Luxembourg is a very civilised place and Remich is no exception…manicured vineyards and gardens, barges quietly passing down the river, all very genteel. Not quite the setting you’d expect for 1700 triathletes to descend on for the frenzy of a 70.3 but it works incredibly well.
And there’s none of this racking at 5 am for a crack of dawn start. All racked up the day before and the wave starts are off between 1-2:30pm. So after a second breakfast, an amble down to the outdoor pool to warm up (a 50m walk from the start) it all seems very easy so far.
And then it begins…a 1.9k out (Luxembourg side) and back (German side) river swim, so easy on sighting with, quote, « minimal » current, except of course the last 100m which is upstream and where you feel it most!
Then out on the road. The first 35k is fast and flat in full TT mode, following the Moselle, then it turns and the next 30k has all of the 820m of climbing on the course packed into it. No big climbs but enough up and down to test the legs and a few technical corners to bleed off your speed before the climbs. Then cross into France and back along the Moselle’s Banks to Remich to complete the 90k and into T2.
Time to Run…21.1k round a flat 4 lap course with great support from those enjoying the wine tents!
If the Long Course is about Fuelling and staying Aerobic, then a 70.3 is all about Lactate Threshold/Capacity. That means you get to find out somewhere on the run if you got your pacing right! or if the wheels are about to come off…
Today it was pretty good, the endorphins kicked in about 5k in and carried through to 18k before they ran out but then it’s the homestretch so hang on for the finish. Job done! A 70.3 raced in three countries in one event.
A Finishers’ Garden back by the warm up pool with food and drinks completed the excellent race organisation. Dare I say it again…All very civilised 😉
