With 3 athletes at the start grid of Ironman Texas, the Uplace-BMC Pro Triathlon Team was well represented in the North American Championship Ironman. The men's podium was dominated by Matt Hanson (USA: 8:07:03), with a deserved win in a new course record, Joe Skipper (GBR: 8:16:26) came second and Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI: 8:21:03) of the Uplace-BMC Pro Triathlon Team came third after a strong come back.
The women's race was won by Angela Naeth (CAN: 8:55:19), followed by Leanda Cave (GBR: 8:58:12) and Rachel Joyce (GBR: 9:05:02). Corinne Abraham (GBR: 9:12:20) of the Uplace-BMC Pro Triathlon Team came 5th after a solid race with the fastest bike split. Her teammate Sofie Goos finished in 10th position (BEL: 9:27:58).
This brings the 2015 total already to 7 wins and 14 podium finishes for the Uplace-BMC Pro Triathlon Team.
Ronnie Schildknecht 3rd in Ironman Texas
Ronnie Schildknecht made a serious come back during the race with a strong run, he was obviously very happy with his podium finish: ”I had a solid swim, although I lost a little bit too much time. So I tried to ride really solid the first 60km, we closed the gap quickly, every 20km 1 minute. After 90km, I got an unfortunate penalty. I had to refocus after that 5’ penalty. I came of the bike in 12th position. From then on I had nothing to lose. In the end, I was really motivated when I was moving up places. I didn’t expect it. After the penalty, I hoped to get away with a top 6 position. I am happy; I made the podium and I have my qualification for Hawaii. It’s really satisfying to be on the podium. The most remembered races are the ones when you think it’s over but then you put your head down and give all you have.”
Corinne Abraham 5th in Ironman Texas
Corinne Abraham learned a lot today and was satisfied with her 5th place in this strong field: “It was a tough day out there, but I am pleased overall. I really pushed hard on the bike. I used it as an opportunity to check my boundaries on the bike. I am really disappointed with the swim. It was just not good enough. In the 3 lap run course, the first lap was really tough, I struggled to find a good rhythm. My run used to be my strength, I am trying to change the way I race. I feel I have a positive learning experience from racing today.”
Sofie Goos 10th in Ironman Texas
Sofie Goos, who came 2nd in Ironman 70.3 Brasilia a couple of weeks ago, was not satisfied with her result: “With the Kona ranking in mind, my goal was to be top 5 or top 6, which would be difficult because the field was really strong in Texas. On a good day any thing would be possible. I started off with a decent swim. On the bike, I felt really confident. I got off the bike in 10th position. At the beginning of the marathon, I didn’t feel really well. It was the worst marathon I ever ran, I struggled the whole time. It was a tough day and I had to dig really deep. The positions in front of me didn’t switch a lot, so I ended in 10th position, which was not good enough for me. But that is sports, some times it goes well and some times you wish you performed better. I know what to do now for my next race Ironman 70.3 Luxemburg. I look forward to that race and I hope it will be a better day for me.”
Post race interviews:
Ronnie Schildknecht:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxEs_ohBsIw&list=PLro3Y6W3uz757Zvcx5E3yLo4reZk5zyd6&index=7
Corinne Abraham:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ22avXjyjA&list=PLro3Y6W3uz757Zvcx5E3yLo4reZk5zyd6&index=6
Sofie Goos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdYOY3Wi-zs&index=8&list=PLro3Y6W3uz757Zvcx5E3yLo4reZk5zyd6
Race results:
http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/coverage/athlete-tracker.aspx?race=texas&y=2015#axzz3aHSyVgYS
