After the toughest IRONMAN race in the world follows the home Challenge

Michi enjoyed optimal preparation, food, and lodgings at the Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote. The prestigious race was a great event on a legendary course – a worthy 30th edition of the Canary Island classic.

Michi felt good before the race and was well recovered from all the travelling and the World Championships in St. George and launched into the race with fresh legs.

Race report IRONMAN Lanzarote

The swim was very comfortable for the Gumpoldskirchen native. In hot and windy conditions he could easily keep up with a group and exited the water with a deficit of 6 minutes and 30 seconds.

He attacked the bike course aggressively with strong legs, which probably cost him somewhat later. By the halfway point Michi had already made up three minutes on the leaders and was up to 3rd place.

At the start of the long difficult climbs and headwind sections, at the climb up to Teguise Michi was overtaken by the eventual winner Kenneth Vandendriessche (NED), with whom he had trained together in January. Also Bart Aernouts (BEL), Max Hammerle (AUT) und Samuel Hürzeler (SUI) came dangerously close however Michi managed to take 4th place into T2.

The first half-marathon in under 4:00 min/km pace went well with a fast initial tempo and feeling great! However it progressively became mentally and physically tougher for him and he had to give up a few positions. He was able to defend his 6thposition all the way to the finish line.

Greater Ambition = Greater Risk 

The expectations and goals were very high with just two Kona-Slots on offer. Luckily there was prize money on offer down to 6th place so Michi could leave Lanzarote well satisfied.

In summary, in terms of muscular performance the form was fine, in terms of energy levels however an improvement is needed for the next races. The goal is to further optimize the supply of energy. Michi had two days of regeneration sessions at the Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote before heading home.

Home advantage in St. Pölten

Recovery and activation now are the name of the game before Challenge St. Pölten. This year Michi will arrive on Saturday already, to save some hassle on Sunday morning after all his recent travelling.

The motivation for the home race in Lower Austria is very high – the motto is “nothing to lose!”  

A good pacing strategy on the bike is the key to success! Knowing the Wachau bike course so well is an advantage that Michi is keen to leverage. He is looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd whose loud support will surely propel him towards the finish line.

Up against many young athletes and the German elites, the goal is to finish inside the Top 10. Amongst the Austrians to watch out for are Georg Enzenberger (teammate at Schuller Pro Tri Team), Rafael Lukatsch, Matthias Hohlrieder and Lukas Hollaus. And of course Thomas Steger (strong 3rd  place at Challenge Samorin) if he starts.

Michi is solely focused on his own performance and would like to prove that even just one week after a grueling 9-hour IRONMAN race, a top performance over the half distance is also possible for him.

Race start: 29th of May 2022, 06:30AM

 

IRONMAN LANZA 2022