Bryan Keane 6th Gold Coast Tri

from Triathlon Ireland website Bryan Keane, from Cork, but currently based in Australia, placed sixth in the Gold Coast Elite race this Sunday. Well done to Bryan on a great ITU debut. Please read on for a report. For further information on the race:

www.triathlon.org

Bryan has a broad sporting background, but is a new comer to the sport of triathlon, having taken up the sport in Australia six months ago. He started Swimming with Dolphin Swimming Club in Cork from the age of ten until he was sixteen. Until he found running, where he competed at the top level of athletics for Leevale AC. Bryan competed in both world and European cross country championships. And was part of the team that won a rare Irish medal at the European Cross Country championships in 1999. Finishing 14th individually. Looking for a new challenge Bryan turned to cycling, from 2000 until 2007. During his time road racing he raced out of the Sean Kelly Cycling Academy in Belgium for 2 seasons. He represented Ireland in the FBD Ras in 2006 and also competed in the world University Cycling championships in Belgium. In moving to Australia last March he took up triathlon and started back training in September 2008.

Bryan’s race report

I welcomed the 2.15pm start, over here we usually start racing at 7am, so that means getting up at 4am to head to transition in the dark. I got down to the race early, in my new green tri suit as the ITU junior race was on and some of the guys I know from racing over here were competing, they would be giving me support in my race so I had to return the favor. I was excited about the race and equally nervous.Having only begun racing triathlons some six months ago I knew I was going to be in at the deep end but we all have to start somewhere. Lining up to take the title were some pretty big names Brad Kahlefeldt and Beijing team mate Courtney Atkinson.

Fifty elite and U23s hit the water for the two lap swim, there was a strong tide pulling us off the designated course. I held my line away from the pack and at the end of the first lap at the back of the pack. This was not bad all this considering it’s always a case of damage limitation in my swim. Exiting the water down on the leaders I knew it was going to be a hard ride, it usuallly is. I rode hard passing some of the guys who had been spat out of the 2 packs up in front. There was great support from the side of the road, with shouts of “Come on Ireland” throughout. I knew I was catching the pack and with less than two laps remaining and some 30kms of chasing into strong headwinds I had brought myself up to the front of the main pack. It was now a matter of sitting in and recovering, even though my insticnt would normally tell me to attack off the front.

With what had the potential to be a catastrophic transition with thirty athletes descending into the area together, I made sure I was up the front and was able to come out with no incident. The run would be a grueling 10kms in 34 degree heat along the Gold Coast Highway. The juniors had warned me about the heat on the run, the advice would be to take full advantage of the water stations. I grabbed what I could, every time we passed one and poured the contents straight over my head. The support I got on the run was even better than the bike. There as an Irish guy who lives out here in Brisbane who had been racing in the age group races that morning, every time I passed him he raoared at me ”C’MON Ireland” in a great Irish accent. Working hard on the run I got onto the back of New Zealand’s Ryan Sissons and Clark Ellice. We worked our way through the field running ourselves into contention for a top ten finish. Having competed the weekend prior at the Australian Long Course Championship I could feel my legs were heavy and didn’t have the zip I need to push on ahead into a top five position. Coming into the finish I was chasing Great Britain’s Stuart Hayes, but the finish line got to him before I could. I had dug deep and in such heat I was happy to finish the race, 7th place not a bad day’s work and my first ITU race and less than 2 minutes behind race winner Brad Kahlefeldt.

For now its back to the pool, and a lot more swimming.