Noumea International Triathlon Race Report

Photo by: Bruno Moure

Event

22.04.18
8am start Elite Women
 

Start number

14
 

Olympic  distance

2 lap 750m ocean swim- beach start, calm ocean conditons. 3x lap 40km  bike course- Draft Free, following coastline of Noumea. 4x 2.5km lap run along Oceanfront. 
 

Weather

Hot & Humid race day! Strong winds up to 35km/hr! Headwind on return for each lap of bike & run.
 

Result

1st Elite Female😊 
 

Set in the pristine Pacific shores of Noumea New Caledonia, i was thrilled to be invited here for the 33rd International Noumea Olympic Triathlon Elite Event. 

Arriving on a short flight from Sydney I quickly settled into the French Island, enjoying the warm sun, white palm lined beaches, the delicious baguettes and great coffee, all at a .... large cost! 

I knew after a day of prep training that the race would be very hot, & windy! It was going to be a tough test. Choosing to bring my Avanti Corsa Road Bike instead of a more favourable Time Trial bike (due to training commitments prior) I knew i was on the back foot & would need to work hard early in the race!

Getting off to a great mass start with the men, I was able to use their drag to get away in a front lead pack of 5 where we drew away from the remaining field, getting on the bike with over a minute lead to the next female, it was time to put my head down, butt up & get into an aerodynamic Time Trial position & push hard on the bike early. I was very pleased with my ride to stay consistently strong over the 40km, well clear of any drafting & yet I was surprised to see how much time & lead i was establishing each lap on the bike to the other girls chasing, giving me the ability to get off the bike with a 4 minute lead, confident & with a rare oppourtunity to focus purely on my run form & not the external race factors. 

Running out with the wind, turning back into the strong headwind, as the course hugged the Anse Vata Bay. Producing a solid run off a hard bike to tale the tape & enjoy a solid win here in Noumea. Awesome to have a great hit out for my year's first Olympic Distance race, always a bit of a shock to the body doubling the racing time!