I was excited but also nervous as this was the biggest race i had ever competed in however after watching the elite men i was looking forwards to a chance to see where i was in comparison with the best Europe had to offer.
On the day the wind speed was low, the temperature was high and i felt great, however being number 71 meant i had limited option of where to start on the start line ( we were called forwards in race number order and in a field of 76 i was the 71st to be called).
after "choosing" a position very wide the commentator said "on your marks" and then the klaxon was heard.
I sprinted into the waves however this was my first ever sea swim and i struggled with the waves and aggresive nature of the swim, coming out mid field i was just behind the 2nd pack.
I worked hard on the bike with two riders from the Netherlands and managed to get myself into the 2nd pack where i sat comfortably for 3 laps.
On the 4th and final lap of the bike i clashed with a belgian rider at the front of the pack and went down, 9 other cyclists went down with us causing a large unavoidable pileup, most managed to get back into the racing however my bike and body were damaged.
With help from an irish triathlete i managed to get back on my bike and finish the bike/run despite my injuries.
Despite it all, it was a great experience and i look forwards to more chances to represent my country!!
Thanks to my sponsors:
Beetit for helping me with pre-race nutrition
zone3 for my race suit which survived the crash
Ucan for recovery drinks post-race
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