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Triathlon's golden couple victorious in Wanaka

2012-01-24T00:20:00.000-08:00

Text by Triathlon New Zealand.
Photos by Mike Heydon.

Surely the fittest and fastest couple on the planet, Laurent Vidal and Andrea Hewitt proved victorious in a stunning day's racing at the latest round of the Contact Tri Series in front of huge crowds in Wanaka.

The men's race was dubbed the ‘Doddsy Challenge' with local boy Tony Dodds boosting the prize money from two thousand dollars to ten grand in a winner takes all pressure cooker. And Dodds disappoint in front of his home fans, supporters and the local businesses that had contributed to the prize pool, leading out of the water and riding prominently in a group that included Kris Gemmell, Vidal, Ryan Sissons and Aurelien LeBrun, winner in Christchurch last week.

Once on the run it was Dodds, Vidal and Sissons who broke clear, with flying Frenchman Aurelien LeBrun. As he did last year though the likeable Vidal kicked clear on the run to win back to back Wanaka titles and make it a double for himself and partner Andrea Hewitt.

"I don't think I stole it today, I went out and get it. The crowd was awesome, I really appreciate it I know I am not the favourite here but they gave me and the whole field great support. Doddsy is amazing; the race is amazing, so well done to him and to the organisers. I'm glad I won; everyone was hoping Doddsy might win, but he is on the podium so that is good too.

"On the run Tony was looking at me at the place I moved last year, so I didn't go, I waited for the hill and pushed then, I had to work very hard to be honest. It was a very hard race.”

Sissons finished strongly to kick clear of Dodds into second place and spoke of a good day.  "We spat a few out on the swim, it was hard and choppy but I got out where I needed to be and in the front pack; that was key to a good race. I did a fair bit on the bike, keeping the pace solid; maybe I did a little too much. On the run I came into my own on the final lap and started closing in but ran out of time.”  Dodds was philosophical in finishing third, knowing that he had given his all in front of a huge home crowd.

"Laurent is the nicest guy around so you have to give him credit, he raced really well. I really wanted the money today so I could give it back to the community but I was getting attacked every corner on the bike by the likes of Laurent, Gemmell and others. But we managed to close the gap every time.  "Then on the run it was so hard, we just went for it. I'm really proud though, it has been a great day, a great race and an amazing crowd. I gave it absolutely everything, I went out fast, held on but the Frenchman did it again.”

In the women's race it was a group of six athletes who emerged together from the swim, a group that included Andrea Hewitt (Christchurch), Debbie Tanner (Auckland), Sophie Corbidge (Auckland) and a strong representation from Holland in Rachel Klamer, Dane Boterenbrood and Sarissa De Vries. Corbidge though found the going tough and lost contact on the first lap of 8 on the 20km bike leg and De Vries followed soon after to leave a lead group of four, it was Holland against New Zealand.  With strong cyclist Nicky Samuels not competing due to a second bout of heart surgery to repair an arrhythmia problem the group stayed together throughout, no one in the lead group was prepared to risk a solo effort into the strong North Westerly.  The group of four exited the bike together and headed out on the run but as is her trademark, Hewitt put in an early burst to take the lead with Tanner and Klamer settling in 10m behind. That was the way it stayed for the first two laps until a great burst from the Dutchwoman drew her level with Hewitt while Tanner too closed the gap on the final lap.  It was Hewitt though who prevailed, outsprinting Klamer to the line to win by the barest of margins with Tanner in a good early season hit out close behind in third.

"This is a great, hard race to start the season”, said Hewitt.
"It is always good to come to Wanaka, we are often here training but racing is awesome, the Dutch gave a good challenge and a great sprint finish. I was taken by surprise and thought I could be in trouble here but the pace dropped off a little and I had the pace in the end to win, the crowd certainly help lift me, I have been training pretty hard and this is a great way to start 2012.”  Klamer was delighted with her race, showing the improvement under NZ triathlon legend John Hellemans who is coaching the Dutch programme.  "It was amazing, I saw Andrea and thought I am coming closer to her but I knew she was playing a game with me, in the end I thought okay, I will try and go now, I gave everything I had but she had a better sprint than me. This was amazing, I missed some Dutch people all I could hear was Kiwi, Kiwi!”  
Conditions were testing for the athletes in Wanaka today, with wind at times causing plenty of chop on the Lake and leading to a few scary moments on the bike on the tight and technical bike course.   But none of that could deter the huge and noisy crowd lining Ardmore Road, enjoying the warm sunshine and the great hospitality in front of one of the greatest landscape vistas you will find anywhere in the world.
Earlier in the day a record field of age groupers enjoyed their day with children in the Contact 1:2:1 and the beginner Contact 3:9:3 but the huge crowds will remember for a long time the world class racing to end the day with Hewitt and Vidal the best of high quality fields.

Contact Tri Series  Wanaka

Elite Women 
1. Andrea Hewitt (Christchurch) 1:01:12 
2. Rachel Klamer (Holland) 1:01:13 
3. Debbie Tanner (Auckland) 1:01:38 
4. Dane Boterenbrood (Holland) 1:01:56
5. Sophie Corbidge (Auckland) 1:04:30  
Elite Men
1. Laurent Vidal (France) 55:25 
2. Ryan Sissons (Auckland) 55:34 
3. Tony Dodds (Wanaka) 56:04 
4. Aurelien LeBrun (France) 56:14
5. Jan Van Berkel (Holland) 56:35

Press:
The press 21/01/2012 - Hewitt & Vidal too strong in Wanaka.
Otago Daily Times 21/01/2012 - Multisport: Second win some revenge for World Cup.
TVNZ 21/01/2012 - Laurent Vidal takes all in "Doddsy Challenge".

Christmas Update

2011-12-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

From Christchurch I wish you all a merry Christmas and I hope you are having a great time.

My break has gone very fast and it's already time to think about 2012.
I am sahring with you two short videos (from my facebook page) I made and hopefully they are gonna give you a little taste of NZ.

After more earthquakes last week (Cf. photos below) it has settled down here and I am getting ready to leave Christchurch for a month of altitude training down south in Wanaka.

Kia Kaha.
Laurent

Leading into 2012.

2011-12-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

The last season of racing is probably my best so far and all the signs of my Olympic campaign are green.
The Olympic Race is definitely special, I have learnt it from my Beijing experience. It's not just a race, it is THE RACE and I see it as a great opportunity to do what I love in front of the world's eyes.
My 2012 Olympic "build up" started back in november 2008 but as an athlete it has been 15 years of everyday training. I have evolved with time but I always stayed focus on achieving my short/middle term goals without forgeting my ultimate target.
For 2011, I had only one goal: secure an olympic spot as soon as I had an opportunity. This is what I did in London WCS. For the first time in my sporting career I had my fastest race of the year on the race that everybody wanted to win ( this is something I was working on the last 18months).
I had to sacrifice for it, especially in the events prior to the Olympic selection but nevermind... It was what I had to do!
My second target of the year was the end of the season with the World Championship final in Beijing and two weeks later the French National Championship.
Once again I was happy with my performances with a 5th in Beijing and winning my second french champion title.
And finally, I raced consistently all year round ( see World tour 2011) and out of my 17 races I had 16 top 12 finishes including 13 top 7, 6 podium and 4 victories.
These are only statistics and they are just an indicator of how my training is going.
The only thing I keep in my mind for next year's training is IMPROVING as much as possible sticking to my targets, I won't waste my time analysing everybody elses performances.

Anyway, after a few weeks break, I am now back into my training in New Zealand and for the fourth year in a row I will prepare my season of racing in Christchurch with Andrea.
Andrea had a fantastic year, probably a bit better than what she expected. She also qualified for the Games, got 2nd at World Champs, won the final of the World Champs, won in Yokohama and enjoyed the feeling of a victory on home soil at the Auckland World Cup!

Now it's back to normal, we train hard as and I am really looking forward to 2012. I am operating a few changes and I will let you know soon...Surprise surprise!
I wish you a great Xmas holiday, all the best for your goals and never forget that you can't control the performances of others but you can control yours.
Laurent

Auckland World Cup- Wrap up of the 2011 season

2011-11-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

Kia Ora everyone!

