Events/Results - Duathlon

Duathlon - World Long Course

21st Oct 2007

Dave Brown competed at the World Long course Duathlon Championships in Richmond, Virginia. He came in a creditable 20th position and third Brit home in a race won by the late Benny Van Steelant's brother with a dominating performance.

Dave Brown (far right) at the start

Dave Brown reporting:
For those with knowledge in the tradition of our sport, Powerman Zofingen has always been a race in the same vein of Hawaii; History, Course, Extreme Conditions and a true test with the best in the World over a Duathlon. I love it simply because it suits my strengths as an athlete and through my 3 previous failed attempts at this race I have taken away something to work on and get me stronger. This year was attempt number 4.
Run 10km- The first run starts up a hill into a forest and then comes canning back down again before repeating it again. The key is not to dip into the red zone and not to damage the muscles by running too fast on the downhill. I ran comfortably and felt in control as I made sure I was in the company of the guys who were top ten last year.
32:06 on the clock and I was into transition ready for the bike in 14th place around a min and a half back to Benny Van Steelant who had already broken the first record of the day for the first run.

Dave on his way to 6th position overall

Cycle 150km- I quickly got to pace moving up to the front of the chase group that was forming. I realised I wanted to go now as the chase pack would form and can get messy with pacing and drafting and i like to ride to my rythym, so I went for it up the first climb getting the gap i needed. I continued this pace and after 30km I was about 4mins down on the leaders (Koen Maris and Benny) but had a 1min back to the chase group. Into the second lap I made a basic error...I went to fast through the feed station dropping all my bottles and didn't go back thinking I didn't want to lose this pace now. Yeh I know its easy in hindsight to say 'what if' but I shut it out of mind and focus on catching the third place guy who was coming back to me. The weather was getting hot even for my antipodean standards and I suffered through the next part as my pace being to come back to haunt me especially missing 25km of no fluids. When I finally caught third spot I was myself swallowed up by the chase group of 10 athletes. We were now already 10mins to the front two who were already averaging over 40km/hr, kinda scarey really. So I went to the back of the pack and got three bottles next aid station and guzzled em all down however the rule is when you are thristy its already too late and after surviving one climb with the group just I was popped out the back on the Bodenberg a famous monster that one has to try once in their life to understand. Damm Here I was in the race of my life an hour before and now I was dying big time, I keep saying positive things to myself and tried to stabilise my system by easing off the gears and getting more fluids in. That last 20km I lost 4mins to the group which entered transition 14mins down on the Belgiums who had broken Jurgen Zacks course record by some three minutes and were still on a record time. Cycle Time for me was 4:06 (11th quickest)
Run 30km- This last run is cruel and the temperature reaching 30 degrees made it extreme, it was not long before I realised people were dying big time in front of me. I kept a cruisey pace for the first 15km pushing into the second lap where I moved up the field, eventually coming across the line in 6th overall, 5th elite. Run time-2:05:07 (9th quickest)
Total time 6:46:21
By the way Benny blew and Koen Maris (the guy looked like he had come out of a concentration camp from his altitude training in St Moritz, must of worked though) won smashing Oliver Bernhard's Course record in what is probably the hottest day recorded for this race.

Long Distance: 15km run/76km bike/7.5km run.

Pos	Name	Run	T1	Bike	T2	Run	Overall Time
1	Joerie Van Steelant	47:16	00:23	1:52:15	00:15	26:17	3:06:42
2	Javier Garcia	48:05	00:26	1:57:53	00:15	26:12	3:13:03
10	Oliver Mott	50:14	00:32	2:00:37	00:38	27:05	3:19:05
20	Dave Brown	51:30	00:30	2:03:19	01:03	29:39	3:25:59

Full results can be found at: http://www.usraceworks.com/duathlonworlds/default.htmx