Home

DRAFT OLD VERSION LIVE Edit Create Copy Create Template
{"ID":147,"SpaceID":6,"PageID":59,"HasCommentsThread":false,"SeoTags":{"OpenGraphTags":[{"ID":"og:title","Name":"ETU Middle Distance Aquabike European Championships - Coimbra"},{"ID":"og:type","Name":"website"},{"ID":"og:url","Name":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Cms/Spaces/NA24/ETU+Middle+Distance+Aquabike+European+Championships++Coimbra"}],"NonOpenGraphTags":[]},"Path":"ETU+Middle+Distance+Aquabike+European+Championships++Coimbra","Title":"ETU Middle Distance Aquabike European Championships - Coimbra","Author":{"ID":72,"Name":"Joshua Lahiri","CompanyName":null,"HasEmail":true},"Version":2,"IsDraft":false,"IsOldVersion":false,"PublicationDate":"24/02/2025 14:09","VersionDescription":"v2 - Joshua Lahiri","HideHeader":false,"IsFullWidth":false,"ThemeCode":null,"BackgroundColour":"rgb(182, 47, 61)","JumpLinks":[],"Blocks":[{"Columns":[{"Width":8,"WidthClasses":"col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12","Elements":[{"ID":880,"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eWe’ll try and keep this intro short and sweet, I’m sure you’ve heard far too much from me already about this one! This report comes to you from Josh Lahiri at the European aquabike Championships in Portugal!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eArrival\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022font-family: Roboto, \u0022 helvetica=\u0022\u0022 neue\u0022,=\u0022\u0022 helvetica,=\u0022\u0022 arial,=\u0022\u0022 sans-serif;=\u0022\u0022 -webkit-text-size-adjust:=\u0022\u0022 100%;\u0022=\u0022\u0022\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eFlying out on the Wednesday before the race, all went smoothly and the bike arrived in one piece, the biggest challenge of the day being wrestling the bike box up 4 flights of stairs to get to our apartment for the weekend that had no lift! Thursday was all about rebuilding the bike, registering and a little splash in the awesome 50 m pool that the organisers had provided us with access to for free throughout race week! Have to say they smashed things out the park, really treated us age groupers like pros all week!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eFriday was where the fun really began, a course recce on the bike with some fellow GB aquabikers and a few final openers to get things moving! Was very much a course of two halves, some short punchy climbs in the early stages, followed by some drag strip dual carriageway riding, a drag up the suspension bridge and then winding through town before heading back in to aero mode to complete the lap! We’d be completing 4 of these come race day and it became apparent that it was not a course to be under estimated!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eSaturday morning came round and what’s this? Things are all rather civilised in terms of start times! With the triathletes on course from 9 am the aquabikers got our own stand alone start and race, not starting until 1230! This meant a lot of time just trying to chill and figure out what to do with myself, made a change from the usual silly o’clock starts in the UK! A short walk to transition late, I set up my nutrition, shoes in pedals ready for a flying mount and pumped up the tyres before joining my parents on the river bank for a quick warm up before the off!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eSwim 1900 m - 30:41\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eWe have lift off! Rolling starts with 5 athletes going in every 5 seconds meant things were positively civilised to start the swim! Downstream to start and moving smoothly to settle in to the groove, round the bend and heading back in to the current, headed for nearer the bank to minimise any current affect and really tried to push on! Seemed to be effective as I started to close the gap on the swimmers ahead, coming out the water in a group of 3.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eTransition - 01:49\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eRun run run, wetsuit down, run run run, watch off, run run run, bloomin heck this is a long transition! Arrive at bikes, biggest threat in AG (Joao Rebelo, POR) bike is gone, don’t panic, slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Glasses on, helmet on, everything in the box, don’t get a penalty now, pick up bike and away we go! Time to go hunting!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eBike 88 km - 2:17:15 (9th Fastest of the Day!)