10/04/2008 - California Ironman 70.3
A Message from Phil Gray
Great race for Total Racing Inc's Fraser Cartmell in a World Class field at California Ironman 70.3
Fraser was 3rd out of the water, 70 secs down on Andy Potts but 60 secs up on the chase group. 15 mile into the bike and moving up to 2nd place a bunch with a certain Bjorn Anderson at the front were 30seconds down on Fraser. Out of T2 and Fraser and Craig Alexander were sitting 2nd and 3rd 80 seconds down on race leader Andy Potts. By the 4 mile point the gap was down to 60 seconds. It was not too long after that things started to go a bit 'Pete Tong'. The rest I'll leave to Fraser's words:
”It wasn't too much further along the course I realised drastic action was needed; what do you do when you are frantically searching for the port-o-loos they mentioned in the race brief, but all you see is the concrete jungle of a residential area? Well if you are me - you slow to a crawl and keep looking! Luckily there was a break in the houses down onto the beach and I dived into the bushes. That put me back to 5th spot. Between there and the 9th mile I came good again; I'd got back on deck as it were. 4th was there just in front and 3rd not so much further in front again. I was getting excited; something to salvage... but no. My stomach had other ideas.
At least this time there, handily, were some loos. I remember a real switched-on lady shouting the invaluable advice "you'd better be quick" as I closed the door. Gee thanks. From that point on I just felt drained. It had simply become a 'one foot in front of the other' type of thing. By now I was down to 8th place - but had only been passed by one athlete since holding 4th spot due to my magical powers of disappearance!
I reminded myself that there is always another gear however - Leanda Cave's boyfriend Torsten Abel was bearing down on me within the final half mile, but I hung tough and kept the final money spot - raced like my life depended on it.”
Top 10 Elite men
- 1. Andy Potts (USA) 3:58:22
- 2. Craig Alexander (AUS) 3:58:25
- 3. Paul Ambrose (AUS) 4:03:32
- 4. David Thompson (USA) 4:05:31
- 5. Richie Cunningham (GBR) 4:05:38
- 6. Bert Jammaer (BEL) 4:05:48
- 7. Cyrille Mazure (FRA) 4:06:42
- 8. Fraser Cartmell (GBR) 4:07:33
- 9. Torsten Abel (GER) 4:07:41
- 10. Brandon Marsh (USA) 4:09:48