Europe Triathlon

Way back. Indeed very way back when ETU’s races were being shown on Eurosport and when Arena were one of the sponsors, Europe was a playground for athletes from all over the world. A few would get together, buy a big old car and drive from race to race, collecting prize-money and building up the exciting experiences that went with racing in Europe.

Move the clock forwards and take a look at any of the start lists for an ETU event this year on the European Cup series and there is a strong likelihood that you will see athletes from outside Europe listed for the start.

What makes Europe so attractive? Well, the variety of events is one reason. This year we have 13 currently on the list, over standard and sprint distances. 13 events in 10 countries. Some are “Premium European Cups” that means more prize-money and usually a bigger number of athletes.

With our nations so closely linked and with the relative ease of travel between countries, Europe has become the place to be for athletes who want quality races, new experiences, prize-money and points.

Just one athlete who fits this bill has made one of the longest journeys. New Zealand is pretty much as far away as you can get but Anneke Jenkins made that trip. Her first taste of racing here on the circuit was in 2013 at the classic race in the Netherlands. Holten, what a great way to start. Her 5th place was improved upon when she raced in Geneva in the pre-ETU European Championships event in 2014. Her 4th place just missed the podium, upon which there was only one European. She had another 4th in Banyoles the following week and she was ready for Madrid. Her silver at that race was against some stiff opposition. World title in Aquathlon was added. Only last weekend she took silver on the new, improved Madrid course.

But why come to Europe? Jenkins explains here:

“Racing in Europe. I will admit it has taken a bit of getting used to, racing in Europe, or just travelling in general. Travelling with a bike and so much gear is always a challenge but I am learning the tricks of the trade. When I first started I would try to pack every little thing I “might” need, now I pack what I have to have and am a bit more relaxed and know I can pick up something where ever I am based. As for being based in Spain, the first adjustment was the shift in when the days start and end, “Spanish time”. But I adapted to that over the first summer here summer and it feels normal now.

The major benefit of being based in Europe is that the proximity of good quality races over the season means there is so much more opportunity to race. While I will always love home and I can’t wait to have some time home in NZ soon, the different ITU levels all have multiple races here in Europe and it is much easier to get at them on European travel times than from 12,000 miles away!

I’ve learned a lot from travelling and racing in a different country every couple of weeks. Organisation and preparation is key, being relaxed and able to go with the flow is something I really had to learn, so many things go wrong when travelling so much, especially with a bike! I’ve also found it necessary to adjust to training in different locations – down to things like checking the traffic by looking both ways endlessly (which side do they drive on here?) because today could be different to last week. Now when I travel to different events I need to work out beforehand what and where the best training facilities are and start making the most of them as quickly as possible on arrival.

For the 2014 Madrid European cup I was based at the training centre for a few days before and after the race and it was perfect; it made everything so easy! I was able to keep to my schedule, basically without interruption, right up to race day. It helped me stay relaxed and feel confident in the work I had done. Knowing the course and where facilities around the race are and how to access them is really important and saves a lot of stress!

I admit, I do struggle with the language barrier in Spain and that’s something I definitely need to work on, but everyone is so helpful and friendly and I’m getting used to how things happen now. With good preparation and with my nerves under control I felt good lining up at the start in a different country and generally the pre-race schedule is the same wherever the race. A tougher, more technical, course suits me, like in Madrid, or Geneva, for both of them it was hard and hot!

The European Cups are really enjoyable and go super smoothly, they are great for someone like me that is pretty new to the sport and there is always some good competition, but not completely out of my depth. In Madrid, I was happy with my 2nd place result – my first podium at an ITU event! – And the champagne-spraying was fun! There are always lessons to be learned from every race and I’m taking those with me on to my final two races for the season – Alanya World Cup this weekend and then the Garmin Barcelona Triathlon back in Spain.

When you are after consistent race experience, Europe is the place! Every weekend you could find a competitive race somewhere! A big plus is that there are so many places with great training facilities, spread right throughout Europe. That’s a major attraction for us non-Europeans, especially as more races are based in these training hot-spots. It is much better to get to somewhere two or three weeks out (or even longer, if funding allows) to acclimatise to a different training venue, different terrains, different options and then to race in what has become familiar territory. There is so much adaptation required that building in a bit of familiarity and a temporary base helps so much with how you feel on race day. I guess sometimes it’s tough to be away from home for such a long period of time, but it is totally worth it.

There is just no way you can get this type of race experience in New Zealand. The depth of athletes make racing tough, fast and furious and I learn so much every time I race. Also when you are racing a lot, backing up one week to the next, it is hard, but it makes you tough and stronger. After all I am learning and have some much to work on, I don’t want to waste any time! It will be great to go home to NZ for a holiday and then again next year for pre-race season training camp, the terrain and scenery is beautiful and there are some great, tough races on during the NZ summer. Best of both worlds when you get to follow the summers!”

So, there you have it. If it works, the rewards are huge.

A great and personal account of racing in Europe. See her this weekend in Cagliari.