Robin & Lee... got the T-shirt!
Monaco 70.3 is right up there amongst the best races in the world. A well-established race that takes in, quite literally, breath taking climbs and views of Monte Carlo, and the surrounding area. This race is a must for any Triathlete who enjoys a challenging course. Robin Brew, Lee Holdaway, and Kev Harding were up for the challenge and put themselves to the test at this late season event. The crystal blue waters of the Med hosted the 1.9k swim, which, circumnavigated an anti-clockwise rectangular course along the coastline. It was noted that the course was a little long, more like 2.1km, or certainly tide resisted. The organisation on the day was first class, and a field of nearly 1200 athletes set off at 7am. Robin, Lee, and Kev, all had a steady start strategy planed in their minds. European races are normally very frenetic, and fast starting, this one was no exception. The conditions in the water were relatively calm by sea swimming standards, and the sky was the colour blue that makes all things right with the world. The transition was typically long for a race of this size and helped to loosen the legs before the demanding bike section that started going up after the first 800m! The bike was the section that all three team members were looking forward to. The first climb was 15km and the challenge was to concentrate at the job in hand without being distracted by the amazing views as you climbed, up,up,up and up again until you turned out of sight of Monte Carlo. The course twisted and wined its way around the hills and valleys of Monaco. As with all hilly courses, there are some amazing descents. This course is not for the feint hearted. The downhill sections, in places, were amongst the most technically challenging in Europe. The spirits rose on the bike course when Monte Carlo was back in sight again. The 15km descent into T2, was effectively 800m flat our straight downhill sections with 160^-180^ bends joining them. T2 was a welcome sight. The transition was again long (5min or so to get through), then the final encounter was the Monaco F1 Gran Prix course, which doubles up as the run section for the Monaco 70.3 race. This part of the event was brilliant, spectators and support everywhere. To say the run was hot is an understatement! The temperature was in the high 20 degree’s celsius range, fine for lying on the beach, but sweltering if you are pounding the roads. The finish area was a welcome sight with all the razzmatazz that one would expect of a world class event of this caliber. Well how did the boys get on…Lee had a truly great race, and was first Team Brew member home in 5.43.03 (swim 41.00, bike 3.06.33, run 1.45.21). Lee finished 7th in his age group (50-55) which shows the quality of the racing in Europe. Kev, nicknamed, ‘comeback Kev’, after an uncanny ability to recovery from the brink of exhaustion, and ALWAYS managing to find an extra something for the finish of training sessions and racing, also did an outstanding job, finishing in a time of 6.08.36 (swim 42.01, bike 3.24.36, run 1.50.09). Whilst Robin’s brave start looked promising, the challenging course saw him pay the price for limited training time. Never the less, to finish was a high priority for Robin, as the disappointment of not finishing IM Lanzarote in May, due to injury, was an obstacle that needed to be overcome. Robin finished in 6.05.57 (swim 29.02, bike 3.05.42, run 2.21.04). Team Brew are looking to attend more events in 2010. Keep an eye on our web site for more information.
