70.3 Aix-en-Provence ProSeries
Aix-en-Provence 70.3 - Pro Series
What a race!
Aix-en-Provence not only shone with a top-class field of participants, but also with a breathtaking course. The 1.9 km swim in the beautiful Lac de Peyrolles - with the sunrise in the background - was simply magical. The 86 km with 1000 metres of elevation gain on the bike led through the picturesque landscape of Provence, and the final half marathon through the old town, lined with thousands of spectators, was pure goosebumps.
I was standing by the lake 30 minutes before the start - nervous, a little unsure, emotional. Due to my history last year, I had been forced to take a break from training for almost eight months and my form was gone. But step by step, I've fought my way back to this point. But the level has risen - especially on the long distance! While I had to take a break, the field has developed further. And now I'm standing next to world-class athletes like Kristian Blummenfelt and asking myself: do I still have a chance here? Or is it time to consider ending my career?
But then comes the countdown. The nervousness turns into focus. The horn sounds - and off we go!
I get off to a strong start and after the first buoy I'm already swimming in position 2-3 - safely in the leading group. The water is bubbling, pure adrenalin - that's exactly why I love this sport.
Although we come out of the water as a large group, I know this won't last long. Blummenfelt is renowned for his initial speed on the bike. I have a clean transition, get into my shoes quickly and start pedalling at full power straight away — 340 watts from the outset, with a pulse of 180 that I still have from the fast swim. The group breaks up on the first climb. Unfortunately, I find myself at the back and lose touch with the leaders.
Fortunately, I'm a strong descender. I take the lead in the chasing group, approach the bends aggressively, brake late and ride as much as I can. I'm exhausted on the flat terrain, but Willy Hirsch takes over and brings us back to the leading group at a strong pace.
On the second downhill, I manage to work my way up from 14th to 2nd place — everything is going perfectly, I'm handling the bike really well, and my TT bike is helping me 😉. But then disaster strikes: the chain jumps off and gets jammed under the chainring. There's no chance of releasing it while riding. I have to brake hard, dismount, pull the chain out and readjust everything. Precious seconds pass and the leading group pulls past.
I'm frustrated, but that gives me an extra boost. Fuelled by anger, I accelerate, catch up with them again and even overtake many of them — I know the next big climb is coming up. Unfortunately, I've already pushed myself too hard and I lose touch slightly. But here too: I catch up again on the downhill section — I even get a KOM on Strava at the same time as Zepunkte, which shows that I can ride very strongly downhill.
I overtake a few more athletes in the second transition zone, and then it's onto the 21 km run course with 180 metres of elevation gain. I can feel that I'm not quite as fresh as I was at the GP Bern last week. However, I know that my running form is good. I quickly find my rhythm and run consistently and under control. It's only in the last 3–4 kilometres that my legs start to feel heavy — it gets tough, but I fight on.
I finished in 13th place with a pace of 3:24 min/km in a very strong field. At first, I was a bit disappointed, but now I realise that was a very strong performance. I just need a little more time to get back to my old top form. But the feeling of being healthy and happy, and running fast through the streets of Aix-en-Provence again was priceless!
Any thoughts of ending my career? Gone. I know now: I still have a real chance of being at the front of the pack.
Thank you all for your support and positive messages — they mean a great deal to me!
