Tri returned to the British Isles on Sunday 7 June with the Grandes Rocques Guernsey Triathlon super sprint. Unfolding over a 400m sea swim, 10km bike and 3km run, it will forever be known as the first live British triathlon event to be staged since lockdown started at the end of March.
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As Club President of the Guernsey Triathlon Club, I felt pretty proud of both the club and the island to be able to put this event on. Guernsey has been Covid-19-free for 40 days, so we were able to relax some restrictions and crack on with the show!
Unsurprisingly, even with the restrictions relaxed, it meant the race was a bit different to your normal triathlon. To adhere to the new guidelines we split competitors into two waves, with a maximum of 30 athletes going off in each; released in groups of five at one-minute intervals; doubled our draft zone on the bike; and asked athletes to maintain social distancing on the run – unless overtaking.
Guernsey Tristhlon returning towards normal service. @BritTri @220Triathlon https://t.co/mOCItEk51c
— Guernsey Triathlon (@GuernseyTri) June 11, 2020
We had around 60 athletes take part in total, and I arrived early to do the race briefing. It was just so great to see everyone and also see how most of our top athletes have maintained their fitness throughout lockdown! The first race was for our island’s most competitive athletes, so those wanting to represent Guernsey at the Island Games. I went in the second race, and as it was my first actual race for about eight months it was a bit of a shock to the system!
The weather had been amazing throughout lockdown, and the sea had been looking inviting… until race day, obviously! By the time race two set off the swell had really picked up. I’d been put into the first swim wave, so we lined up in groups of five with one metre in between us. It took a while to get through the swell, and sighting was virtually impossible, but fortunately one of the water safety crew put on a bright jacket, so we all headed towards him. I was pretty pleased with my swim, but unfortunately my wave included a Channel swimmer and one of Guernsey’s top pool swimmers. It was their first triathlon experience – they left me for dust!
The bike course was a technical out-and-back along Guernsey’s coastline. I’ve been mountain biking a lot through lockdown, so the TT bike hadn’t been out much. My transition skills were also a bit rusty as we’ve missed our duathlon season. With the wave starts it was hard to know who you were racing, but I managed to pick off a couple of people from my wave!
The run was fast and furious as always, even along the coastal paths where there were several areas of deep sand. On finishing, and once the results had been sorted, I was thrilled to find out I’d come second! All in all it was a great event, and the whole club is now really looking forward to being able to race a full calendar of races from here on in.
Check out the September issue of 220, on sale 6 August, for a seven-page race report from another Guernsey competitor and more great images from the British Isles’ first event.
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You can subscribe the 220 Triathlon magazine here
Tri returned to the British Isles on Sunday 7 June with the Grandes Rocques Guernsey Triathlon super sprint. Unfolding over a 400m sea swim, 10km bike and 3km run, it will forever be known as the first live British triathlon event to be staged since lockdown started at the end of March.
Advertisement
As Club President of the Guernsey Triathlon Club, I felt pretty proud of both the club and the island to be able to put this event on. Guernsey has been Covid-19-free for 40 days, so we were able to relax some restrictions and crack on with the show!
Unsurprisingly, even with the restrictions relaxed, it meant the race was a bit different to your normal triathlon. To adhere to the new guidelines we split competitors into two waves, with a maximum of 30 athletes going off in each; released in groups of five at one-minute intervals; doubled our draft zone on the bike; and asked athletes to maintain social distancing on the run – unless overtaking.
Guernsey Tristhlon returning towards normal service. @BritTri @220Triathlon https://t.co/mOCItEk51c
— Guernsey Triathlon (@GuernseyTri) June 11, 2020
We had around 60 athletes take part in total, and I arrived early to do the race briefing. It was just so great to see everyone and also see how most of our top athletes have maintained their fitness throughout lockdown! The first race was for our island’s most competitive athletes, so those wanting to represent Guernsey at the Island Games. I went in the second race, and as it was my first actual race for about eight months it was a bit of a shock to the system!
