Paul Clegg Rides for All Terrain Cycles in Spanish Duathlon World Championships

I got home from Spain last night after racing on Sunday. I had a good race and finished just outside of the top 10.

 

The first run went well but I couldn’t get as close to the front of the group at the start as I would have liked. A US athlete fell in front of me at the first corner and with the quality of the field being so high it was at least a mile into the run before everyone spread out and there was enough room to take the best line around the corners. 

 

The bike leg suited me as it started with a continuous climb for around 5.5 miles, I made up time over the quicker runners and was continuously passing people on the way up. Only one athlete overtook me up the hill. At the turn around point I was only about a minute and a half back from the race leaders. The descent back into the city was going really well until my chain came off when I changed to the small ring to spin over an incline, stopping to put it back on cost me at least 30 seconds and I think without it I would have set the 2nd fastest bike split in my age group.

 

Coming back into transition a Mexican athlete failed to unclip properly and ended up on the floor in front of me, I had to jump off the bike quickly and run through the transition area with my shoes still on instead of getting my feet out and running barefoot.

 

The second run went as planned, I seem to be one of the stronger runners off the bike as I maintained the same average pace from the first run where most athletes pace drops considerably.

 

All in all I’m quite pleased with the result for my first season in the sport and on a new bike. Just slightly disappointed about losing my chain as I think I would have finished 8th otherwise.

 

I’ve been struggling with a shin injury from running over the last 12-14 months and I’ve only been able to manage running twice a week. I’m going to start seeing my physio more often and look at getting fortnightly massages, I’m confident that once I get to the bottom of the injury I can easily improve my run speed, keep up in the first run and set the fastest split on the second.

 

I’m planning on racing a TT every week over the summer to get some good practice in.

 

I’m hugely confident that once I’ve done the above things I will be in contention for a medal at the Euros (usually in April) and the Worlds in Adelaide (October 2015).

 

Thanks again to you and everyone at All Terrain Cycles shop for your support, it’s been hugely helpful and without it I wouldn’t have raced anywhere near as well.

 

Official results are here -

http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2014_pontevedra_itu_duathlon_world_championships/267003