European 70.3 Champion Andreas Böcherer came to Kona to get a feel for this famous event and returned to Europe with a very fine 8th place. During this season he grabbed 5 wins, and among them three 70.3 titles and thus the top ten in Kona could be viewed as the icing on the cake. This fast German had a few words with slowtwitch about his experience in Hawaii and what it all meant to him.
Slowtwitch: Are you glad to be back home?
Andi: Absolutely. There is no better place than home.
ST: How warm are the temperatures in Freiburg compared to Kona?
Andi: How cold? About 15°C, which is about 20 degrees colder than Kona. Feels like -10°C.
ST: Don't you appreciate the bit cooler temps in Germany at least a bit?
Andi: If it is really cold and snowing, I like it, too. Then I train a lot of XC-skiing. But I don't like the medium temperatures.
ST: Then why no XTERRA Maui for you?
Andi: It has been a very long season with Ironman South Africa in
April and at some point you have to rest and get ready again for next year. But it is definitely on my list. With Eneko Llanos' DNF I would have good chances at the double.
ST: Now that you have the big Kona race behind you, what are your thoughts?
Andi: I am really happy with my 8th place, although I lost three places on the last two miles. Now I know I can perform in the special Hawaiian climate. That gives me a lot of confidence for the years to come. Being overtaken so late in the race leaves hungry for next year. At the end Kona was the icing on the cake of my very best season so far including 3 70.3 titles, 5 wins and 2 second places.
ST: What were you hoping for in terms of place or time?
Andi: My only hope was to be able to put my good training results together and have a smooth race without overheating, over pacing, etc. I knew, if that would happen the result would be alright. So I got everything I hoped for and now I can start to improve my Kona performance over the years to come.
ST: Any thoughts on the swim?
Andi: During the first 2.5km I really didn't know where I was. But then I discovered Faris in front of me so by then I knew I was in the first pack, although the pace wasn't very high. I will come back with a better swim shape and try to organize a breakaway with only a few people. Someday it is going to happen. It is ridiculous to have such a big lead pack. I would be nice to start the race from the gun and not at the turnaround in Hawi. Look at Timo Bracht. He lost the race in the swim. Why not put more people in this situation?
ST: Crowie was someone who folks tried to get in trouble before the run, but this year he rocked it on the bike.
Andi: For me there are no triathlon bikers or triathlon runners. Only triathletes. Who crosses the line first, wins. It is that easy. So it does make no difference if you get off the bike in second or fifteenth position.
Slowtwitch: Were you surprised about the pace on the bike?
Andi: No. It is a World Championship, so I expected the pace to be very high. At the end I let the lead group go to safe energy for the run. But it is nice to see that there is still room and need to improve on the bike.
ST: When you came down Palani in 7th place you had Raynard Tissink not far behind. Were you aware of his presence??
Andi: Yes. I had EK Lidbury on the Highway to give me splits and motivation. She did a perfect job, and I was totally aware that some guys were closing the gap on me.
ST: When did he make the pass and what did you have left at that time?
Andi: He passed me running down Palani Road. I had nothing left in the tank. I just focused to get to the finish line, where I immediately collapsed. I was brought to the medical tent and after some IV I was able to stand on my own feet again. I think I will have to race Raynard next year again in South Africa, after he has beaten me only by seconds twice this year. (in SA and Hawaii)
ST: Any lessons learned for next year?
Andi: Now I know I can perform in the heat and have a share at the prize money although it is a World Championship. That gives me so much confidence for the years to come. Confidence is so important for racing successfully. Physically I know I have to improve all over the three disciplines but that is not very new.
ST: What is next?
Andi: Resting from a long season, working through my sponsorship contracts and planning next year. And off course enjoying some time with my family.
ST: Anything else new and exciting?
Andi: Kona has been exiting enough - time to relax!