After 46hr of travel I landed in New Zealand, my second home.
I will be training here in Christchurch until next april but first I had to end up my 2011 season in Auckland for the ITU World Cup.
The build up to the race was awesome, I could feel in the air that this race was gonna be awesome.
The kiwi's love triathlon and everything was reunited the day of the event to give a stunner to the thousands of Aucklanders.

The course was hard and I hope if you watched the race on the national TV of on the side of the road, you enjoyed it.
I wished I was a bit more on top of my game but I had to do with what I had on D-day.
I crossed the finish line in 4th with the fastest run split. Kris Gemmell and Andrea won the races, I am really happy for them and for sure the next year event will be madness.
Now I am enjoying a week holiday after 17 000km, 2 races and 12h jet lag in one week.
All the best.
Laurent
Feel free to watch the video of the race.
Please read here for more infos about the race.

You can also click HERE to read the article of the NZ Herald of sunday 20th of november ( it is the main newspaper in New Zealand).

A week & a win in Morocco

2011-11-15T00:05:00.000-08:00

Hello,

It is in Paradise Valley at the bottom of the Atlas that the french triathlon Team chose to do a training camp for the next Olympics.
So we were in Morocco with all the Olympic squad to prepare the logistics for future Olympic Games but also to promote triathlon in Morocco in partnership with the "Moroccan Federation of Sports for Everybody", to do it we all raced the Continental Cup in Agadir.
At the end of warm and fun race, I crossed the line in first with my teammates Tony Moulai and Vincent Luis.
It was great to have such a good time in this country ended by a good team performance and great team spirit as usual!

All the best.

The French team finished their season on a high by almost producing a clean... : More infos about the race including results.

A day with Laurent Vidal / French TV report ( France3 )

2011-10-19T01:39:00.000-07:00

Hello,

For those of you who understand french you can watch a report made by the French TV last week in the South of France where I live.
It was a typical day of october, I hope you will enjoy it.

All the best.

Flashback on 2011

2011-10-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

To all of you who like triathlon and follow us across the continents.

Short fun recap of 2011.

Sharing the good times.

I hope you will enjoy.

All the best.

Laurent

2011 National Champion!!

2011-09-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Just a quick update after my second elite national title.
I am very happy to win my national championship especially after such a long trip coming back from Asia.
I am very glad to grab the "blue,white and red" jersey for the second time after 2009.
2012 will be an important year with the summer Olympics and leading into this event as the French Champion is a great honnor but also it is giving me a extra bit of motivation!
Thanks for all your messages!

A bientot.
Laurent

Quick summary of the race:

5th in the World Championship Grand Final in Beijing

2011-09-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

After my win in Hannover ( GER), I flew to Beijing for the Grand Final of the 2011 World Champs.
It was the 4th time in China and previously I had some really poor performances there.
The challenge was to end the 2011 World Champs on a high and therefore close my Chinese nightmare ( I mean on the result side!).
Prior the event, I was feeling great and I spent my days training with my team mate David Hauss and both of us were ready to give a great race.
On the same course as the Olympics, I had a way better day than in 2008, I crossed the line in 5th only 30m from 2nd.
I am really happy that I am now able to race my best on the important days, I really well prepared that race after securing my Olympic Spot and it worked again!... Good feeling even if I would have been happy to get into the podium.
The Brownlee bros dominated today but now I can ear their breath, a challenging winter is ahead of me now!

I am not recovering from a stomach bug in order to be ready for the French National Champs in 10 days. Unfortunately, I won't be able to race in Yokohama...
Huge congratulation to Andrea who won the women race!!!

Bye Laurent

Full Resuts: Beijing Results
Photos: Courtesy of Delly Carr

Triathlete Mag French Edition Covert ( Sept 2011)

2011-09-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hello,
After the New Zealand Triathlete & Multisport in august, I am this month on the covert of the French edition of Triathlete Mag.You will find a 4 pages interview where I am talking about my recent Olympic selection, my training, my plans for the future and a little bit more.
Online version available HERE
Cheers, Laurent

Winning in Hannover Bundesliga.

2011-09-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

On my way to Beijing for the WCS grand finale next week, I stopped in Germany few days to race the last round of the Bundesliga in Hannover.
I had very good few days there and I did some great training in stunning conditions.
The sprint race was the last hit before heading up to China today.
I had good feelings and I crossed the finish line in first with David Hauss my team mate. With this victory, our german Club is crowned German Champion for 2011!

The race went very smoothly, we had a fast swim with Ivan Vassiliev from Russia leading the pack and we managed to get a small breakaway of 10 guys on the bike.

We raced fast but safely under the wet roads and decided to make our move early on the run leg.

Now I am finishing packing my luggages for my Asian trip. First Stop Beijing before Yokohama.

Full result of Hannover triathlon 2011.

Photos are courtesy of Haree Hajas - 360 Productionz

All the best Laurent

World Championship #6 in Lausanne

2011-08-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Last week end I took the 6th place in the sixth round of the World Championship Series in Lausanne.
The 75 athletes started at 12:51am under an unusual extreme heat ( 36degrees in the shade) for the 750m swim.
With the number nine on my shoulders I had a great start, I was a great position around the buoys but unfortunately I got hit with 200m to go and lost my googles. From then my orientering was a bit of a mess and I put myself in trouble by loosing precious time before the bike leg.

I jumped on my bike a few metres back from the lead group and I decided to chase really hard with a few other athletes including Brad Kahlefeld, Steffen Justus and James Elvery.
The four lap bike course had a steep 600m hill ( 10,5% gradient average) where I decided to make a move to catch the leaders. I attacked really hard and I quickly closed 8 seconds but I was still missing a few metres to catch the front. I was at completely maximum effort. It took me almost 4k to recover from that and I realise now that is was a bit silly trying to bridge a gap on my own against a group of 15 guys...
Luckly, after 3 laps of a hard chase, my group caught the leaders and I was again in the battle for a great 5km running fight.
Well, it didn't really worked as planned as I completely messed up in the second transition, starting the run well back in around 25th.
Despite a great come back during the entire run, I couldn't sprint on the last kilometre when Alister Brownlee took off for the bronze medal. Fast racing, I call it fast racing.
Once again I had a solid race and it was wonderful to be in Lausanne.
I had a great time by the " Lac Lément ", visiting the Internationnal Olympic Commitee Museum and disovering the little streets of the swiss town.
On the women side it was great to see Andrea getting bronze!!!

Full results.
Official photo gallery.
Photo: Courtesy of Delly Carr

Selected photos from London WCS by Delly Carr

2011-08-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to jump on my bike after the 1500m swim

The lead group going through transition

On the Olympic City, the bike course is going near by Buckingham Palace.

Getting off the bike in pouring rain before the last 10k run.

On my way to the olympic qualification with Steffen Justus (Ger).

Multisport New Zeland magazine cover

2011-08-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

As an adopted kiwi I am glad to be in the cover of the latest New Zealand Triathlon and Multisport magazine.
You will find a long interview about my upcoming challenges.

All the best, Laurent.

ALLEZ LAURENT VIDAL -chat w/ Herbert Krabel from Slowtwitch.

2011-08-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

ALLEZ LAURENT VIDAL

Source: www.slowtwitch.com

Written by: Herbert Krabel
Date: Thu Aug 11 2011

With his 6th place finish at the Dextro Energy World Championship race in London, Laurent Vidal earned his ticket to return to that site next year for the Olympic games. He had a few words with slowtwitch.

Slowtwitch: Huge congrats on making the Olympic team for London 2012.

Laurent: Thanks Herbert. It was a gutsy race, very nervous & slippery on the bike and at the finish it was a mixture of relief, excitement and joy of an accomplished goal. It’s not often that you cross the line 6th almost as happy as if you won the race!

ST: You made the Beijing Team in 2008 too - is this time just as exciting?

