Off-day for Rutger, despite high-altitude training camp.

Ironman Germany is one of the two very important races in Rutger's 2004 season. Of course, he knows in advance that it will not be easy: With Peter Reid, Tim De Boom, Cameron Brown, Jurgen Zack, Norman Stadler, Stefan Holzner en Thomas Hellriegel at the departure, it won't be easy to get on the podium. Nevertheless Rutger wants to prove that he deserves to be named together with all these famous people. That's why he has prepared the race with a four week high altitude camp in Sankt Morritz (Switzerland). He only moves into Frankfurt the Friday before the race, because he wants to exploit the so-called short term effect (3 days) of the camp.

The swim-start is delayed by 13 minutes, because of problems with the age-groupers getting into the water. Nothing important, if the water would not have been so cold and the Pro's would not have had to wait 25 minutes in it for the departure shot. Initially things go better than planned for Rutger. After 1000 meter the athletes come out of the water shortly and Rutger is only 36 seconds behind the stars. Coming into the transition zone, the delay has grown to 2 minutes, but that is still better than in Hawaii last year. However, while running to his bike, he already feels some fatigue in his legs, a first sign he will not have a super day.

The plan of action is to bike towards the leading pack gradually over some 60 kilometers. After 12 km the athletes reach the city center and start two more laps of 84 km. At that moment, Rutger has reduced the difference with the group Reid/De Boom to 1.45 minutes. A few kilometers further though, after a serious hill (called 'The Beast" in Frankfurt), his delay has grown back to two minutes again. From then on, Rutger feels that he does not have good legs at all. He systematically looses time on Reid, Brown and De Boom in the leading group, who themselves have to let go Hellriegel, Zack and Holzner. After one bike lap, the Germans have four minutes on the group and nine minutes on Rutger. No improvement at all in the second lap: Rutger systematically drops further behind. To make things worse he gets bitten by a wasp. Luckily there is no allergic reaction, so that he can continue the race. After 120 km, Holzner attacks and finally reaches the transition zone with an advance of 7 minutes on Hellriegel and Zack. Reid, Brown and De Boom arrive with a delay of 15 minutes, while Rutger needs another 15 minutes more and starts the run in 17th position, with a delay of around 30 minutes.

Seventeen km into the run, Rutger is completely out of energy and starts walking. When reaching the next aid station, he stops for a while to take whatever he can carry, then walks further and gradually eats it all. Apparently he has been thinking to much on the bike about his bad situation and meanwhile has forgotten to eat and drink. Now that he has replenished his stomach, the energy starts to come back and in the end Rutger starts running again. From km28 to km38 he manages to develop his basic running speed again. Of course it is far too late to return to the forefront. Rutger finally reaches the finish in 51st position with a time of 9.30 hours.


After a four week high altitude preparation, this result is a enormous disappointment. Rutger is glad though that he finished the race (a "real" Ironman never gives up!, as proven previously by Zack and McCormack who did not want to quit in Hawaii when things went wrong for them previously). The day after the race, Rutger has slept very well and he does not really feel tired. The big question is now why he felt so badly during the race. Was it due to the high altitude preparation? Those are things that will be discussed with his coaches in the next few days.



Rutger's wife Sofie also participated in her first full Ironman and finishes in 12.20. Teammate Gerrit De Pauw repeats his strong performance of Hawaii and wins his age-group (18-24). Stijn Demeulemeester, another Arinso-Bik athlete, finishes in 100th position only, after a flat tire and a mental blow during the run.