The weather had been amazing throughout lockdown, and the sea had been looking inviting… until race day, obviously! By the time race two set off the swell had really picked up. I’d been put into the first swim wave, so we lined up in groups of five with one metre in between us. It took a while to get through the swell, and sighting was virtually impossible, but fortunately one of the water safety crew put on a bright jacket, so we all headed towards him. I was pretty pleased with my swim, but unfortunately my wave included a Channel swimmer and one of Guernsey’s top pool swimmers. It was their first triathlon experience – they left me for dust!
The bike course was a technical out-and-back along Guernsey’s coastline. I’ve been mountain biking a lot through lockdown, so the TT bike hadn’t been out much. My transition skills were also a bit rusty as we’ve missed our duathlon season. With the wave starts it was hard to know who you were racing, but I managed to pick off a couple of people from my wave!
The run was fast and furious as always, even along the coastal paths where there were several areas of deep sand. On finishing, and once the results had been sorted, I was thrilled to find out I’d come second! All in all it was a great event, and the whole club is now really looking forward to being able to race a full calendar of races from here on in.
Check out the September issue of 220, on sale 6 August, for a seven-page race report from another Guernsey competitor and more great images from the British Isles’ first event.
Advertisement
You can subscribe the 220 Triathlon magazine here
Ironman have announced that it will add a fourth race in Italy in 2021 – the Ironman 70.3 Venice-Jesolo triathlon. The inaugural event will be held on May 2, 2021 and joins the three existing Ironman events in Italy –Ironman Italy, Ironman 70.3 Italy, and Ironman 70.3 Sardegna.
Located 18 km Northeast of its world-famous neighbour Venice or “La Serenissima”, Jesolo today is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Italy and Central Europe. Jesolo boasts seemingly endless beaches and a distinctive natural lagoon overlooked by the famous lighthouse located at Jesolo Beach or Lido di Jesolo. The race site is easily accessible by car and train and located only 30 minutes away from Venice’s Marco Polo International Airport as well as 40 minutes from Treviso International Airport.
“The city of Venice and the surrounding region are arguably one of the best-known destinations in the world and we are thrilled to add this race venue to next year’s race calendar,” said Stefan Petschnig, Managing Director for Ironman Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Also, there is only one thing Italians are more passionate about than sports and that is their incredible hospitality. We are looking forward to our fourth event in Italy and an amazing race location right at the Adriatic Sea,” he added.
Starting at the popular Lido di Jesolo, athletes will complete a single-loop swim course of 1.9km (1.2 miles) in the Adriatic Sea. With the lighthouse as the backdrop, athletes will get a true feel for the destination right from the start before delving deeper into the Veneto region on the bike.
Athletes will enjoy a single loop 90.1km (56 mile) bike course, where they will discover charming locations that showcase the beauty of the Veneto region. Traversing the northern and southern expanses of Jesolo, the course will take athletes across both sides of the Sile river. After crossing the Sile, the course heads south taking athletes in the direction of Venice towards Punta Sabbioni where it skirts the Venetian Lagoon before returning north to Lido di Jesolo to start the run.
The 21.1km (13.1 mile) run course consists of two loops, crossing the Jesolo promenade for a beautifully coastal route taking in one of Europe’s longest pedestrian roads. An ideal supporter hotspot, the promenade not only offers views of the Adriatic, but also gives athletes the opportunity to enjoy the cheers from their supporters all the way to the finish line at the Lighthouse Beach.
The 2020 Ironman 70.3® Venice-Jesolo triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, USA.
