On a weekend when all of Manchester was mad for it in London, the Wheelers were out in force wearing the GB vest in Madrid for the European Triathlon Championships over the 3-4 June 2023.
A hot and dry Spring led to poor quality water in the lake so all the races converted to duathlons – run, bike, run. In the draft-legal sprint races, Daisy Davies wasn’t able to utilise her swim strength to get into the lead bike group but managed an impressive 31st in a strong field in the Women’s Elite race. Chris Giles (M40-44) had, as ever, a fantastic bike leg which enabled him to capture a very creditable 25th place.
On the Saturday, Vince Hounsome (M60-64) started his standard distance (non-draft) race with the bad news that his strongest leg, the swim, had been swapped out for what he perceived as his weakest event – an extra run. Despite this, he made a superb GB team debut by securing 5th place. Maybe the Wheelers’ Thursday evening run intervals are paying off.
