Welcome to Episode #385 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We’re your hosts Coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Editor, Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.
From the great state of TX we have the IMTX pro race and USAT Multisport Fest last weekend. Next weekend is the PTO Euro Open and 70.3 Champs in St. George next weekend. Plus owning up to an EPO violation by Colin Chartier and World Champion Tips at the TriDot Kona 2023 Kickoff Event last night.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products powered by LIVESTEADY to fuel your sport.
LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. LIVSTEADY’s unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to stay focused and calm while providing the fuel you need to meet your daily challenges.
Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co
In Today’s Show
- Endurance News – IMTX, EPO, 70.3 NA Champs in St. George
- What’s new in the 303 – Kona 2023 Tips from Mark Allen, Miranda Carfrae and Michellie Jones
- Ask a Coach – Question (and Response) of the Week
- Video of the Week – USAT Multisport Festival Draft Legal and Netflix TDF Unchained Trailer
Endurance News:
IRONMAN Texas 2023 men’s results: Rudy von Berg wins a thriller
By Jonathan Turner
America’s Rudy von Berg claimed a thrilling win over Poland’s Robert Wilkowiecki and IRONMAN debutant Matthew Marquardt (USA) as the three of them finished within 22 seconds after nearly eight hours of racing at Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas – The Americas Championship.
Last year saw a sprint finish between Ben Hoffman and Magnus Ditlev and the drama matched it 12 months on.
Von Berg and Wilkowiecki had swapped the lead on the marathon but behind them Marquardt was demonstrating why he’s a rookie to keep a very close eye on.
The overall age-group winner at Kona last year after only starting the sport in 2021, this was his first ever IRONMAN race as a pro and he closed dramatically late on as Wilkowiecki looked set for the win.
But von Berg was always within range and he pounced just as the Pole started to struggle inside the final mile.
There was drama of an unwanted kind for the two big pre-race favourites – three-time Texas winner Matt Hanson’s chances disappeared after an age-grouper apparently crashed in front of him while Joe Skipper was reported to have taken on a wrong turn on the bike to scupper his hopes.
And it wasn’t a big surprise to see last year’s #1-ranked swimmer Andrew Horsfall-Turner (GBR) set the pace in the water.
But he didn’t have things all his own way – he headed a group of four at the halfway point, with Wilkowiecki on his feet, closely followed by von Berg and Marquardt.
And that was how it stayed heading into T1 as Horsfall-Turner clocked 48:50, with Marquardt rounding out the leaders as he underlined his swim prowess.
That quartet had over two minutes and more on the rest.
Of the big favourites, Hanson was 10th out of the water at +3:38. And Skipper followed his pre-race promise of “a decent swim and sitting on the best feet I can” as he too was in that same pack.
Heading onto the bike, von Berg lost a bit of time in T1 which left a leading trio out in front as the likes of Skipper and Hanson set about trying to hunt them down.
All eyes were on Skipper early on the bike and the promised ‘new Dad watts‘ looked to be forthcoming as he started to cut through the field.
His deficit on the leaders was down to 2:10 at 40 miles but the dynamic of the race started to change after that.
For the leading four of von Berg, Wilkowiecki, Marquardt and Horsfall-Turner were working well together and they gradually started to put time between themselves and the rest.
Unfortunately an age-group athlete apparently crashed in front of Hanson on the looped bike course and left him with nowhere to go and out of contention.
So heading into T2 it was von Berg and Wilkowiecki who had moved clear, with each of them clocking best-of-the-day 4:05 bike splits.
It was just the fourth IRONMAN of von Berg’s career and his performance was a nod to coach Mikal Iden, with whom he’s worked since the latter part of 2022.
Speaking in the build up, von Berg had said his goal here was “the podium or better” and that was very much on the cards.
Wilkowiecki was the only one who could match him and starting the run there were just 23 seconds between them.
Marquardt was at +2:48, Horsfall-Turner +5:42 and Guilloux +7:02 while Skipper dropped right down the standings in the last few miles of the bike section, with the live broadcast reporting he’d taken a wrong turn – all of which meant he began the marathon over 20 minutes back on the leaders.
It was fascinating up front as von Berg and Wilkowiecki swapped the lead early on.
Both looked strong but Marquardt was charging in the second half and taking chunks of time back on both of them.
No fewer than five IRONMAN World Championship slots in Nice were up for grabs and the trio were miles clear of their rivals and guaranteed a place barring a huge mishap.
It was Wilkowiecki who appeared to be holding strongest but he suddenly started to send out distress signals going into the final mile and von Berg had timed his challenge perfectly. Just 12 seconds separated them on the line and Marquardt was only 21 seconds adrift on a phenomenal pro debut.
It was nearly 10 minutes back to Guilloux in fourth, with Cody Beals taking the final Nice slot in fifth.
