Leeds WTS 2016

June 22, 2016 gwen jorgensen

Leeds was a first-time event. All I knew about the course was that there was a split transition (transition one was at the lake, and transition two was in town with about 14km separating them) and that the Brownlee brothers designed the course, so I wasn’t surprised to find it a difficult, yet fun venue.

With the split transition, I was worried about getting my warm up done in time; however, the ITU made it easy for the elites to get ourselves and our equipment to and from the lake (where I did my normal warm up of efforts on the bike, a short run, and swim bands). In the race I managed to bike my way into fourth after exiting the water in the back of the first pack, but this was not good enough to make the first bike split.

Flora Duffy, Lucy Hall, and Jessica Learmonth were riding at the front, and I was riding solo behind them on the 14km trek into town. Flora was pushing the pace and the three gained time on me as I was caught by Emma Moffatt and Vicky Holland. A few kilometers later, we were caught by another chase pack before we entered town. I enjoyed the seven technical bike laps around Leeds; they were fast, fun, and challenging.

I entered transition about 1:30 behind the three leaders (Flora, Lucy, Jessica), racked my bike, and as I put my Evade helmet in my box, my Oakley Radar sunglasses slipped off my head and into the box as well. In a rush, knowing that every second would count, I started the run without my Radars. I was unsure of what the outcome would be, but was confident I could focus on running my own race. On the third lap (of four), I caught Flora and crossed the finish line first.

The theme of Leeds was getting comfortable with new things: it was a new course, I was in a new city, and I had a new custom Specialized Amira designed with Columbia Threadneedle (if you haven't seen images you must check out this link). It’s my favorite design and so incredibly pretty! I had new Oakley sunglasses to match the bike and a new Evade helmet designed by Red Bull (if you look closely, you can see Bucky Badger's eyes focusing on the road ahead). I wore a new Roka swimsuit, lined with special material to keep me warm. As an athlete, I’m resistant to change, but everything new was so exciting this time around. The complete bike with custom HED wheels to match will be auctioned off later this year for charity, so keep an eye out for that!

We usually race in big cities (London, Chicago, Hamburg, Sydney, etc.), but I prefer racing in smaller towns like Leeds, where it’s easier to train and the traffic isn’t a challenge. What really made Leeds a success was how the city welcomed the athletes, with billboard-sized pictures of Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, Non Stanford, and Vicky Holland. Thanks to all the great publicity, spectators lined the fences three-deep to cheer on their favorite triathletes and the awards ceremony was standing-room only—an atmosphere I haven't experienced since competing in the London Olympic Games. After the race, my hotel left champagne and some local favorites (tea, chocolate, and soap) as a congrats for winning. Thank you Leeds for welcoming all the triathletes.

After the race, Patrick and I flew to Norway where we took a mini break. Every year in the middle of the season, I take a few days to relax, recharge, and get away from triathlon. We did an amazing drive around Norway, immersed ourselves in fjords, mountains, and glacial lakes, and enjoyed the beauty of Norway and they delicious seafood. Also, I now have a new favorite food: brown cheese.

I'm now back in Vitoria Gasteiz to start the big push to Rio, with Hamburg as the only race in between.

Photo taken by Russ Ellis, @cyclingimages

Podium shot. Congrats to Flora and Vicky.

Went on a bike ride our final day in Norway

This may look cold but it was actually the warmest part of our 300km road trip in Norway.

My favorite way to eat brown cheese: stuffed inside pancakes

Pre race ride with some supporters. Thanks for your help Ivan and Patrick.

Post race with Patrick all smiles after a win.

Mom won't like this photo if she spots me

Perfect way to recharge and refresh in Norway.

Custom Columbia Threadneedle Specialized Amira

June 7, 2016 gwen jorgensen

Jorgensen’s Unique Bike for Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds

Vitoria-Gasteiz Basque Country, Spain – Two-time ITU Triathlon World Champion and 2016 Rio Olympic Qualifier Gwen Jorgensen (USA) has unveiled her bespoke Specialized Amira ahead of the Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds (11-12 June 2016).

In conjunction with industry leader Specialized and Columbia Threadneedle Investments, title sponsor in Leeds and global partner of the ITU World Triathlon Series, Jorgensen’s team has worked for months to create an iconic bike which Jorgensen hopes will captivate fans and ensure a memorable race experience.

Jorgensen’s custom-painted Specialized Amira, a one-of-a-kind design, will be unveiled and ridden on the city centre course in front of thousands of spectators there to watch the world’s best triathletes.

Following the elite women’s race which starts at 13.06 on Sunday 12 June, the bike will be on display in Millennium Square for fans to take photos as the men’s race sweeps through Leeds from 15.45.

“I am very excited to showcase my new custom Amira at the Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds,” said Jorgensen. “I loved teaming up with my partners on this project. The bike is absolutely beautiful and I look forward to putting it up for charity auction later this year. Columbia Threadneedle, Specialized, HED, and Shimano truly outdid themselves with this one. I cannot wait to see everyone's reaction to it!”

The bike will feature HED Stinger 3 wheels, SRM cranks and a Shimano Di2 groupset. The Amira has been Jorgensen’s choice ride since 2012 because of its lightweight carbon frame, tapered head tube and responsive handling. Much like Jorgensen, this frame should be admired yet feared for its excellent performance capabilities.

Jorgensen added, “Columbia Threadneedle has been a tremendous asset to the World Triathlon Series and the event in Leeds promises to be one of the highlights of the season.”

