Alan Harris, Colin Hinsley and Alan Clark headed to the World qualifier at Bristol Harbourside last Sunday. This is Alan Harris’ race view:
‘The swim was in the high walled harbour and with everyone super tense about qualification I can honestly say that was the most violent race I’ve swum in the 12 years that I’ve been racing. Having been elbowed in the throat I thought twice about retaliating and reckoned that I’d save my energy. It was still full-on though even after the turn and beyond. Absolute carnage.I was out of the water in 7th and knew that I was in the hunt. By the end of the first lap of the bike I was battling with a couple of other guys in AG. At the turns it was squeaky bum time with the pack just 30secs back (there was a lot of drafting and a number of DQs including 2 brothers in my AG who must have been working together). I passed Colin as he was just getting up to speed at the start of his 1st bike lap (us Viceroys certainly stand out in pink!). Through T2 I overtook the 2 guys ahead of me and figured that if I was on the limit then so must they be and they’d just have to run me down if they could. I then ran scared on the out-back course which then multiplied into mild panic at the turn when the pack was still very much in touch.

In the end I held on and finished strongly 2nd in AG a minute ahead of 3rd and only 10secs short of 1st place. So Hyde Park on Friday 13th here I come!!!

Another tri mate in 50-54 saw 1st and 2nd in his AG come to blows in T2! He was shouting “DQ DQ DQ” at the marshalls in the hope of bumping up a couple of places! The lure of Hyde Park has really changed the atmosphere this season and not for the better. Fighting…drafting…etc and race organisers raking-in the cash and making registration the day before the event even for a midday start time. I think that everyone has been feeling the pressure.’