2nd and 8th Respectively for Comerford and Bayliss at Ebrunman 2006
Sunday, 20th August 2006
Bella Comerford and Stephen Bayliss, Britain's Ironcouple, are in positive spirits this weekend following a tough day at the Embrunman triathlon last week, and are greatly looking forward to next weekend's European Long Distance Championships.
Comerford (whose record in the mammoth event (11 hours 41 minutes after 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run) set in 2002 still stands, finished 2nd to Estelle Leroi of France, racing on home soil. Following a good swim, Comerford lost time overcoming mechanical problems with her bike, and Leroi's lead had become unassailable.
She says: 'I was excited to be back at Embrun following my win in 2002, and it turned out to be a long tough day, just as I remembered! Overall I swam and ran well but the mechanical problems with the bike slowed me down'.
Meanwhile Bayliss finished in 8th position, despite some of the competition's best transition times between the disciplines. He was competing for the podium with the leading pack until 75km of the bike ride, where he fell into 8th in climbing the race's pivotal Col d'Izoard mountain pass. He ran consistently to hold his position in 8th.
'I was expecting a long tough day and that is what I got. I was happy with my result and feel it shows more improvement in fitness', says Bayliss who with Comerford has spent most of the summer training in Leysin, Switzerland with coach Brett Sutton.
Now the pair have their eyes firmly on next weekend's ITU Almere Long Distance Triathlon European Championships in the Netherlands. Both feel that the Embrunman experience has made them tougher and are recovering well.
Comerford says, 'I love flat courses so I am excited to race in Holland!', while Bayliss adds, 'I am looking forward to the European Champs next weekend where I hope to improve on the Bronze medal I won there last year'.
EmbrunMan is an Ironman in the South French Alps, with 5000m of climbing and the main climb going up the famous Col d'izoard.
Source: Press Release
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