PRO Men
1. Rudy von Berg (USA) – 7:44:51
2. Robert Wilkowiecki (POL) – 7:45:04
3. Matthew Marquardt (USA) – 7:45:12
4. Arnaud Guilloux (FRA) – 7:54:21
5. Cody Beals (CAN) – 7:57:18
6. Ivan Tutukin (KAZ) – 8:01:40
7. David Plese (SLO) – 8:03:58
8. Thomas Davis (GBR) – 8:05:33
9. Adam Feigh (USA) – 8:06:04
10. Michael Weiss (AUT) – 8:06:12
American Pro Triathlete Collin Chartier Admits EPO Use After Positive Drug Test
An out-of-competition test by Ironman in February of this year detected the presence of erythropoietin (EPO) in a sample collected from 2022 U.S. Open Triathlon winner Collin Chartier.
APRIL 24, 2023
CHRIS FOSTER, TIM HEMING
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) announced this morning that American pro triathlete Collin Chartier tested positive for EPO from an out-of-competition test performed on February 10, 2023. Upon receipt of the positive test, Chartier admitted to the use of the banned substance to the agency, and as a result received a reduced ban of three years, down from four according to the ITA.
Erythropoietin, known as EPO, is prohibited under World Anti-Doping Agency regulations because it stimulates erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) and can modify the body’s capacity to transport oxygen, increasing stamina, and performance.
In a social media post released on Monday morning, Chartier went on to further admit his use of a “PED in November after feeling like I have lost my way in the sport,” due to “intense pressure and expectations to win the biggest races in 2024.” His post went on to say that he had no plans to return to the sport after the three-year ban was lifted.
Despite having a relatively inauspicious short course career, Chartier was an up-and-coming triathlete in the long-course scene.
Coached by Mikal Iden, the brother of reigning Ironman world champion Gustav, he was a shock winner of last year’s inaugural PTO U.S. Open in Dallas in September where he won $100,000 topping a highly competitive field including Magnus Ditlev and Sam Long.
Training alongside two-time Ironman world championship runner-up Lionel Sanders, the victory came three weeks after his first full-distance Ironman victory in Mont-Tremblant. Chartier then had a disappointing debut in Hawaii in the Ironman World Championship in October when he finished 35th.
Prior to those results, Chartier’s highest competitive finish was a win at Challenge Salou in October 2021 and a third-place finish at 70.3 Boulder in August of the same year.
Fellow pros posting in response to Chartier’s Instagram message gave mixed comments, with 2014 Ironman world champion Sebastian Kienle saying: “Let me guess, you bought it on the internet and also learned how to use it – all from the internet. Nobody helped you, nobody knew.”
Former triathlete-turned-elite-runner Lauren Goss commented: “Dude brave of you . No one sees the mental health side. Walk through the fire.”
Despite being PTO-ranked No 14 and an automatic qualifier, Chartier was not on the start-list for May’s big money PTO European Open in Ibiza. He had originally planned to race Saturday’s Ironman Texas and had been training at altitude in California, Ecuador, and Girona in Spain.
The International Testing Agency (ITA), the testing body who administered and discovered the adverse finding is a Switzerland-based, not-for-profit that claims no connection to “sporting or political powers” on its website. The ITA conducts testing for the Ironman organization from a pool of 46 professional athletes currently registered in the Ironman Registered Testing Pool (RTP) as of this writing—which includes Chartier.
Coincidentally, Ironman said that 2023 is the first year the brand has delegated results management and prosecution of doping cases to the ITA. “Testing plans are based on a variety of factors and differ from individual athlete to individual athlete, with review of specific performances, intelligence, and the testing plans of National Anti-Doping agencies to maximize resources,” Ironman said in a statement.
“Ironman does acknowledge the significance of the decision made by Collin in promptly accepting responsibility for his actions.”
What’s New in the 303:
Team Kona 2023 TriDot Women’s Team
- Mark – give your competitor the food that doesn’t have nutrition; no racing 6 weeks from kona; start at 300 calories per hour
- Michellie – Climatize but don’t spend a season in sun, humidity and heat. Make sure you know your sweat rate and sodium content. If your afraid of an ocean swim, come up with a mantra
- Rinnie – be honest about yourself and your body. Don’t just plow through a session. If you have a stressful day, take a day off. Stay at the King K the night before the race. The athlete that trains their body to take on the volume of calories you need. 1.5g/ KG/hr
- Siri – Don’t beat the dead horse.
- 42 participants including
- Matt Bach – commented on hydration and then said any other coaches want to chime in.
Video of the Week:
2023 Multisport National Championships Festival – Draft-Legal Sprint Duathlon & Triathlon
Tour de France : Unchained | Official teaser | Netflix
0 Comments