accident just
before the race and now, yep now, he had another crash and is
badly scrapped up. This year just a week out form Germany, he
had an altercation with a car on a final bike ride and still
finished fourth.
This week Jurgen still sports some awful road rash but the
ageless German will tow the line with a different race strategy
and pulling out fast run times late in his career is becoming a
habit.
Happy Birthday Huddle, And Fernanda Keller, Oct 4th.
Greg
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