As everyone was hinting at before this year’s race, weather permitting it was going to be fast for the pro’s and it certainly didn’t disappoint. From the outside looking in, you would think these performances suggest that today’s pro’s are far fitter than they were in the past. However, if you dig a little deeper you can see that there is some blurriness here.
This year’s swim had 19 in the front group. In the past the swimmers were far more strung out so there was not always the opportunity to hide in the bunch and save energy and keep core temperature down. Likewise swim speed suits have now become the norm with every athlete swimming in one. Over the past 10 years this technology has also improved a lot. Its main benefit is to reduce the drag that bare skin or old tri-suits create making for a faster swim time.
The bike has taken a while but finally we are seeing massive breakthroughs in performances. The fact Sebastian Kienle, in his final Kona rode a massive PB for the course, shows just how far things have come. The bikes now are super aero, with everything tucked out of the way to allow the bike to side through the air. Then we have the helmets and sunglasses which are now all integrated to reduce drag. The skinsuits they are wearing are so tight and made from material that reduces drag and even the socks are aero. This year the rear wheels were also far deeper than I have seen used in the past. Then they have the positioning work they do in the labs to make them as aero as possible.
But having said all of this nothing can take away from Sam Laidlow’s ride. To put 5minutes into Cam Wurth and Magnus Ditlev, the strongest riders in the peloton, all over the last 90km was incredible.
This year they said they were going to smash the course run record and that is exactly what happened. The new era of super shoes is making the course shorter than ever. While Chelsea Cedaro almost made it to the Olympics as a runner, so she is clearly talented, she was able to walk every aid station and still run a 2.51, while Gustav’s 2.36 marathon was just crazy.
So yes, these times are fast, but I am pretty confident the champions of the past will still stack up well against them. There are no magic sessions that people are doing now that will make a person 10% faster compared to the past, but we are a lot smarter and that is showing up.
But the one piece of equipment that probably decided the day for Blummenfelt was that he didn’t wear a hat. At every aid station Gustav was able to fill his cap with ice, while Kristian ran on through. Keeping core temperature down is vital for these races and I think this may have been a factor in the end.
But nothing takes away from the performances that our winners put up. To hear Gustav talk of the pain he endured, saying it was the hardest thing he had ever done and that there was no guarantee he would be back shows the level of hurt he is prepared to endure for the win.
So, if you are at the pointy end of your field then it is important that you leave no stone unturned if you want to measure performances on time. The only problem is these technological gains come at a cost so you will have to weigh up the cost benefits for yourself.