Laurent: No way, this time is 50 times more exciting! For Beijing it just happened, I qualified as the 3rd French. I was the young gun of the team. This time I prepared that particular selection race for 2 seasons now. In 2008 and especially 2009 I have raced a lot and very consistently (6th on the overall rank of the WCS) but I had never done my best race on the biggest race of the year. So in 2010 and 2011, I changed my way of approaching the season and racing and I really tried to set up a plan in order to have a crack at it in London 2011 and even more so in 2012. So it is very enjoyable to seal the deal so early even if the more challenging part is about to come.

ST: Did you have some extra motivation with Andrea qualifying for the Kiwi team a day earlier?

Laurent: It is crazy but I was nervous watching her race. When I am doing mine I am not stressed at all, but being on the side of the road, without any control, is pretty stressful. I knew she was in good shape and I really trusted her ability to answer the London call and she did, so I was delighted! Andrea showed the way with a classy performance and without saying any word about my upcoming race to me I knew what I had to do the next day.

ST: Had you not qualified would Andrea have given you grief?

Laurent: I am sure she wouldn’t have said anything at first because it is only sport and second because we are both really good separating sport emotions from couple things. We have been together for 4 years and we share a lot, we made our plan in common and assume our choices. I believe to achieve great things you have to take some risks and then the game has to play a bit in your hand and this is what happened in London for both of us.

ST: How confident were you going into the race?

Laurent: To secure the Olympic selection for France, I had to do a top 8 and I was ready to fight against great adversity as the Olympic distance World’s best wanted to qualify there. It was really a 10-month plan, taking a direction and sticking at it, believing it will work well. It was a question about timing and deciding the way you want to achieve your goal. I didn’t have 50 different plans for the race. I could feel everyone around me quite worried, but I was very confident.

I had a long and nice build up, I also decided not to race in July to give myself the best chance, but also to put myself in the same situation of the 2012 year: Nothing mattered apart from this one day race. Ten days before the race I did a very hard day and then I knew I was ready.

ST: Your season until now has been quite steady, but I guess that really did not matter.

Laurent: My base training had been great in NZL and I only did Madrid (12th with 4th fastest run), Kitzbuhel 6th and European 7th as International ITU races prior to the Olympic Test event. It is consistent racing without any crack but I really felt I was getting better week after week. I have learned from the past and my mistakes. I just didn’t say anything but I was putting little piece after piece into London.

ST: Were you surprised by Brownlee’s attack during the bike?

Laurent: I actually didn’t realize he attacked until half way through the bike. I thought it was Stuey Hayes. It’s only my fault, it started to rain hard and the course got very slippery. For a while I was quite deep in the peloton so I couldn’t really react right on time. Alistair is an aggressive racer so I am not surprised he would want to get away. Both Brownlees are great athletes but they are not the only ones. They have brought triathlon to a new level but I can feel that some other athletes are reaching them step by step.

ST: Had your team plans to attack the Brownlees, or in general being aggressive?

Laurent: For this race we didn’t have any team plan. It was a bit weird but the goal was not especially to try everything to win it but to get a top 8 finishes. It will be completely different next year. After Beijing, I realized that the Olympic Race is about winning it. I haven’t spoken with David yet but surely we will put ourselves in the best position to bring back home something big for France. And for the first time in my triathlon career I raced the major goal of the year just focusing on achieving a top 8 because there is not point on being the best in August 2012 if you miss the qualification!

ST: With David Hauss the French team has another very strong athlete going to the Olympics. Has he surprised you?

ST: Who is most likely to get that third spot?

Laurent: Well, it’s still very open with 4 guys fighting for it. They all are good athletes and have different strengths. At the moment, Vincent Luis has shown some great form and by his young age he should keep improving a lot in the next few months. Fred Belaubre and Tony Moulai are experienced and they know what it takes to grab an Olympic spot. Finally Aurelien Raphael was junior world champion in 2007, so he has the talent and now it’s just a question of time until work pays off.

Laurent: I was actually very impressed by Vincent Luis, he is on his debut in the WCS (only his 3rd one) and he took 10th on the fastest! As for David, I have known him since we were 15-years old. Since then we have been very close to each other, he is a very good friend. David was always good, it just took him a bit of time to get the consistency but now he has it. Both of us spend our base training outside of France and I think this is making a difference. He spends time on Réunion Island and I as an adopted Kiwi in New Zealand. Now I am used to say that I am 49% Kiwi, 51% French.

ST: So what is next for you?

Laurent: I am now back in my hometown, Sète (South of France) and you will see me competing in Lausanne for the round 6 of the WCS, then Beijing Grande Finale, Yokohama WCS, the National Champs and finally I will race Auckland World Cup before basing myself in Christchurch to prepare the Olympic season.

ST: How are things going in terms of sponsorship?

Laurent: My partners are involved in my project, without their support it would be impossible to perform at the top level. We are working on long/middle term mutual goals. Although, one or two extra collaborations would be perfect, I decided to limit my number of sponsors to have time to best suit each of them.

Lagardère is a French multinational conglomerate headquartered in Paris. The group is divided into four business lines: media, services, publishing and sport/talent management.

I also belong to the Adidas Olympic Team in France. This team includes several athletes from every Olympic sport. Since 2010, I am «all in» representing the brand with the 3 stripes.

Finally, since 2004, I am contracted to the French army as an athlete and representing values like perseverance, commitment, respect and performance.

ST: Anything else we should know?

Laurent: Yes, during my spare time I enjoy composing electronic music. I have been doing it for 5 years but no dance floor for me - triathletes are a bit sleepy past 11:00pm!

The website of Laurent Vidal is laurent-vidal.com

Images 2 and 3 are courtesy of Mike Heydon of jetproductions.co.nz

QUALIFIED for London 2012 Olympic Games

2011-08-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

YES, I made it!
I just made the criteria for the French Olympic Team by crossing the line 6th and 1st french in London!
Even if I didn't win the race, it feels good to seal the deal so early.
The race conditions were epic, more news soon.
You can follow me on twitter for more everyday updates!

Thanks for all the cheering and support!
Laurent

Photo: T.Dekeletere

Say No To Doping!

2011-08-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was pleased to participate to the "Say no to doping" campaign.
It is a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) initiative that allows athletes to publicly show their support for anti-doping.
Olympic triathlon athletes were always up front on the antidoping fight.

For example, since 2010 we are one of the few international federations registered for the blood passport.

Say yes to self confidence, say no to doping.
Laurent

Consistency

2011-07-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.

I am now back in my hometown Sète preparing the London Olympic Test event in 4 weeks time.
I have oriented my season all around this race. To secure an Olympic spot I will have to finish in the top 8.
This race is basically the most important of the year for all athletes from all over the world, as securing a start in London 2012 Olympics is a big deal in order to perfrom there.
I am getting ready to face adversity and I am expecting a very hard race.
My build up is going well and my recent results are going in the right direction.
I have been racing 4 times in 5 weeks and took 12th in Madrid WCS, 6th in Kitzbuhel WCS, 7th at European Champs and 2nd at the Garmin Alpen triathlon.

I decided not to do the German leg of the WCS in Hamburg in order to prepare London at my best. This is not an easy choice and I know I will lose places on the world ranking but I want to put myself in the best position to have an olympic ticket.

I am currently training for it and I don't need to say that the hammer is down.

All the best.
Laurent

2nd in Garmin Alpen Triathlon

2011-07-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

I just spent an outstanding weekend in Schliersee (Ger) to compete in the prestigious Garmin Alpen Triathlon with EJOT Team managed by Rainer Junge.
It was the toughest course I have ever experienced in a race situation including a 10k run at 1200m altitude on very hilly trails.
I finish my racing block quite tired but with a very good feeling to build up towards London Olympic selection in 5 weeks time.
For more photos of the weekend you can go on my facebook fan page otherwise you can watch the video below.

