- Macon, GA -
An avid triathlete, Kevin Roberts likes to change up his training plans in the summer. Known for his climbing ability, Roberts' first love was actually three loves - triathlons. Taking a short hiatus from bike racing, Roberts trained for Chattanooga's Waterfront Olympic Triathlon, one of the largest races in the south that attracted over 1,400 contestants this year alone.
Waking up early, Roberts waited his turn at the swim start as officials permitted 3 second gaps between each contestant jumping into the Tennessee River. Finishing the 1500m swim in a little over 25 minutes, Roberts was extremely pleased with the first leg of his race.
"It felt great coming out of the water. Take away the current [downstream] and that was probably my best triathlon swim split ever," Roberts said.
He followed the strong swim with an even stronger bike leg, averaging over 23 mph on the 26 mile course along Highway 27. The bike course looped around downtown, starting near the Chattanooga Lookout's AT&T Field before heading out to Soddy Daisy for the turn-around.
"The bike course was certainly something I didn't expect. On the way back I passed a lady who said, 'Go on boy! Ride like you stole something!'," commented Roberts. He did ride considerably faster than most of the field, giving him an advantage when the 6.2 mile run along the Tennessee River started.
Fighting off the heat, Roberts averaged 7:44/mile during the final leg to final with a personal best 2:25:50. Placing 10th in the 25 man field, Roberts was estactic about his finish.
"Overall the race was put on extremely well and it was one of the nicest venues I have raced at and a lot of fun," the junior commented.
Denes Finishes 2nd in GSC Race
Continuing to race in the Georgia State Championship mountain bike series, Gabe Denes recently posted another podium finish, placing 2nd. The 10 mile race featured over 2,600 ft of climbing and the course was quite technical in nature, posing a big challenge for the field.
"I had been training for the hills for the past month and knew I was ready. My coach set me up with hill repeats twice a week and uber hilly endurance rides on the weekend," said Denes.
Denes would finish a minute behind the race winner, partly due to a wrong turn, but was pleased with the result. Denes finishes his GSC campaign on August 15th in Helen, GA.