General registration for Ironman 70.3 Venice-Jesolo will open on June 30, 2020. For more information please visit www.ironman.com/im703-venice-jesolo
15 of the best triathlon and multisport challenges to try
18 of the world’s best triathlons – that you’ve probably never heard of…
Ironman-distance triathlons: 10 of the cheapest
The 11 toughest Ironman-distance triathlons
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Ironman have announced that it will add a fourth race in Italy in 2021 – the Ironman 70.3 Venice-Jesolo triathlon. The inaugural event will be held on May 2, 2021 and joins the three existing Ironman events in Italy –Ironman Italy, Ironman 70.3 Italy, and Ironman 70.3 Sardegna.
Located 18 km Northeast of its world-famous neighbour Venice or “La Serenissima”, Jesolo today is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Italy and Central Europe. Jesolo boasts seemingly endless beaches and a distinctive natural lagoon overlooked by the famous lighthouse located at Jesolo Beach or Lido di Jesolo. The race site is easily accessible by car and train and located only 30 minutes away from Venice’s Marco Polo International Airport as well as 40 minutes from Treviso International Airport.
“The city of Venice and the surrounding region are arguably one of the best-known destinations in the world and we are thrilled to add this race venue to next year’s race calendar,” said Stefan Petschnig, Managing Director for Ironman Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Also, there is only one thing Italians are more passionate about than sports and that is their incredible hospitality. We are looking forward to our fourth event in Italy and an amazing race location right at the Adriatic Sea,” he added.
Starting at the popular Lido di Jesolo, athletes will complete a single-loop swim course of 1.9km (1.2 miles) in the Adriatic Sea. With the lighthouse as the backdrop, athletes will get a true feel for the destination right from the start before delving deeper into the Veneto region on the bike.
Athletes will enjoy a single loop 90.1km (56 mile) bike course, where they will discover charming locations that showcase the beauty of the Veneto region. Traversing the northern and southern expanses of Jesolo, the course will take athletes across both sides of the Sile river. After crossing the Sile, the course heads south taking athletes in the direction of Venice towards Punta Sabbioni where it skirts the Venetian Lagoon before returning north to Lido di Jesolo to start the run.
The 21.1km (13.1 mile) run course consists of two loops, crossing the Jesolo promenade for a beautifully coastal route taking in one of Europe’s longest pedestrian roads. An ideal supporter hotspot, the promenade not only offers views of the Adriatic, but also gives athletes the opportunity to enjoy the cheers from their supporters all the way to the finish line at the Lighthouse Beach.
The 2020 Ironman 70.3® Venice-Jesolo triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, USA.
General registration for Ironman 70.3 Venice-Jesolo will open on June 30, 2020. For more information please visit www.ironman.com/im703-venice-jesolo
15 of the best triathlon and multisport challenges to try
18 of the world’s best triathlons – that you’ve probably never heard of…
Ironman-distance triathlons: 10 of the cheapest
The 11 toughest Ironman-distance triathlons
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As mass gathering cancellations sweep through the 2020 race season, Castle Series is responding by hosting a virtual event for every physical event they have to cancel.
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Their cancelled season opener at Lough Cutra Castle, Galway Ireland, saw the final leg of their Spring Virtual Series with Race 4, “Luck of The Irish” garnering huge support. The Spring Virtual Series was a fantastic success, bringing together 2931 racers, from 23 countries, aged 7 – 72 years old, to stay connected, keep fit.
With the cancellations of their Cholmondeley Castle and Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle events, Castle Series is delighted to announce their next virtual event is on 3 – 5 July The Kentish Horse. They’ll be distances for triathlon, duathlon, aquabike, aquathlon, swim only, cycle only and run only races.
So far, the Castle Virtual Series community has raised over £30,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Their races will continue to raise vital funds for their national charity partner by donating 20% of each race entry. They are also committed to help raise money for local charities for each region and are proud to announce these will be, Neuro Muscular Centre in Cheshire and Jigsaw South East in Kent. Competitors will be able to make additional donations when they sign up or via JustGiving fundraising.