7th at Europeans

2011-07-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to tell you that I just got 7th at European champs last weekend in Pontevedra (Esp).
Six days after Kitzbuhel WCS, European athletes challenged themselves in the north east of spain in front of a massive crowd to claim the European title.
Unfortunately I felt pretty flat on the run and was unable to play with the medal contenders.
I reached the line in 7th, another solid race before my last one next week in Germany for the Alpen Garmin Triathlon which will end my block of 4 races in 5 weekends.
Check results on triathlon.org/pontevedra

Bye
Photos: Courtesy of C.Guiard

That's better: 6th in Kitzbuhel WCS

2011-06-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Kitzbuhel is one of my favorite places to race on the ITU circuit, the atmosphere is great and it feels so quiet and relaxing when you stays in the Tirol.
I also have my routine as it's my 5th year there so I kind of know where to eat the best Austrian dishes such as the Kaiserschmarrn and where to have a pleasant ride or run in the trails.

Anyway, this time I didn't miss anything in the swim as I was straight into the lead group for a solid ride ( for numbers lovers follow my twitter account).

I started the run at the front and I crossed the line near the front and frozen in 6th unable to sprint against Brad Khalefeldt (Aus) and Will Clarke ( Gbr).
I am happy to have a solid race at this time of the year only a few weeks from the Olympic selection race in London.
Surely, I will have to adjust a few thing to be really sharp in a months time.

Back on track after health scare

2011-06-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Words by John Whiting and photos courtesy of Mike Heydon
Full Article on triathlon.org.nz

French triathlete and adopted Kiwi Laurent Vidal is back on track and hungrier than ever before.

It comes after weeks of testing and countless visits to health specialists following a scare during the Sydney leg of the ITU World Championship Series.

During the Sydney race Vidal blacked out while in the lead pack and momentarily lost consciousness, prompting huge concern from medical staff.

"Within two seconds I moved from being in the lead pack and feeling great to collapsing,” Vidal said.

"I guess the feeling was a bit like when you stand up too quickly after a day in front of the computer and then waking up a few seconds later like after a sleep.”

It wasn't the first time the 27-year-old had fainted while exerting himself, so once back home doctors ran him through the full range of testing to try and find a cause.

During the gruelling testing process he stayed in hospital for over a week and upon completion his results were sent off to the best specialist in France for analysis.

Then, finally, the full story became clear.

"I have to be honest I was quite nervous when I went for the second time in nine months to the hospital. I had a full heart check-up including MRI, electrophysiology, stress testing and 48 hour Holter monitoring.

"I wouldn't wish it [testing] on anyone, firstly because the feeling of the unknown of your health is not nice but also for the pain of the electrophysiology. That was a tough one, they opened my femoral vein and put cables through it until they reached my heart and then sent electrical impulses to my heart while I was on a drip of drugs (a sympathomimetic).

"From that the doctors tell me I am not suffering from any disease or any dysfunction but from what they call Neurocardiogenic Syncope. It is an over adaptation of the vagal nerve and in some circumstances this nerve is causing a sudden drop in blood pressure and eventually I collapse.”

Vidal's condition is not a sickness and not dangerous for his overall health. It is frustrating however, as doctors are unable to determine why it happens or provide a sure-fire cure.

"So the good news is that it's not a sickness and it's not dangerous on the health side. But as you guess it could be pretty dangerous in a traumatic point of view during racing (bike crash for example).

"It is a rare problem but there have been athletes reported with it. There are some risk factors - as an athlete I know I push very hard during racing, I train for this and my mind is ready to go super hard while I compete.

"Without a bunch of little factors added to each other, this problem wouldn't happen. That is exactly what I am working on with the specialist. I am now doing a weekly test to check where my autonomic nervous system is. On the treatment side there is no pills to take but many little changes in my everyday life.”

Vidal is the partner of New Zealand's top ranked female athlete Andrea Hewitt, and the pair split their time between Christchurch and Sète, France.

He stole the spotlight earlier this year with a thrilling win at the Wanaka round of the Contact Tri Series, defeating a world class field in front of a huge crowd.

Vidal refers to himself as "51% French, 49% Kiwi” and has a huge fan base here in New Zealand, which has become his second home.

"I really enjoy being in New Zealand almost half of the year. I think, eat and drink Kiwi most of the days.

"New Zealand is in my life now and I am very respectful about it. I have met great people in New Zealand and I still do, so I am happy if any Kiwis support me because I am really proud to be part Kiwi. My English is not perfect but I am good at using the Kiwi slang - mean as!”

Vidal is now back in full flight and announced his comeback to the ITU circuit with an impressive 12th place finish at the Madrid round of the World Championship Series.

The race was dominated by Great Britain's Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonathan, but Vidal showed the fire was back with the fifth fastest run time of the day (30min 40sec).

"Finishing 12th in Madrid is feeling like a victory after the last seven weeks. I ran one of the fastest times chasing down the breakaway. My hat off to the Brownlee brothers.

"During the past month I have been forced to really think about what was happening. I never thought about giving up but that made me realise that problems like this don't happen only to others.

"Now, I have to live with it and at the end it's always the same question....

"Are you ready to dare to challenge? Guess what, challenges don't scare me so I am back on tour with the same motivation and an extra bit of anger.”

Look out world, Laurent Vidal is back!

12th in Madrid World Champs Series

2011-06-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

"Vamos Vidal, vamos, vamos vamos!"
It was pretty exciting to hear so much support from the spanish crowd during the Madrid legs of the World Championship Series.
I was quite nervous before the race as it was my first "big one" since the Sydney scare.
I must say it went quite well apart from my swim, a few second too slow to make the 12 athlete breakaway on the bike.
I worked my hardest to chase the leaders but it didn't work, the Brownlee brothers and Javier Gomez were to strong yesterday.
Fortunately, I had a great run ( 4th fastest of the day) alongside Steffen Justus ( Second at World Champs last year) and David Hauss, my team mate from France.
Full results on triathlon.org/madrid
It felt quite good to be able to stretch the field and catch some athletes from the lead group.
Well, it seems I am back even if I am looking for better results towards the season.
Ps: Andrea got 4th in the women's race and stays 3rd in the WCS ranking!

Next stop, Kitzbuhel in two weeks.
Cheers
Photo courtesy of Delly Carr

Big races coming up/ 10th in Dunkerque FGP

2011-05-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Bonjour,

I just finished a 5 week block of training and I am now leading up to Madrid WCS next week.
I achieved some great sessions and have done a massive amount of work.
I feel very good despite a bit of muscle tightness.

At the moment I am on a block where I am building up my tresholds and this is demanding training so it is impossible to keep the massive hours of the base training.
There is time for everything!

I also finished 10th in Dunkerque French Grand Prix, I could have done better as I dropped back one group on the bike losing 30 seconds after a plastic bag got caught in my chain ring.

Anyway, I had one of the fastest run there but still a bit slower than the Brownlee Brothers who finished 1st and 2nd.
Full Results on ipitos/dunkerque
It's always great to race with the Lagardere team alongside cool athletes such as Will Clarke , Jamie Huggett, Ryan Sissons, David Hauss, Steffen Justus or James Elvery.
Next stop: Madrid.

Cheers

Back on training aiming for London spot

2011-05-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

First I would like to thank you all for your support and messages after I collapsed during the Sydney WCS.
It happened again like in Kitzbuhel last year!
Following this health scare, I have spend 10 days in hospital with the best specialists to explore my full body.
Fortunately, they didn't find anything wrong with me apart from a strong vasovagal response!
The last few weeks have been pretty mentaly intense but I quickly went back to my momentum and training.
I am now sure to be healthy, I love triathlon and I really enjoy competing against the World's best.
I enjoy everything of what I am doing: A outdoor lifestyle, meeting new people and discovering the World through a challenging performance goal.

Apparently, to be a true champion you have to go through adversity, you have to be able to manage complicated situations and take opportunities when they come to you.

So I am back into my training, motivated to get back to good form building up towards London Olympic Qualification this August.
Cheers Laurent

12th in Mooloolaba World cup season opener

2011-03-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I had a solid race last week end in Mooloolaba ( Sunshine Coast of Australia) and crossed the line in 12th.
Despite a penalty on the run ( for a mistake in transition), I am quite confident on my form as I felt pretty strong considering the time of the year.

