今年の佐渡はサーヴェロが1位だった。国内の場合、KONAほどのダントツ感はなく、スペシャライズド、トレック、シーぽなどと三つ巴戦となることがほとんどだ。サーヴェロは2005年から今年5月のセントジョージのIRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPまで16回連続トップシェアという脅威的な記録を更新中のスーパーブランド。
Professional Triathletes Organisationの略となる。ロング、ショートでのカテゴリー分けではなく、プロトライアスリートのための組織で、非営利団体となる。その運営は、ゴルフのPGA/LGPA やテニスのPGA/LGPA をモデルにしている。各レースに設定されたポイントによるランキングがタイムリーに決定するシステムで、現在、今回のコリンズカップでそれぞれ最速タイムのブルンメンフェルトとリフが1位となっている。
今回のコリンズカップにおいて最大のトピックスは、「Match 1」だったのだが。。。それは「リフ vs ダフィ」となったからだ。ロングとショートの女王の直接対決だけに、注目は集まった。リフは5月のセントジョージで5回目のアイアンマン世界選手権覇者で、圧倒的な強さを持っている。一方、WTS横浜大会でもお馴染みのダフィは昨年のオリンピックTOKYO2020のゴールドメダリストだ。ランのパワフルなスピードはやはり圧倒的な速さで安定している。
リフのコメント(PTOサイトより)「It feels really amazing to be coming back after last year I could perform well in all three and feel like I’m a complete athlete again. When I got to the last km I heard it was 5s over 5 min so I pushed as hard as I could to try to get the max 6 points.」
「Last year I raced while I was sick. I had blisters all over my legs, I had shingles and you obviously can’t race like that. This morning I went for a jog and my heart rate was about 30 beats lower than last year.」
スピリグのコメント(PTOサイトより)「I was pretty nervous. I felt pretty good but didn’t know what to expect. I had the extra pressure from the team. I was nervous but came out of the water and was 25 seconds behind Lopes and knew I could make that.」
「I was really keen to show I was the right pick and I deserved the spot and I’m really happy I’ve helped the team to have a good performance.」
「I’m just happy to have a good performance in my last international race and it’s nice to go out like that.」
ハウグのコメント(PTOサイトより)「My main goal was to stick with the girls on the swim because I’m with them in T1 then everything is in my hands and it was. Jackie did a great job on the bike until the turning point and then I took control and then just wanted to run fast.」
ブルンメンフェルトのコメント(PTOサイトより)「It’s tough to come from sprint distance to 100km but I knew that Hayden was one of the ones who could do it. That’s why I stayed behind until 50km or so on the bike because that’s when it starts to get hard and was super stoked with my run legs.」
「The support out on the course was giving me a little bit more energy and it’s such a great place.」
サンダースのコメント(PTOサイトより)「Not bad for a couple of duathletes! It was deeply personal for me too. I told Sam, let’s put this guy in his place. I like Sam Laidlow but I think it got too personal, so I think we were on the same team on this one.」
「This is totally next level. We were both here last year and it’s going in the right direction and we’re showing the world and people are excited about it.」
ロングのコメント(PTOサイトより)「I had absolutely no option but to back this up. The song in my head was Aretha Franklin R. E. S. P. E. C. T. When Lionel and I are working together the strategy is to inflict as much pain on each other as possible.」
「Better just to do what you got to do and get the job done.」
「I think he learnt his lesson here and think some respect is due but the race is done, we’ll have a beer and we’ll become friends and Sam will have to buy all of the rounds!」
レイドローのコメント(PTOサイトより)「I knew I’d come out with a lead on the swim but I got onto the bike and my stomach wasn’t taking on any nutrition. I don’t want to make excuses but it just wasn’t my day. Once I stopped for the toilet four or five times, towards the end I started to feel OK again so there’s still hope I guess!」
「They beat me and were better today. There will be other races. I can’t predict how I would have done if it wasn’t for that, they were just better guys today. II’m definitely hungry to have another shot, it’s just fuel to the fire. I’ll be back.」
On embrace at end with Sam Long
「I appreciated that [the embrace] and their respect. They’ve got more experience than me and achieved a lot more, so it was nice to share some kind words even after my failure.」
ロイルのコメント(PTOサイトより)「I think especially for me I prefer a bit of a dynamic course where there are some hills so it made for a really hard day. I knew I had to swim hard which I did and when I put myself in that position I knew there’s no looking back now. At times it’s just playing with your mind that you’re starting to slow down or they’ll start catching you. And thinking they are catching you when you turn around on those long straights and seem closer than they are.」