Prizes
– Posted surprises for gender winners in each age and distance categories
– 35% off race entry for Castle Series 2021 for Club Championship Winners
– 35% off race entry for Castle Series 2021 for Company Championship Winners
– Podium places for gender, age and distance categories
– Special mentions for best dressed and most inventive course
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Find out more here
As mass gathering cancellations sweep through the 2020 race season, Castle Series is responding by hosting a virtual event for every physical event they have to cancel.
Advertisement
Their cancelled season opener at Lough Cutra Castle, Galway Ireland, saw the final leg of their Spring Virtual Series with Race 4, “Luck of The Irish” garnering huge support. The Spring Virtual Series was a fantastic success, bringing together 2931 racers, from 23 countries, aged 7 – 72 years old, to stay connected, keep fit.
With the cancellations of their Cholmondeley Castle and Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle events, Castle Series is delighted to announce their next virtual event is on 3 – 5 July The Kentish Horse. They’ll be distances for triathlon, duathlon, aquabike, aquathlon, swim only, cycle only and run only races.
So far, the Castle Virtual Series community has raised over £30,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Their races will continue to raise vital funds for their national charity partner by donating 20% of each race entry. They are also committed to help raise money for local charities for each region and are proud to announce these will be, Neuro Muscular Centre in Cheshire and Jigsaw South East in Kent. Competitors will be able to make additional donations when they sign up or via JustGiving fundraising.
Prizes
– Posted surprises for gender winners in each age and distance categories
– 35% off race entry for Castle Series 2021 for Club Championship Winners
– 35% off race entry for Castle Series 2021 for Company Championship Winners
– Podium places for gender, age and distance categories
– Special mentions for best dressed and most inventive course
Advertisement
Find out more here
The problem with Ironman age-group world champion Ruth Astle returning to Hawaii as a neo pro is that by the standards of 2019, she’ll have to slum it. “We were supported better than 90% of the pros,” she told 220, describing the Zwift house that played host to the group of high-performing amateurs the online software firm sponsored last season.
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Roll on a few months and it’s not just a house on the Big Island the smart-trainer brand has infiltrated, but the home of just about every triathlete the world over. Those supplying online training software have seen a spike in interest as rampant as a Covid-19 tracking graph.
Over 60% of the Kona pro field were converts, and many more are hopping on to host group rides with thousands of amateurs. Zwift won’t release subscriber numbers but says 25% are triathletes.
The message devotees have been preaching for years has filtered to the mainstream and it’s a virtual epiphany for technophobes wrestling with the social acceptance of being on two wheels in the real world. Now it’s going up a gear.
A Super League Triathlon team was pitched against pro cyclists on Zwift. Ironman has already jumped onboard and launched its Virtual Club with rival software firm Rouvy. But there are teething problems. Ironman’s Facebook Live coverage was a painstaking watch, only livened by three-time world champ Mirinda Carfrae’s novel DNF when husband Tim O’Donnell tripped over the power cord and yanked it from the mains.
The bigger risk though is authenticity. It’s known that treadmills struggle with calibration and the majority max out at 20kph. And as the stakes increase, so does the spotlight on subterfuge. An individual’s personal ‘pain cave’ can be hard to police. ‘Losing’ 20kg from your racing weight is an obvious deception, but more high-tech hacks extend to squeezing the trigger of an Xbox controller to increase the watts.
The whiff of cheating’s contentious enough anyway, but even more so when Ironman is doling out 70.3 World Champs slots, or prize money is on the line. To combat the problem, Zwift has re-launched ZADA, which now stands for Zwift Accuracy and Data Analysis (originally the Zwift Anti-Doping Agency) that evaluates analytics around performance to spot potential red flags.
Are Ironman’s virtual 70.3 Worlds qualifiers a good idea?
