Taking the opportunity to race more in the USA, Guernsey’s elite triathlete was thankful to get a ‘really solid day out’ in a solid men’s professional field for a Half-Iron distance race featuring a lake swim and rolling cycle and run legs.
The swim was chopped down to 350m given adverse conditions, but boosted by putting down the fifth fastest bike leg, the Sarnian finished in a competitive 3hrs 26min. 37sec. Canada’s Lionel Sanders took the win 9-25 ahead.
‘Relatively pleased with my performance,’ Lewis said.
‘I think it was tough, very windy, the swim got cut short which didn’t benefit me at all, and the race dynamic didn’t necessarily benefit me, but it was sick to have the 20m rule for the first time.’
That rule has seen the draft zone on the bike extended from 12m to 20m for professional triathletes based on scientific research and has been in force since the start of this month.
‘That will be very beneficial going forward, hopefully, because I rode very well and I think that the bike speed and bike power are matching up.
‘This is probably the first time that the bike power and the bike speed are correlating with one another rather than me pushing decent power and it just not going anywhere.
‘Massive testament to my team and my equipment and all the sorts of stuff like that.
‘I’m pleased that that’s trending in the right direction.’
After swimming 11th fastest and that especially strong bike, which was within 3min. of Sanders’ effort, he continued his trend of losing time on the run – taking place on a partly gravel course.
‘The run still needs work. I lost quite a lot of time on the run and that’s gutting, but the course doesn’t necessarily suit me, so wobbly ankles on off-road isn’t necessarily the best for me.’
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