Jorgensen takes the notion of giving back to her sport very seriously. In 2014 she established the Gwen Jorgensen Scholarship and continues to seek out ways to partner with brands who share her vision.

Rupert Pybus, Global Head of Marketing, Columbia Threadneedle Investments said: “We are delighted that Gwen will be riding this special bike in what we hope will be a very special race for the world’s best triathletes, triathlon fans and the local community. Spectators will be able to see the bike in Millennium Square after the race.”

All photos are provided by Felix Sanchez Arrazola (twitter: @fotorunners)

Introducing my new Columbia Threadneedle Specialized Amira, lucky enough to have the roads of Vitoria-Gasteiz to break the bike in.

Vitoria-Gasteiz is my summer base, this is my fourth summer here. The training from my door is amazing.

The bike is accompanied with HED Stinger 3's with S-works all-round 2 26mm tubular tires

No question what brand of bike this is

I first switched to Shimano Di2 in 2014 and have not looked back since, I can always rely on the shifting to be crisp and precise.

I love the PC8, the display is so easy to read when I am suffering on the bike

I love the mission statement of Columbia Threadneedle here

I prefer to write my name in all lower case letters.

S-works SRM cranks, in Leeds I will be using 53-39 chainrings

HED and Specialized have each been my sponsor since 2012, I am very lucky to have the best equipment on race day

I race exclusively on 26mm tubulars, I am more confident in corners and believe the smoother ride keeps my body fresh for the run

I use a 155mm Oura saddle

Thank you to Columbia Threadneedle for your sponsorship of the WTS and myself.

Impossible not to smile when the roads are this good.

I love arriving to the Basque country at the end of spring, the countryside is so green

Thanks for viewing

Below is a slideshow of additional pictures of the bike in higher resolution (which may take a longer time to load). Photos thanks to Félix Sánchez Arrazola, Twitter: @fotorunners

Yokohama WTS 2016

May 22, 2016 gwen jorgensen

When I arrive at a race, the work is already done and it all comes down to executing mentally on race day. I arrived in Yokohama fairly early. Usually I arrive three days prior to the event, but because of the 10 hour travel day, I arrived five days prior to the race. Japan is one of my favorite places to race and visit (one reason being the food: sushi, sweet potatoes, and bubble tea).

On race day, as I walked my bike to transition, I went through my mental checklist. ASICS racing flats? √ Specialized Amira? √ SRM? √ Helmet? √ Oakley sunglasses? √. I racked my bike and checked my tires to make sure there was no debris or dirt or glass that could cause a potential flat. After that I checked the tire pressure. As I rotated the wheels, I checked the brakes to make sure they weren’t rubbing. Once everything looked good, I checked once more that I had everything I needed (at a previous race, I once almost forgot my ASICS and as I double checked everything, I realized in panic that I forgot my shoes!).

The swim was unique as it was a non wetsuit swim in choppy water. There was a strong current coming from the left that hit the shore and then pushed the water back to the right (making it appear like the current was pushing athletes from right to left). However, once I dove in, I felt a current from my left. It was extremely choppy, making it difficult to move up and break away on the swim. This caused a massive pack to exit the water together.

Once on the bike, a pack of 42 formed. When there is a big group, it is often hard to get everyone motivated to work. Yokohoma was a selection race for many nations, which also can create a slower bike. I was hoping for a hard bike--and my bike split was minutes faster than last year--but it still didn’t feel as difficult or fast as I would have anticipated.

I got off the bike and ran my own race. I am known to negative split (get faster as the race goes on). This time, I got off the bike and my legs felt fresh, so I ran my own pace and before I knew it, I had a lead. I tried to maintain pace, but began to slow on the last lap. Crossing the finish line in first was amazing. It was my fourth time winning in Yokohama. The fans were incredible in Yokohama. I don’t think there was any part of the run course that wasn’t lined with spectators. Thank you to all the volunteers and fans who made the race safe and fun.

I am now in Vitoria (Basque Region), where I will remain until the Rio Olympics. I couldn’t ask for better training grounds or training partners. The riding is beautiful and safe. Salburua, which is a trail less than one minute from my doorstep, is my favorite place in the world to run, and there are multiple world class pools to train at.

My next race will be in Leeds, United Kingdom, which is a new stop on the WTS circuit sponsored by Columbia Threadneedle.

Thank you to everyone for your support, help, and cheers. I had so much fun racing in Yokohama, which wouldn’t have been possible without my enormous support crew. A special thank you to Jamie, Patrick, and the Wollongong Wizards. I’m looking forward to the upcoming work as we head towards August 20th.

Interviews pre race. Photo thanks to Delly Carr

ITU press conference. Photo thanks to Delly Carr

Taken right before my pre race ride on Friday. Photo thanks to Delly Carr

Pre race swim with the Gong Wizards. Photo thanks to Tommy Zaferes.

Bike pack mid race. Photo thanks to Delly Carr

The fans are amazing! Photo thanks to Delly Carr

Thank you fans for pushing us athletes to do our best. Photo thanks to Tommy Zaferes.

Charlotte is one of my training partners who works so incredibly hard! Proud of her highest ever WTS finish!

Patrick and me post race :) Photo thanks to Tommy Zaferes.

I've signed something for Naomi for three years now, she's so kind and generous. Thanks for being a fan!

Pre race hotel dinner cooked by Patrick 👌