By
Andrew Stackpool
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Corporal
Geoff Hanckel at the ADF titles earlier this year.
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Photo
by Bill Cunneen
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WHETHER
it is the Portuguese in Madeira or the Madeira in the Portuguese
is not clear. However, erratic driving was one of the hazards
that confronted Corporal Geoff Hanckel, a PTI from CSU Wagga during
training for the 2004 World ITU championship.
Competing as part of the Australian team, CPL Hanckel took out
fourth in the 30 to 34-year-old age group at the event, held at
Madeira, Portugal on May 8.
The Australian team was competing against 3000 of the world’s
finest athletes from 75 countries.
CPL Hanckel went to Madeira fresh from his wins at the gruelling
three-day ASTA Triathlon, which established him as the ADF’s Endurance
Champion for 2004.
At the 2002 world titles in Mexico he finished 11th.
He arrived in Madeira a week before the event and found the island
and people “amazing.”
On the second day he set out to look at the course and find the
best training venues.
“This is where the trouble started,” he said. “Over 3000 athletes
from around the world and no one was allowed to ride the course
prior to the race. The only way we were allowed to see it was
by a bus tour that the event organisers arranged. That was very
frustrating.”
There were other unforeseen hazards.
“The local method of driving somewhat erratic and a number of
athletes were hit by cars while they were out training for the
event. One British athlete broke a leg a couple of days before
the race.”
CPL Hanckel quickly picked up his training regime and survived
the local drivers.
“The day came. I managed to have a great start and got away with
the lead pack. The swim leg was pretty tough. We swam into large
swells until the turn around when we were able catch small running
swells back to the pontoon,” he said.
“I exited the water in eighth place and realised that this is
where the race really started. The bus tour of the bike course
hadn’t given a realistic perspective of what the roads were really
like.
“The only way to describe them is that you either climbed hills
or you were doing dramatic descents of up to 100km/h.
“The bike course was by far the toughest course I have ridden,
and I believe it was here that it cost me a placing. All the information
I received prior to arriving in Portugal led me to believe that
the hills were not as bad as first anticipated so chose a full
time trial bike instead of a road bike.
“Had I taken the road bike I think things would have been much
easier.
“After the cycle leg I had worked my way into fifth place but
did it rather hard as I suffered from cramps in the hamstrings
in the last 5km of the cycle leg.
“On the run I got into a great rhythm and ran into fourth place
but it was all I could manage to do, with the podium place-getters
60 seconds ahead of me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring back medal but I did my best and couldn’t
have gone any faster on the day.” CPL Hanckel said the event was
fantastic.
Although the Germans dominated the results he was amazed at the
strength of competition from the likes of Ireland, Poland and
Russia.
“All competed well and some became world champions,” he said.
“I would like to thank everyone that supported me while preparing
for this event, in particular the Physical Training Section from
CSUWAG and Greg Young from ASTA.”