I raced agressivly, with 3 laps breakaway on the bike, to test my legs after my long base training and it gave me indications to build on the right way towards the Olympic selection in London this August.

All the best Laurent

All the results on triathlon.org/moololaba
Photo: Courtesy of Delly Carr

2nd in Aussie Sprint Champs

2011-02-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hi guys,

Just a quick message from Geelong where I took silver in the Aussie Champs.
Brad Kahlefeldt broke me on the last km of the run but I managed to run away from Brendan Sexton (Aus) who claimed 3rd.
I had a good agressive race and it shows some promising signs for the upcoming international season.
I am now back in NZL for a 3 week camps at Altitude in Wanaka.

Results:
1/Brad Kahlefeldt (Aust) 53.54
2/Laurent Vidal (Fra) 53.58
3/Brendan Sexton (Aust) 54.03
4/Will Clarke (Gbr) 54.12
5/Cameron Good (Aust) 54.23

Cheers
Laurent
(Photos: Courtesy of Delly Carr)

Contact Tri Serie Race Wanaka- The video

2011-02-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Short recap of the Contact Tri serie Wanaka for the ones who don't live in NZL!
I hope you guys enjoy it.
Cheers

2011 starts in Wanaka with Altitude Camp (...& Back racing)

2011-01-21T01:28:00.000-08:00

After a couple of weeks in Christchurch training around the bays. I head up with Andrea, Kris Gemmell & Dylan McNeice to the southern Alps of NZL for a serious training block at atltitude.
It's my second time at the Snowfarm and I must say I am still amazed to train in such a great place. The trails are endless for running and we have really good swimming facilities in Wanaka which is 30min drive from the top of our mountain.
The triathlon World was on fire last weekend as Wanaka city was hosting over 2000 triathletes to compete.
Tony Dodds, NZL team member and racing in his home town made up a little challenge doubling the prize money to anyone able to beat him in the Tri NZ series Elite men... Dare on!
Media involved, the race venue was packed when most of the top kiwi olympic distance athletes started in town at 8:10pm.
I was the only foreigner in the race and I was excited to kick off 2011 after a 2010 season made of injuries.
The race went well and we did it the hard way. To be honest, I wasn't really excepting that for this time of the year.

I excited the water in the front after 750m wetsuit swim in choppy lake wanaka. Straight on the bike, Kris Gemmell, Tony Dodds, Aaron Barclay and myself put the hammer down and we were happy to see we made a gap with all the rest of the field.
We ended up the 20k bike with a 30" lead a little bit exhausted but surrounded by the huge crowd.
Kris Gemmell dictated the pace early on the run. After 1,5k I decided to surge, a good move. I held the lead and crossed the line first in front of local Tony Dodds followed by Kris Gemmell.
I really enjoyed the race and I am happy to be back racing at this level early on the season.
I am now back into my altitude training in the middle of the mountains. From here, I wish you an happy new year.

Take care.
Laurent

Results:
Finish/Name/Swim/Bike/Run/ Overall
1er Laurent Vidal 09:08 / 29:54 / 14:13/ 53:15
2eme Tony Dodds 09:06/ 29:56 / 14:29 /53:31
3eme Kris Gemmell 09:10 / 29:51 / 14:46 /53:47
4eme Ryan Sissons 09:16 / 30:24 / 14:08 / 53:48
5eme James Elvery 09:12 / 30:28 / 15:05 / 54:45

Press Release from TriNZ
Frenchman steals the show in Wanaka

Autumn joy

2010-11-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

It's been a long time since my last update. I must say that I prefer the simplicity of my twitter account when I don't have much to say...
2010 was really stressful for my body with all these accumulations of injuries , I pushed myself a bit far but that was the plan.
Two months of recovery were useful before I felt completely back to good form.
I restarted training with four easy weeks to get back into it and three consistent weeks just to get ready to rumble when the big miles will begin in NZL next week!
On the menu this autumn were long runs with headlamps where I learnt to deal with adrenaline releases each time a wild pig crossed the trail in front of me, a swimming race with the ex top triathletes but now talented businessmen (P & F. Dorez= Men behind Zerod ) and to finish, the French X-country Military championships last Friday in Orleans.
A race I like, with mud, big puddles and pretty much all the best french runners, as most of them are military.
An explosive cocktail, I got nice muscle fatigue, sore lungs but most importantly a good result considering the period!
The Military Triathlon team got bronze and I took 12th place in between very good runners (results below).
I am now in New Zealand for 4 months, I guarantee that I will be very busy!
See you soon
Laurent
Xcountry results:
1 NIYONKURU ABRAHAM 29:19.76
2 THEURI JAMES 29:24.30
3 NDEMI ABEL 29:28.19
4 LETELLIER LOIC 29:34.52
5 MURAGA JOSEPHAT 29:47.42
6 JONCHERAY PIERRE 29:58.59
7 JAOUEN FABRICE 29:58.86
8 EL MEDOULY FOUAD 30:10.02
9 TAMBWE PATRICK 30:13.34
10 ROUAULT GREGORY 30:16.64
11 JALLAL NOURDINE 30:20.03
12 VIDAL LAURENT 30:22.05
13 BELTRAN Sébastien 30:38.36
14 BRI HIRT HASSAN 30:54.28
15 CHEKHEMANI RACHID 30:57.86
...
18 HAUSS DAVID 31:37.36
23 DAUBORT BRICE 32:15.58
25 RAPHAEL AURELIEN 32:40.09

TT French Cup.

2010-10-12T02:41:00.001-07:00

This weekend I raced the Team Time Trial Frech Cup with the Lagardère Paris Racing.
On a sprint format (750m/20km/5km) the Beauvaisiens were the strongest and won the the title.
My team, took 7th on a very tight finish ( 4 teams in 15sec).
It was my return to competition after a six week break . I am quite surprised about my feelings and I really enjoyed the flavour of a team spirit in triathlon.
I'm glad to be back.
See you soon.
Laurent
(Photo: J.Zipf, S.Jutus, M. Fortier Beaulieu, M.Essadiq & L.Vidal)

End of the season but confident.

2010-08-24T05:25:00.001-07:00

Hello,
I just finished a series of intensive tests to establish the reasons for my collapse occurred during the last round of the World Championship in Kitzbuhel.
All the tests are really reassuring, as the conclusions excluded any cardiovascular disease or disturbance .
It's really reassuring because this diagnosis does not affect my athletic ability, it shows instead that I probably pushed a little too hard...
Unfortunetly, I suffers from two broken ribs forcing me to rest for three weeks.
In these circumstances , I must withdraw the end of the season ...

Cheers

Kitzbuhel WCS -Collapsed- Quick Update

2010-08-14T15:27:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Just a quick update to give some news after today.
I received quite a lot of message on the last 6 hours. You might have seen me collapsing during the run in Kitzbuhel.
I went to Austria with a big motivation and a strong determination to get a great result to end up the bad luck of this 2010 season.
Well, my plan was going great until for undeterminated reasons I collapsed during the run. I have lost memory of what happened but for sure this was really a scary experience.
I will cheer for Andrea tomorow in the woman race before heading back to France to do some medicals check up.
I hope everything will be ok and the Doctors will just tell me "You pushed a bit to hard that time."
Cheers
Laurent