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eSmooth start, safe mount, over the cobbles, use the first downhills to get the shoes in the feet, then it’s time to tuck in and get after it! Strong first half lap and a few athletes start coming in to sight, Ross Hamilton (IRL, former world #1…) Colin Nadin (GBR, rapid) and Mack Grenfell (GBR, young gun) plus a few others. Playing within the 12m drafting rules, good working group of 4 with the other anglo athletes, taking turns, figuring out when to sit in etc. As we start to swallow up some of the stronger swimmers the group swells in size, plenty sitting in doing very little at rather dubious distances at times!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eWoooosh! Woooosh! Wooosh! 3 of the top 4 overall (Keith Murray, GBR, Mathieu Dumont, FRA, Frank Erk, GER) come steaming past in quick succession like we are standing still! No chance of jumping on for a quick tow there then! 2 laps down, keep working, keep fueling, spray water over head at aid station to keep cool! Second wind engaged and off we go! Open up a gap on the flats and grow it even further over the suspension bridge. Settle in to the effort and try and keep moving away! \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eLap 4 hits, the hills and heat start to bite! Maybe not paid enough attention to the nutrition after all… Hamilton rolls me with about 10 km to go, don’t quite have the legs to stay with him. Keep pushing, try to shift in to the small ring for the last roundabout and climb, mech goes in to crash mode… note to self, elastic bands and rear mechs don’t mix! now stuck in 55-11 with 4 km of town twisties to go… the groups back on me now, fighting for position and draft zones are slightly out the window. Feet out the shoes, swing in to the cobbled finish straight and try and sprint for the dismount line, thread the needle to avoid the bodies trying to recover from their efforts, Job Done! Head to the finish line, pose for photos and debrief with some of the other racers. Spot my parents at the barriers, been top supporters all day, we all find out the results. 2:49:46, 11th Overall, 3rd GB Overall, and M30-34 AG AQUABIKE EUROPEAN CHAMPION! I may have let out a bit of a roar!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eReflections\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\u0022\u003eSo that’s it, first half of the season done, main goal for the year completed! Redemption from Menen achieved! And a whole lot of lemonade made along the way in these last 2 years! Two weeks on and I still don’t think things have quite sunk in yet! If anyone is looking for a new challenge, a super tight and supportive community, a step outside the comfort zone and some competitive racing to boot, I’d highly recommend giving Aquabike a go! Door is always open if anyone’s got any questions or needs advice, and hopefully I’ll see some of you on the start line soon!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":null,"ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"Alignment":null,"Position":null,"Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":null,"Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false}]},{"Width":4,"WidthClasses":"col-md-4 col-sm-6 col-xs-12","Elements":[{"ID":881,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Client/Images/Cms/40449468.JPEG","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":882,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Client/Images/Cms/40449463.JPEG","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":883,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Client/Images/Cms/40449467.JPEG","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":884,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Client/Images/Cms/40449479.JPEG","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":885,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Client/Images/Cms/IMG_6229.jpg","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":886,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Client/Images/Cms/40449481.JPEG","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false}]}],"ColumnSpacing":"5px","BottomMargin":"0px","TopPadding":"0px","IsFullWidth":false,"IsBackgroundFullWidth":false,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""}}],"PageURL":"https://www.petersfieldtriathlonclub.co.uk/Cms/Spaces/NA24/ETU+Middle+Distance+Aquabike+European+Championships++Coimbra?version=2","AllVersions":[],"Comments":[],"UpdatedComments":[],"Spaces":[],"IsWatching":false,"LastViewTime":null,"CanEdit":false,"CanPublish":false,"CanCopy":false,"CanCreateTemplate":false,"CanComment":false,"CanReadComments":false,"CanModerateComments":false,"CanLike":false,"CanWatch":false}
{"HeaderName":"RequestVerificationToken","RequestToken":"CfDJ8MljcUAytMJOkynrZd8yvT2KH4xsECbT1967zDrWY09-iVCtNm6DCtyQh62Q1znGRitM2rAb0gh6pIc2a3pwJypduALigyyE2gshJtyM0dqvwwZZazMlQG0Naz2JekBNNPgzDRB85mwGz4f7YB0zjKU"}