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Rutger Beke victorious at inaugural Ironman Cozumel
By Rutger Beke
12/2/2009 |
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Hello from sunny Cozumel!
I’m happy to report that I just claimed my second Ironman victory here in Cozumel! I have closed out a disastrous 2009 season with a fantastic result and more important I have earned my ticket for Hawaii 2010!
At 6:55 a.m. the pro's were let go. This time the swimming went quite smoothly for me even though I personally thought i was not doing so well in the water. But when I reached the transition zone, Tine Deckers (winner of Ironman Nice 2009 and my helpful assistant here in Cozumel) told me that I had lost only about 3 minutes to Steven Bayliss and 2 minutes to Victor Zyemtsev. It came as a surprise to me, but luckily a positive surprise!
My biking went quite well. Before the end of the first lap, I already had passed the two triathletes just mentioned and I managed to take the lead alongside Sebastian Pedraza. I felt very strong during the bike, but what bugged me was that I had no knowledge about my compadre (Pedraza), who apparently was able to stay with me all along on the bike. I had no clue whether he was a good runner or not and that made me a little bit nervous! Meanwhile, the rest of the pro men (I was especially looking at Bayliss and Zyemtsev) had lost a good chunk of time on the two of us.
Immediately after the bike transition, I ran my first few kilometers at a high pace. This came as a result of some high-tech and real-time communication. During the bike ride, I had yelled to Tine that i did not know Pedraza and his running capabilities. Tine then immediately had sent a text message to my wife Sofie in Belgium. Sofie went on the internet and discovered that Pedraza had run a 3:11 marathon at Ironman Zurich, which meant I would probably be able to pull away from him. So, Sofie returned this news in a text message back to Tine in Mexico, who was able to tell me at the start of the marathon – genius! So, for a while, I put the pedal to the metal and surged to the front. Pedraza lost some 2 minutes in the first lap, so I did not have to worry about him any longer. I knew that my short preparation to this race (because of my september injury) would show up most likely during the later stages of the run. Once comfortably in the lead, I switched back to a more “managable” pace. I was still worried about Zyemtsev, whom I knew from previous races as a superb runner. While he was able to take back some time in the first lap, he remained at about 10 minutes behind. The last lap was a tough one for me, but luckily for my competitors too.
The finish was splendid! A huge crowd of locals were encouraging us. A fantastic athmosphere! I couldn’t be happier about my new role as a Cozumel “VIP” and local “hero”! For more than an hour people asked me to join with their wives, husbands, kids and families so that they could take a picture. It was a fantastic experience with truly wonderful people. This first Ironman in Cozumel was a first class event. I will certainly try to come back next year to defend my title. Tine Deckers, who, for the first time participated in an Ironman event as a spectator, came to the conclusion that cheering and being a fan during a race is quite fatiguing too. Next time, she wants to be in the race herself! Thank you Tine for your help and encouragement.
2009 has been tough year for me. I can’t express enough how thankful I am to my sponsors for sticking with me and believing in my ability. Thanks to the gang at K-Swiss, Zipp Wheels, Ridley, Giro, Fuel Belt, Blue Seventy and Northgate Arinso. 2010 is going to be a a great season.
Regards,
Rutger
www.rutgerbeke.com
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