ITU Institutes Athlete Biological Passport Programme

2010-07-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I am back in the French Pyrénées training for the next round of the World Championships in 2,5weeks in Kitzbuhel.
I wanted to share with you this news, good Job to all the ITU' team and to Leslie Buchanan for this great move.
Details on triathlon.org
The International Triathlon Union today announced that it will institute its own Athlete Biological Passport programme to ensure the most solid testing programme possible, promoting the right of all ITU athletes to fair and clean competitions. ITU is proud of being an international sport federation which implements one of the most-advanced anti-doping programme in the Olympic Movement, joining only a handful of federations maintaining such a programme. Developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Athlete Biological Passport reveals doping indirectly by monitoring selected biological variables, in contrast with the traditional direct detection of doping. “Biological monitoring throughout an athlete’s sporting career should make any prohibited preparation far harder to implement,” according to WADA. The operating guidelines were approved in December of 2009. With the firm commitment to the fight against doping, ITU has been investing substantial resources to its anti-doping mission. The ITU Anti-Doping Regulations and the ITU Anti-Doping Program, which have all been confirmed by WADA, are fully compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code. As shown by annual statistics, ITU athletes have for the most part respected their engagements as athletes to a fair and clean sport. Establishing its own Athlete Biological Passport programme will further reinforce ITU’s anti-doping initiatives and reaffirm ITU’s commitment to clean and safe sport. “We are delighted to mark this important step in the ITU’s fight against doping initiatives,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “Since its inception, ITU is increasingly committed to ensure that athletes and everyone involved in triathlon play a part in eradicating the use of drugs in sport. I believe this new programme will further reinforce our commitment, letting the sport and its athletes stay clean and healthy.” “WADA commends the ITU for its decision to implement a longitudinal follow-up program,” said WADA’s Director General David Howman. “The Athlete Biological Passport adds a powerful tool to support the fight against doping in sport. Coupled with other strategies, it makes prohibited preparations harder to implement by those athletes who may take the risk to cheat. We know that the effects of some substances remain detectable in the body longer than the substances themselves. The Athlete Biological Passport Model allows the anti-doping community to exploit this reality through a similar approach to that used in forensic science.”

London, 742 days before.

2010-07-27T05:38:00.001-07:00

I am happy to have raced in London, the future Olympic city, yesterday.
A week ago, I was very pessimistic about the possibility of being able to start.
12th at the finish of a race where I could not give anything more.Andrea finished fourth and is holding 2nd in the World Championship ranking.
We're already back at altitude to prepare the next stage of the World Championship in Kitzbuhel (AUT) in three weeks.
For more info, video and results .:. click here.:.

Photos: Maud AG-Facebook

Withdrawn from Hamburg World Champs

2010-07-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hello

For some undetermined reasons I have unfortunately suffered from an bacterial attack (not viral) from the end of last week.
This infectious syndrome requires special treatment and of course, is not compatible with the practice of sport at the highest level. Taking all of this into consideration I've decided not to race this weekends round of the World Championship Series in Hamburg. This was a personal decision, which I made in collaboration with the national team Doctor.
I know how important it is to have a optimal preperation to perform, and so by pulling out of Hamburg I leave myself the best chance to be ready for the London round in 9 days time. This is a great opportunity to race one more time on the course of the next olympics in 2012. That's why if my treatment goes well, a start in the London World Championship Series is very likely now that I have more time to recover .

See you on the start line,
Laurent

Unconfirmed for WCS round 4 & 5

2010-07-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

Last week-end I was struck down with a virus and the sickness has dragged on now over four days. Yesterday, I left Altitude for sea level as I wasn't feeling anywhere near good .
I did a blood test this morning as I am still unable to train.
I am very frustrated as the World Championship Series was a high priority for me in 2010 and my recent form at Europeans Champs last week end has shown some really good signs.
I will see how I recover and if I am able to get to the start line in Hamburg and also London my goals will be completely reassessed and the focus will be as simply to get some points in order to still have a chance to get a decent overall ranking on the World Championship.
Right now I can't race with my condition but I am doing everything I can to recover fast. Human nature is unpredictable... Will see.
Laurent

5th at European Championship

2010-07-05T02:38:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Yesterday I crossed the line 5th at the Europeans Championship in Athlone (IRL).
In front of a Massive crowd it was really nice week-end of triathlon.
The French Team did well as we come back with 3 medals and 2 top 8 finishes between junior/Elite Women& men.On the elite men's race, Alistair Brownlee (Gold) and Javier Gomez (Silver) were really strong yesterday and they had a great offensive race. Personnally, I am pretty happy with my performance as for the first time since Seoul ( where I rolled my ankle) I felt I could put the hammer down on the run.
With my team mate David Hauss (Bronze) & Joao Silva (4th) we moved up the whole 10k run as we started about a 1min15 after the four leaders .
My fitness is going the right way and the last two big weeks at altitude seems to pay off.I am flying back in the Pyrennees tonight for another two week before Hamburg WCS.
Now it's packing time as yesterday night I prefered to drink few beers in a pub... Enjoyed Ireland!
Cheers
Laurent
.:.Full race story & results here.:.
photos:P.Moulierac

Jack Crap at National

2010-06-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I was suposed to "race" national today in north-east of France. They were a race but not for me as I felt absolutly CRAP the whole way.
I just froze on the bike and I pulled out in hyporthermia. I felt a bit better after two saussages sandwiches , hot tea and lemonade.
To conclude briefly, I had a bad day, a really bad day... I almost can't believe how bad I was!
I guess I haven't recovered from my American business last week-end.
Now it's time to get back with Andrea and the kiwi clan in Pyrénées for some big miles.
Cheers Laurent

Getting back on track in HyVee World Cup

2010-06-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

So that's that: I finished 12th in my first HyVee Triathlon World Cup.
5 weeks ago I was looking for a much bigger result. Now though with the buildup I had, I am honestly happy with my performance.
My swim and bike went ok. I didn't feel like I had loads of energy but I had enough to put myself in a safe position during the narrow bike course, quietly waiting for the last 10k.
As I have been injured recently, I wasn't sure if I could count on my run. I mean , I know I was fit but when you are part of a race with the best athletes in the world you really need to be at 100%.
Finally and quite surprisingly after spending so much time treating my ankle I was right there, in the bunch running for silver behind Tim Don (UK), who was on fire today.
Ok, I blew up on the last lap (lost 35 sec) but at least I know I am back in descent form and when I will put in some bigger mileage, I will be able to finish the 10k.
Tomorow is the end of the US journey. It was a great week, I really enjoyed being in Des Moines, Iowa with our home stay Cindy.
That was a really cool experience.
I will be back in France tomorrow and I will race the National Championship next week-end as I am the defending champion.Cheers
Laurent
Ps: Andrea got 5th on the women's race.
Huge congratulation to Tim Don for his show and to Kris Gemmell (NZL) who took silver after a complicated beginning of the season, you peaked right bro!

After the sushi roll, the rolled Ankle in Seoul.

2010-05-08T00:56:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update from Seoul where the 2nd round of the WCS just finished.
The race started really well for me after exiting 5th out of the water and I had a safe ride up the front on the technical bike course.
I started the run pretty quickly and was batleling for the 4th position untill the 6km mark.
William Clarke (GBR) fell in front on me and while I tried to go around him my right ankle rolled.
After few meters the pain started to grow and I had to slow down on the last 3k loosing a precious time.
As I hate pulling out, I jogged to the line finishing and took the 21st position .
It's time now to do some medicals treatments and Xray. Hopefully there is nothing really serious.
Cheers
Laurent

8th in Sydney Series Opener

2010-04-11T19:43:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

I started the World Championship Series with an 8th place finish.
It was a warm and nice day to race in Sydney beside the Opera house.
The course was technical and hilly which made the race pretty tough.
I exited out of the water up the front and rode safely on this fast course.
I putted myself into the lead of the main group in the 2nd tranistion about a minute after the leaders who broke away with 10k to go.
I had some great feelings on the first part of the run and I just sat waiting for my time.
Finally my time never came as I felt flat with 3k to go when Bevan Docherty ( The winner of the day) surged on the long hill of the course.
I kept the only pace I could go to secure a top 8 finish: Every point counts on the way to the World Championship title.
Even if I was looking for a little better result I am quite happy with my performance in a strong field as always in the WCS.
Now it's time to head back to New Zealand to start a new training block a bit different than the last 5 months to put some extra speed and drop some fatigue !

Full story of the race.
1 Bevan Docherty NZL 01:51:27
2 Alexander Brukhankov RUS 01:51:33
3 David Hauss FRA 01:51:34
4 Dmitry Polyansky RUS 01:51:40
5 Simon Whitfield CAN 01:51:42
6 Tony Moulai FRA 01:51:49
7 Greg Bennett AUS 01:51:53
8 Laurent Vidal FRA 01:51:54
9 Matt Chrabot USA 01:51:56
10 Hunter Kemper USA 01:52:07

It was great to be back on the circuit with all the guys.
Congratulation to all the frenchy with 3rd, 6th, 7th and 18th .
Happy for Andrea on Silver.
Cheers Laurent.

