Press release:
Full pre-race interview with Thomas Hellriegel
How are you feeling coming to Ironman Lanzarote?
- I am happy to be here, I know it is a very tough race but I think it is good for me; it is a very tough bike course. It is a really good race and a good way of opening the season for me
You won here in 1997, and set the course record, can you set another course record on Saturday?
- This week the wind is so bad. I think in this condition it is not possible it's way to windy. We will see what will happen on the day. The record is here for many years now, so I think it will be hard to break it.
Are there any athletes in the field you are worried about?
- Yes there are a few good guys here, Kiril Litovtsenko, Félix Martínez and a French guy who is really strong. An Ironman race is never easy and the course is really tough as well.
Do you prefer a type of course like this one?
- For me the faster courses are not so good. For me it's better when it is a real tough course, especially a very tough bike course. Hawaii is a very long race, one of the toughest maybe and I don't know, maybe I am better in the tough than the good conditions. For me it is tough as well, but maybe the other ones suffer more than I do. But it is true, most of my wins are in the tough conditions!
You are very familiar with this course because you do a lot of training here, do you think that will help you on Saturday?
- Yes I think so because the wind here on Lanzarote is a big thing and I know all the roads, and the courses very well. It will definitely help me on the race the to have a good race the whole day and not to begin too fast and die at the end. I know that it will be really tough and that there are quite some difficult climbs. But my training camps here have definitely helped me prepare for the race.
After this race what is your plan, are you off to Germany again, and then I guess Hawaii is your big goal?
- Hawaii is my big goal. I will race the Ironman in Frankfurt in 8 weeks time so that is quite short. So hopefully it will not be to hard on Saturday!!! But first Frankfurt, after that I will have a break. Then I have to start preparing for the Ironman Hawaii, which I will be doing here in Club La Santa in September!
So you just love this island?
- Yes, I think especially here it is a good preparation for Hawaii because it is also windy, lava and it is quite similar to the race in Hawaii so a good preparation. For us Europeans it is only a 4-hour flight so it makes it easy to come here.
What are the differences between Lanzarote and Hawaii or are there very few differences?
- Here the course is hillier but the wind is about the same, or can be about the same. The only thing is that the roads here in Spain are not as good, they are bumpier. In Hawaii, the roads are much better and nicer. It makes it more difficult but it's quite similar I think! In Hawaii there is more humidity and it's cooler, here in Lanzarote it is a little bit warmer. It also of course depends on which side of the island you are. This side is cooler than for example Puerto del Carmen.
How much of a factor is the competition in Hawaii? The course is tough enough, it seems that when you get to Hawaii it is just so competitive, and that makes it that much more difficult to.
- Yeah of course Hawaii is the biggest race in the world. So all the good athletes are there and it makes it very competitive. Everybody pushes each other and then we always see the very good performances. It is because the course is tough and the field is very strong so the athletes push each other. That's the good thing.
Is it harder or easier to have a really good strong performance here because the field is less strong?
- Of course it also depends on your own motivation. You have to give everything to have a really good result. That is the same in every race. But if you see the other strong guys it is easier I think to give more than riding alone or if it is not that competitive.
How important would a really impressive win be for leading into the races and coming into Hawaii, would that be something that is important to you?
- Of course a win is always good and important for an athlete. For me it would be a good motivation. It is good to go to Hawaii and have some good results already. Then the pressure is not so high. If you did not have a good year, and not very good races, the pressure is even higher. With a good season behind you it is easier to race Hawaii!
Are you coming back to your roots a little bit? You have not been racing here for quite some time what motivated you to come back?
- I mean here the course is very tough, I would not want to do it every year. But now it was time to come back, and it is definitely nice to be back. It is a great race and very tough. I would be really proud if I would win in it as I realize that it is one of the most difficult races in the world.
Thomas actually won the race on Lanzarote on Saturday 17 May. It did become tough though! On the run, at some stage, he was passed by Félix Martínez who had followed him almost all the way close by, and the more he was getting close to the finish, the more the Estonian was approaching him.
But Thomas did win!
|
