By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
Hayden Wilde sealed back-to-back French Grand Prix wins in Bordeaux with a positive message for Kiwi tri fans back home counting down to the Olympic Games.
“The form’s there before Paris and I’m really enjoying it,” Wilde said after comfortably winning the Lindahls Pro+ Triathlon Series sprint race by eight seconds from France’s Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger.
Racing for Triathlon Club De Lievin, Wilde predictably eased away on the 5km run after being part of a huge group off the bike into T2.
He eventually stopped the clock in 49:21, eclipsing his winning 50:34 effort from 12 months ago.
“I’m happy with that, it all went well on the run and I beat my time here from last year.
“It was a bit wet [on the bike] but everyone was very respectful.
Exactly a month out from the XXXIII Olympiad where he hopes to better his bronze from Tokyo, Wilde has returned to his altitude camp at the famed Pic Maià Mountain Hotel in the Andorran alps, a favourite training haunt of Giro d’Italia and Tour de France cyclists.
He’ll remain training out of the luxury lodge 2408m above sea level until July 17, before spending a few days at his own Andorran apartment and finally making his way to Paris by car.
“I’ve been up in Andorra for an altitude stint so it was really hard to come down here and run at sea level but I’m really happy to get a race in the legs,” Wilde said.
The plan now? “Just to continue the training. I’ve got a long run tomorrow, we don’t stop.”