Whatever your view, smart-trainer racing is no passing fad. Platforms were seeing a rise in popularity before the virus hit and the UCI, cycling’s governing body, had already struck a deal with Zwift to develop an eSports platform. Even the International Olympic Committee has made overtures in the direction of ‘more healthy’ eSports. The IOC cannot ignore an industry worth nearly $200 billion that attracts a predominantly younger audience. Its president Thomas Bach even cited Zwift as a blueprint to follow.
How fast the cadence of this new world? The treadmill and the turbo trainer once had all the appeal of a blister and a saddle sore, now they’re a golden ticket to join an increasingly popular virtual club.
Advertisement
Virtual triathlon races: 5 of the best
The problem with Ironman age-group world champion Ruth Astle returning to Hawaii as a neo pro is that by the standards of 2019, she’ll have to slum it. “We were supported better than 90% of the pros,” she told 220, describing the Zwift house that played host to the group of high-performing amateurs the online software firm sponsored last season.
Advertisement
Roll on a few months and it’s not just a house on the Big Island the smart-trainer brand has infiltrated, but the home of just about every triathlete the world over. Those supplying online training software have seen a spike in interest as rampant as a Covid-19 tracking graph.
Over 60% of the Kona pro field were converts, and many more are hopping on to host group rides with thousands of amateurs. Zwift won’t release subscriber numbers but says 25% are triathletes.
The message devotees have been preaching for years has filtered to the mainstream and it’s a virtual epiphany for technophobes wrestling with the social acceptance of being on two wheels in the real world. Now it’s going up a gear.
A Super League Triathlon team was pitched against pro cyclists on Zwift. Ironman has already jumped onboard and launched its Virtual Club with rival software firm Rouvy. But there are teething problems. Ironman’s Facebook Live coverage was a painstaking watch, only livened by three-time world champ Mirinda Carfrae’s novel DNF when husband Tim O’Donnell tripped over the power cord and yanked it from the mains.
The bigger risk though is authenticity. It’s known that treadmills struggle with calibration and the majority max out at 20kph. And as the stakes increase, so does the spotlight on subterfuge. An individual’s personal ‘pain cave’ can be hard to police. ‘Losing’ 20kg from your racing weight is an obvious deception, but more high-tech hacks extend to squeezing the trigger of an Xbox controller to increase the watts.
The whiff of cheating’s contentious enough anyway, but even more so when Ironman is doling out 70.3 World Champs slots, or prize money is on the line. To combat the problem, Zwift has re-launched ZADA, which now stands for Zwift Accuracy and Data Analysis (originally the Zwift Anti-Doping Agency) that evaluates analytics around performance to spot potential red flags.
Are Ironman’s virtual 70.3 Worlds qualifiers a good idea?
Whatever your view, smart-trainer racing is no passing fad. Platforms were seeing a rise in popularity before the virus hit and the UCI, cycling’s governing body, had already struck a deal with Zwift to develop an eSports platform. Even the International Olympic Committee has made overtures in the direction of ‘more healthy’ eSports. The IOC cannot ignore an industry worth nearly $200 billion that attracts a predominantly younger audience. Its president Thomas Bach even cited Zwift as a blueprint to follow.
How fast the cadence of this new world? The treadmill and the turbo trainer once had all the appeal of a blister and a saddle sore, now they’re a golden ticket to join an increasingly popular virtual club.
Advertisement
Virtual triathlon races: 5 of the best
Huawei has attracted many unfavourable headlines in the UK of late because of security fears. Yet despite these concerns, GB’s government allowed the Chinese company to play a significant role in building the country’s 5G network. But let’s keep politics out of this, and focus on the brand’s next-generation smartwatch and its potential tri benefits.
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Let’s start with the good – the display. We tested the 46mm version – 42mm is also available – which featured a 1.39in AMOLED screen with a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels and is beautifully clear on the fly. Just note that the mooted two-week battery time means the screen sleeps unless activated by time lapse, touchscreen or the two buttons. You can deactivate this feature, which cuts battery length by half and is worth it, but it then retreats to a standard analogue or digital watch face rather than the one you’ve chosen.