WCS kicks off this sunday in Sydney

2010-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hi!
The Triathlon ITU World Championship Series kicks off on Sunday in Sydney.
It's now been 7 month since the Gold Coast and I am really excited to go back into the WCS!
My training has been good in Chritchurch (NZL). After a month spent at altitude, I did my last block of training at sea level to get some extra speed.
Andrea and I are leaving Canterbury for the New South Wales in Australia on thursday.
Sydney will be our first big date of the 2010 season and most of the world's fastest Triathletes will be on the start line to begin the quest to become world champion, how exciting is that!
If you are in the Kiwi land, the race will be live on Skysport otherwise you can follow us on the triathlonTV website to watch the live coverage.

Cheers Laurent
Ones to Watch in Sydney

French connection wins the day in Wellington

2010-03-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

From triathlon.org.nz

Andrea Hewitt and Laurent Vidal are partners in life and shared the titles in Wellington today at the final round of the Contact Tri Series with national standard distance and ITU Oceania honours on the line.

Over 700 competitors took part on a blustery but fine Wellington day in events ranging from the Contact 3:9:3 for beginners, to age group events in the Contact Trophy and of course the elites in the main events of the day.

Hewitt (Christchurch) and Vidal (France) won their respective races (albeit Vidal is not eligible as a Frenchman to claim the New Zealand or Oceania titles), in similar style, each overcoming world class opposition in the final stages of the 10km run in blustery conditions in the capital.

Vidal kicked clear first of Australian Peter Robertson early in the run and then Kiwi Kris Gemmell at the eight kilometre mark while Hewitt shook Nicky Samuels and then Debbie Tanner to claim her first national title.

The key moment in the women’s race occurred late on the bike however, when Nicky Samuels, Debbie Tanner and Hewitt broke clear of a group of three others, including Wellington’s Kate McIlroy. The world class trio led by 52 seconds heading into the run and from that point the others were chasing the minor money.

Hewitt proved the strongest in front of thousands who lined Oriental Parade and Waitangi Park and was delighted to claim her first national title in tough conditions.

“I am really, really happy with that today. It is my first Olympic distance race this year so this is great. Conditions were tough, the wind was in our faces on the way out but great on the way back each lap on the bike and the run.

Hewitt explained the surprising move on the bike when it looked as though a lead group of eight would stay together.

“It was on the last lap on the bike and Nicky went for it into the wind, first no one followed but then Debbie and I went and we got a gap on the rest and hung on and then took some turns to make that lead bigger.”

Hewitt knew that it was to be a good day for both her and Vidal.

“I felt strong on the run and made a move to get a good gap on Debbie. It was around that time when we crossed with a couple of laps to go I saw Laurent just after he had put a gap on Kris so had a pretty good idea he had held on to win.”

The day was a tough one though for Samuels, the Wanaka triathlete had suffered a cut to her foot during the run, caused by the lining of her shoe. Samuels removed the shoe and bravely ran on barefoot through the pain only to be penalized one minute upon finishing. Under ITU rules a triathlete cannot compete barefoot at any time during the run leg.

Fortunately for Samuels the one minute penalty saw her still finish third in the elite category, albeit just five seconds ahead of Kate McIlroy.

World number six Laurent Vidal was beaming after the race, confirming his love of New Zealand, describing himself again as 49% Kiwi but with the French media in attendance not prepared to go beyond the 50% mark!

The 26 year old is not eligible to take the titles but saw the irony in his win.

“No, I am not eligible to win either title today but I have not won a European Championship and here I am coming first in another continental title, it is cool!

“We had a great battle in Takapuna and I got dropped and got third but for three weeks I have been training with the Kiwis at Snow Farm and I knew I was in good shape for this time of the year, the training and the people were great.

“I felt good at the four kilometre mark and Kris is such a good athlete, he knows what he is doing so I have to watch him. But at six kilometres I was feeling good and decided I have to go, the first surge Kris answered but the second time was the good one, then I made the gap and managed to keep it.

“Kris and Ryan are both in good form and training well so I knew this was going to be tough, today I am the lucky one.”

Vidal was able to hobble back to the finish line to give Hewitt a quick peck on the cheek as she crossed the line.

“At Takapuna we were both third, today both first so it is great. I had to go the medical team to help with a blister but they allowed me to come out and see Andrea come home, so yes this was good.”

Gemmell was a comfortable second across the line ahead of Ryan Sissons who raced superbly to win the U23 title ahead of a horde of Aussies, with Ben Pattle a superb fifth overall and third in the elite men.

Gemmell was pleased with his work and despite finishing second, will have the honours of New Zealand and Oceania champion bestowed on him.

“I have no complaints today; Laurent was just too good and had the edge in speed over the final few kilometres. I felt really great, strong the whole way and felt like I could run at that pace for another hour. But I didn’t have the speed today which is typical for me coming down from altitude. This will set me up nicely though for the first World Champs Series race in Sydney next month so I am happy enough, albeit disappointed I couldn’t match Laurent today.”

Photos: Sophie Corbidge

Takapuna Tri Serie - 2010 Kick Off

2010-02-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
After 7 weeks spent in Christchurch, I headed up to the North Island last thursday for the first race of the season, the NZ Tri Series at Takapuna Beach.
Andrea and I arrived in Auckland three days before the event, we had good times there celebrating my 26th birthday and meeting up with some friends up there.
On sunday, everything was poised for a great race: the heat, technical course, good field and a large crowd.
We started at exactly 4:55pm, I exited the water up the front but still few seconds behind the leader Dylan McNiece. The ten laps on the bike were tight & fast and reminded me how intense our sport is!
I lead the first few hundred metres on the run and stayed with the leaders until 1km to go when I dropped to 5th. With 400m to go I regained energy, surged and passed Clark Ellice and Tony Dodds.
Kris Gemmell won, Ryan Sissons grabed silver and I finally took bronze, repeating Andrea's result in the girls' race.
I hope if you watched the race live on TV1 you enjoyed it. it was a great kick off for the 2010 season, everybody is already sharp down there. It is really exciting for the upcoming big races.
I am now on my way to Wanaka for a three week altitude training camp with all the Kiwi Squad.
Sweet as! Laurent.
.:.More from the race.:.
.:.Results.:.
.:.Photos.:.

Ready for 5 weeks away!

2010-02-14T23:27:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I am spending my last few days in Christchurch before spending 5 weeks away: First for a race in Auckland followed by 3 weeks at altitude for a training camp with the Kiwi team and ending with the Oceania Championships in Wellington mid march.
My training has been good and the last few days were epic! The wind picked up so strong on the Port Hills, I literally got blowned up and flipped over into a bush on the other side of the road! It was a weird feeling to be unable to control my bike!
Anyway, I am good and really happy to be getting back on a start line . Watching the winter Olympics these days make it even more exciting! The french are doing a great job: 2 golds today and a bronze yesterday. What else?!

Cya Laurent

2010 Race calendar

2010-01-25T01:25:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,
I quickly found my "Kiwi" routine here in Christchurch. My preparation is going well and my fitness is building up.
I usually swim in the mornings with the QEII squad. It takes me just five minutes walk to reach the Olympic pool who hosted the Commonwealth Games 1974.
For the bike, most of the time I go on the hills to do some strength, apart from on tuesday where I join a huge group for a 90k Racing/training around the bays of Lyttelton. Sunday is the day for long miles with Andrea and mates Brett Dawber, Aaron Billing, James Elvery and co.
The running here is awesome, I live by the bottle lake forest but I also go on the port hills (photo attached) for the miles up to get my legs stronger. Finally, I am doing two treadmills sessions per week. I am finding them great for my strides and to teach myself to run in the heat...Summer has not really arrived in NZ! No worries I love being here.
Everything is keeping me really busy : training and recovery day after day in order to be ready for the upcoming season which I have already set in the calendar.
As in 2009, my goal will be the World Championship Series. Although in 2010, I want to be more efficient on the races that everybody wants to win. My targets will be the Des Moines World Cup and the final round of the World Championship Series in Budapest ... London is coming!
More info in an upcoming news!
The trails are calling me.
Laurent

Started 2010 with the Kiwis.

