Geelong Multi-Sport Festival Race Report

Geelong MultiSport Festival 10^th -12^th Feb 2012
Including: Subaru OD Triathlon & Urban 2.80.20

Early Saturday morning the Geelong contingency of Tri Alliance began their commute down the highway for another weekend of great achievements, personal bests and ticking boxes!

On arrival we were lucky enough to be on time to cheer on one of our favourite TA athletes Monty Cooper as he set out for the Carter Special Tri. We missed his podium finish but we were back in time to hear him cheering and encouraging his fellow athletes being a true sportsman!! Great work Monty you even managed celebrity status on the big screen Sunday.

The athletes endured a fairly soggy pre race session with Darren sharing his knowledge of the course and a lesson learnt by all…… If you walk on wet gravel and grass in your cleats make sure you clean them before heading off for a ride or you may end up having a spill. This from an unlikely coach/athlete Evelyn who has the cleanest equipment around!!

With the pre race session wrapped up it was time to erect with pride the TA ½ Taj. Without Sarah or Ollie to guide proceedings Adam and Darren took to the helm wheeling the Taj down a long steep hill but it wasn’t long before they hit a spot of trouble. Firstly the trolley wheels were flat then to further complicate the situation one of the wheels went solo down the hill. So after a failed attempt at fixing the wheel and the option of rolling the tent down the hill ruled out it was finally erected.

Just one more word before we move on to race day. Registration and checking in your bike should take no more than 1 hour, unless you are a Tri Alliance athlete………….it took me  (coach Emma) 4 hours to manage this task being stopped roughly every 2meters when met by another athlete or TA associate past and present. Next time I’m going dressed as a civilian with big sunglasses.

RACE DAY: WET & COLD but inspired by our FALLS CREEK athletes!

Despite the conditions the water was representative of a still lake much to the delight of all athletes. This however may have been offset by the fact that at least for the OD Tri the swim was longer than 1.5k’s.

Onto the ride course and it was a game of Russian roulette as competitor after competitor was knocked out by a flat tyre or crash on the wet and less than ideal road surface. Tri Alliance did not escape the danger with Coach Darren ending his race early due to a flat (the risk of running singles), Brett Archbold also falling victim to the dreaded flat and Rachael Stonestreet came close to crashing on the slippery turn heading back to transition but managed to save herself and receive applause from onlookers.

Tri Alliance Mafia keeping order in the streets of G’TOWN

The run proved to be a challenge heading out of transition competitors were faced with a 300m hill and if like me you chose to suck it and see then the second hill that came shortly after proved hell. Thankfully the sun made an appearance so that all athletes enjoyed a dry run through the finishing chute for a tidy photo finish.

PODIUMS, PB’S & STANDOUTS

• Michelle Grocock – Taking out 2^nd in the Athena’s section had to ask for her moment of stardom after USM left her category out of the presentations
• Richelle Olsen – Taking out 3rd in the Athena’s section but unawares of her own achievements was already on the highway heading home
• Emma Donati – Taking out 1^st age group category and learning a few lessons in race prep
• Lisa Dominguez – Racing back to back took 4^th age group category
• Ryan Bourke – Fastest TA OD athlete taking 4^th age group category
• John Grant- Top 10 finish with a smoking bike leg in the Long Course
• Dax Stanley, Mark Jenkins – Knocking over Geelong in preparation for their fist Ironman races.
• Brett Archbold, Steve Akins & Rob Scapin- looking in fine form for their Ironman races
• Chris Ormston – Smashed his own expectations with an 11 min PB for his 3^rd OD in 3 weeks!
• Rachel Stonestreet, Xavier Flynn & Jonathan Carberry – Completing their first OD race, congrats guys
• Evalin Ling – Finished the race with bloody knees and elbows after her wetsuit assaulted her wounds from the previous days fall
• Jo Stavrou, Steve Akins, Mark Jenkins, Jono Tucker & Simon Gronow – For staying back to pack up the tent (hopefully no one was missed)

Congratulations to all athletes who competed in this fantastic event along with the travelling support crew, some of which multi tasked with their long run.

Now to this weekends ‘home town race’ at Elwood – Race 5 of the Gatorade and Active Feet Tri Sereis.