New Plymouth race report 6th April 2009
Good morning everyone,
Well its pretty early in the morning for me to be up the day after a big race. Normally I would be still in bed letting my body recover after flogging it one more time over the weekend, but it was not to be. Not that I didn't try to still give my body some pain to deal with, just a different type!!
After last weekends second place in the first World Cup of the year in Mooloolaba I spent the whole week recovering to prepare for yesterdays International points race in New Plymouth. I love to race over there as the crowd and the local support is a real credit to the community and in my eyes this is New Zealands premeire race. The course had changed slightly this year and it was going to be really challenging with a steep 22% climb on every 6 laps of the bike, and also the first lap of the run. Of course a course like this suits me and other real strength athletes like my good mate Bevan Docherty. It would be the first time we would meet this year. Both of us were looking forward to pushing each other all the way ahead of the first World Championship series event in Korea, in a months time.
My race started well exiting the swim in 8th place 25 seconds down off the front three guys but by the time I hit the top of the hill 1k later I had already hit the front of the race. When you compete as much as I've done you know as soon as you get on your bike what kind of day it will be and I had great legs early on. A group formed quickly of 8 athletes at the front and we started to work well straight away. I'm sure this group would have stayed away if it had not been for what happened next.
As we hit the fast downhill heading back into transition for the first time I was following closely behind Australian Clayton Fettel. But as we hit a fast left hand corner at around 60kph Clayton drifted a bit wide towards the barriers. I ended up on his outside as he changed his line to correct himself. He hit a small bump in the road and his back wheel stepped out into my front wheel. I went down like a sack of spuds. I slid across the road and into the barriers. I wanted to get up and get going again as I new it was going to be another good day on the run for me. But my handlebars were cracked and It just was impossible to ride anymore.
I did nice job on myself and have finally got some matching tattoos to go with my last ones from New Plymouth two years ago which nearly happen in almost identical circumstances. I've been doing triathlon for 11years and have only hit the deck three times including training aswell. To go down for the second time in New Plymouth was a real shame and for all my family and sponsors that travelled to watch me do something special yesterday, we will just have to wait until next month now.
So that curse that everyone talks about with me, bit me again!! Really though, I'm starting to wonder when the big guy will start to cut me some slack... I should have known something was going to happen when my Mum and Dad rang me on friday in New Plymouth to say that my house had been broken into. I hope the little weasels enjoy running around in my puma running shoes and wearing all my mint Oakleys. They sure will stand out a bit in Palmy running with that kind of gear so look out boys!! They also took a likening to most of my Olympic gear which was the biggest shame and something that I'll have to replace "myself" now in London..
Cheers,
Kris
Hope all is well