2010-01-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

After an unforgettable Christmas with my family in my hometown in Sète, Andrea and I flew to New Zealand to join her family and spend the next five month training hard for the 2010 season.
Even if it's always a bit difficult to leave my family and friends for such a long time , I am really happy being over there.
We spend the first few day relaxing with all Andrea's family and Kiwi friends. Christchurch is such a great place to be, the Port Hills are our playground with their endless trails and empty roads.
I hope you all had a really nice Christmas break and I wish you a great 2010 year!
Laurent

Mr Oizo

2009-12-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

released in dec 2008- BAM

Peter - Our Friend and Colleague

2009-12-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

This week start with a very very sad news, Peter had a tragic accident.
Peter, you will be missed.
My thoughts go to his family.
Laurent

"It is with absolute shock and sadness that we have to inform you of the tragic death of our colleague and close friend Peter Holmes.
Peter passed away yesterday in an accident while hiking on a local mountain in Vancouver.
It is ironic in Peter’s line of work as Communications Manager, that words will never be able to describe what he meant to us all and the effect he had on all of those around him. While Peter worked with us for the last nine months, it seems like he was a part of our family since the beginning. Peter was a shining light of happiness and energy and truly touched all our lives in a deep way. We will always treasure his wit and humour. As those of us who knew him well can testify, he was a social butterfly who brought happiness to so many of our lives and those of whom he met on his international travels. Peter loved his job as much as those around him loved him. In only a short period of time he made close and treasured friendships with colleagues, athletes, event organisers and media alike. Anybody who Peter touched in life is for the better.
The triathlon world and all our lives are immeasurably poorer without Peter in it.
This has been a tragic week for the triathlon world. We have lost another family member. May we all rally together to commemorate Peter Holmes and Emilio Di Toro (ETU President)."(Source:Triathlon.org)

The Sky was pink

2009-12-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
What a view! This was Sète last week coming back from a long ride . I finished in the dark but across the water I saw Sète under a pink sky, an amazing natural thing!
That reminded me the awesome techno classic from British artist, Nathan Fake ( attached below on the Mp3 player Nathan Fake -The sky was pink /J.Holden Rmx).
I am enjoying the end of the year with my family before flying to Christchurch where apparantly the sun is waiting for me (just my thought ;-) ). Last weekend I raced the 20k of Montpellier where I finished 2nd in 1h03'44" which was a bit of fun, Andrea won the girls' race. Following this result, we read that the journalist named us the sport couple of the year...Is that all? :-)
I leave you my bike is waiting for me.
Stay well,
Laurent.

Form 2009 to 2010.

2009-11-19T02:43:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
All is good in Sète and after a few weeks off training although been busy with meetings, I restarted my big aerobic base last monday.
I am basiclly training as much as I can until Christmas before leaving France for New Zealand.
I hope to arrive in Christchurch with good form to be able to prepare the 2010 World Champ Series in the best condition.
The WCS will be my main focus in 2010 but compared to 2009 I will manage to peak for the race that everybody wants to win. Good program coming up.
A bientôt, Laurent.

Here is a small flashback on my 2009 results:
-8th Tongeyong WCS
-1st Dunkerque FGP
-13th Madrid WCS
-1st French Champ
-6th Washington WCS
-26th European Champ
-3rd Kitzbuhel WCS
-5th London WCS
-4th Yokohama WCS
-9th Gold Coast WCS Grand Final
-10th La Baule FGP
-6th at World Champ
-5th ITU World Ranking

(photo/Cold, muddy, rainy, funny: Greg Rouault, Aurelien Raphael, David Hauss, myself and Sylvain Dodet just before the french Xcountry military Champ. We finally got 4th team!)

2009-11-05T12:28:00.001-08:00

Hi,
The NYC trip is over. After 10 days spent in the Big Apple , I am back in Sète.
The last six weeks were pretty busy but not really on the sport side. I spent some time with my family/friends and I met my partners to plan the next seasons.
I also restarted to train progressively to keep a bit of fitness and to get slowly back into the game. My legs feel fine and I am a bit surprised I recovered this well from the marathon !
That is a good sign! Last few meetings next week with the french federation , they will be my last easy days.
Laurent

NYC Marathon: The day after

2009-11-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

What a race!
The NYC marathon is a great event!
I was impressed to see the 42 000 runners waiting for the start and going into Verrazano bridge.
The crowds were massive all the way . The Americans are really really good to push you, it's a special feeling to hear so much happiness during 26,2 miles!
I did the first 19 miles with my brother following our sub 3h plan untill he hit the wall. It was impressive to see how you can lose all your energy in one mile.
We crossed the half marathon mark in 1h28'15" .
Andrea ran with my dad, for him it was a come back after 20 year off running ( he did 2h43 in 1989 NYC Marathon).
The big apple was a great experience and we all enjoyed it. For sure I will come back one day and it will be to race it!
Take care .
Laurent.
(Arnaud 3h19'59")
(Laurent 2h58'19")

New York City Marathon

2009-10-29T08:04:00.002-07:00

Over a year ago, my younger brother Arnaud came to me and said he wanted to do the New York City Marathon for it's 40th anniversary.
Andrea and I were very excited for him, the big apple race is such a prestigious event. My parents both did it two times and I remember watching the 89 and 94 VHS on TV as a child.
A week later, we decided to join Arnaud for this experience. After years of triathlon racing, this will be our first marathon. My Dad also followed, for him it's a come back after twenty years.
Everyone who has run a bit knows of this race and visiting New York as a runner supported by thousands of people will be an awesome feeling!
Opposite to my brother, Andrea and I haven't done a serious preparation as our triathlon season finished at the end of September and we needed time to relax and recover!
It doesn't matter about our performance here, Arnaud wants to do 2h59 and I will try my best to help him to achieve his goal. Andrea will run alongside my Dad .
What a way to restart our 2010 preparation.
So, here we are in New York city, we arrived seven of us on Wednesday. For sure it's different than any city I have ever visited before, everything is so busy, the buildings are huge and the endless avenues make you feel really really little.
After a visit of Manhattan yesterday and a treadmill session to stay in good form, today we will go for a long run in Central Park.
The race is in three days, 45 000 runners will start in three waves , first one at 9:40 am, this is our start. Can't wait!
A bientot.

2010 ITU World Champ Series calendar out

2009-10-25T02:54:00.000-07:00

The 2010 World Championship Series calendar was announced last week by the ITU team.
The next international season will start in the southern hemisphere beginning of april before going to Asia and finally to Europe middle June until the Grand Final in Budapest in september.
It won't be a surprise if I tell tou that I will focus my year around this serie.

2010 Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series Calendar:

April 11 - Sydney, Australia
May 08-09 - Seoul, South Korea
June 05-06 - Madrid, Spain
July 17-18 - Hamburg, Germany
July 24-25 - London, United Kingdom
August 14-15 - Kitzbuehel, Austria
September 11-12 - Budapest, Hungary (Grand Final)

At the moment, it's time for me to be back on training after a lazzy month spent to meet with partners , family and friends. It was a good break.
NYC Marathon is in one week excactly, that will be big fun. I will explain it in my next post.
Laurent

Laurent Vidal in international mode !

2009-10-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
I still can't believe it's already time to think about 2010, everything went so fast! I experienced so much this year around the world racing and also with the various training camps. With the new World Champ Series, I focused all my year around theses events. I raced 7 of the 8 rounds to grab the 6th place at World Champs. In 2009, I also became for the first time French National Elite Champion in June on a tough rainy day. For 2010 I have decided to start an international version of my website made on my own. I hope you will enjoy to follow me and I apologise already for my unperfect English!
A bientot. Laurent