The GPS is also impressive, supporting both GPS and GLONASS satellite-positioning systems. This gives you the usuals of current speed, average speed, distance… which you can analyse in detail post-training via the Huawei Health app. This is pretty good for a general overview but, understandably, nowhere near as comprehensive as something like Garmin Connect. Mind you, the virtual pacer function is a neat one, showing you, via a cute graphic, whether you’re ahead or behind your target speed.
Unfortunately, the wrist-based heart-rate measurer is a big letdown. It uses Huawei’s TruSeen 3.0 tech that’s the typical combination of light sensors and algorithms. Sadly, one or both of them are way off as our exercising HR regularly hit 20bpm over what it actually was. We hoped the tech might ‘bed in’. It didn’t. Which then meant the VO2 max predictor was out. Sadly, we couldn’t test its swim HR claims but, based on its dryland readings, we predict inaccuracy.
The HR isn’t the only feature that flatters to deceive. Let’s talk music. Firstly, the sound is impressive, whether Bluetoothed to your wireless headphones or even blaring out of the watch. The GT2 can hold up to 500 songs, uploaded via the Huawei app. The problem is, we could only listen to the song the watch came with as you can’t transfer music via iOS devices. Yes, this is Android only, making one of the strongest features for triathletes redundant for many. You also can’t directly connect to Strava, which again will put many off. All in all, there are numerous features such as notifications, messaging and sleep analysis to satiate the general public. But, as an accurate sports watch, look elsewhere.
Verdict: Great battery and price for many features, but let down by hr and usability
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Buy from www.currys.co.uk
Huawei has attracted many unfavourable headlines in the UK of late because of security fears. Yet despite these concerns, GB’s government allowed the Chinese company to play a significant role in building the country’s 5G network. But let’s keep politics out of this, and focus on the brand’s next-generation smartwatch and its potential tri benefits.
Advertisement
Let’s start with the good – the display. We tested the 46mm version – 42mm is also available – which featured a 1.39in AMOLED screen with a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels and is beautifully clear on the fly. Just note that the mooted two-week battery time means the screen sleeps unless activated by time lapse, touchscreen or the two buttons. You can deactivate this feature, which cuts battery length by half and is worth it, but it then retreats to a standard analogue or digital watch face rather than the one you’ve chosen.
The GPS is also impressive, supporting both GPS and GLONASS satellite-positioning systems. This gives you the usuals of current speed, average speed, distance… which you can analyse in detail post-training via the Huawei Health app. This is pretty good for a general overview but, understandably, nowhere near as comprehensive as something like Garmin Connect. Mind you, the virtual pacer function is a neat one, showing you, via a cute graphic, whether you’re ahead or behind your target speed.
Unfortunately, the wrist-based heart-rate measurer is a big letdown. It uses Huawei’s TruSeen 3.0 tech that’s the typical combination of light sensors and algorithms. Sadly, one or both of them are way off as our exercising HR regularly hit 20bpm over what it actually was. We hoped the tech might ‘bed in’. It didn’t. Which then meant the VO2 max predictor was out. Sadly, we couldn’t test its swim HR claims but, based on its dryland readings, we predict inaccuracy.
The HR isn’t the only feature that flatters to deceive. Let’s talk music. Firstly, the sound is impressive, whether Bluetoothed to your wireless headphones or even blaring out of the watch. The GT2 can hold up to 500 songs, uploaded via the Huawei app. The problem is, we could only listen to the song the watch came with as you can’t transfer music via iOS devices. Yes, this is Android only, making one of the strongest features for triathletes redundant for many. You also can’t directly connect to Strava, which again will put many off. All in all, there are numerous features such as notifications, messaging and sleep analysis to satiate the general public. But, as an accurate sports watch, look elsewhere.
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Verdict: Great battery and price for many features, but let down by hr and usability
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Buy from www.currys.co.uk