It’s been a busy weekend at Jackpot HQ…get comfy with a mug of tea for this week’s events…

GENEVA 2015 – four of our Jackpotter qualified for the ETU Sprint Triathlon in Geneva which took place in ridiculously high temperatures on Friday. To quote Chris Brown’s own experience of the race, ‘swim was ok, stress free, bit choppy in places (every now and then you reached out and caught fresh air), bike was good (hill pretty steep 9-10% x 3) but also short, then the usual farce on the run, felt like having a heart attack for the first kilometre, walked four times, but by then was ‘in’ to enjoying the race to the best you can in those temperatures.  Didn’t help by being held for 30 minutes in the mid-day sun in (black) wetsuits in the starting pens.’

Mika Brown didn’t like the hill in the race one bit and finished 21st in age group, below his usual standard but still in a fast time of 1:10:58.  Keiran Hill was 14th in age group and finished just ahead of Mika in 1:09 dead on but needed medical assistance after the race due to the searing heat.  Claire Pickersgill claimed 17th in age group after a battle in the violent swim, Claire had one of the fastest bikes from the ladies on the day. We understand that Claire has since biked the 124 miles around Lake Geneva!

Well done to Chris, Mika, Kieran and Claire 🙂

Then back to Yorkshire where the heart of Jackpot Racing lives for the annual Ripon Triathlon.  Jackpot came home with the team prize – fantastic! And we had a few age group Gold, Silvers and Bronzes also: Andrew Whiteley flew into the finish as 5th overall and 3rd in age group with a whopping 2:04:50.  Alistair Cooke was not far behind in 2:07:50 and 2nd in age group. Tim Ashelford did his usual fast speedy thing with 1st in age group just a few seconds behind Alistair. Matt Pears, 3rd in age group (2:10:24), Rich Knell-Moore 2:12:28, Jenni Muston pipped into 4th lady overall and 2nd in age group in 2:22:53 (time to learn how to take off a wetsuit Jen without sitting on the ground to take it off); Matt Wilson 2:25:59 with a ridiculously fast bike!

CHALLENGE ROTH…he is not called TVR nor likened to a motor car for nothing but Tom Van Rossum had the race of his life yesterday finishing in 50th position at Roth in a huge 09:7:35 – absolutely tremendous going Tom.  You really are motoring…

Then back to Geneva for the ETU Elite Race where the Bishop brothers were in action still in very warm temperatures.  Tom Bishop popped a fast 5th position, just 30 seconds behind the winner in a time of 1:53:22.  David followed Tom in with 1:59:34.  Fantastic set of results 🙂

And finally to the Jenson Button Trust Triathlon in Derby where Adam Bowden took the win! And what a photo!!

And Hannah Drewett took home bronze! We are awaiting official result timings to be released…in the meantime here is Hannah with her prize:

A fantastic weekend of racing…

…a quiet one for us this weekend but still with podiums…#podiumitis

Kieran Hill took the win at the Crickdale Sprint Triathlon before heading out to Geneva this week for the European Champs alongside Chris Brown, Mika Brown and Claire Pickersgill.  Kieran beat the course record by over a minute…that was including an extra 4 lengths in the pool he was loving the race so much!

The Marmotte en France saw Richard Knell-Moore and Nigel Ould amongst the 4500 finishers from 7500 starters.  Temperatures were hitting records including 44 degrees at Alpe d’Huez!

Eddie Evans powered also to gold in the 3/4 road race! Cracking photo Eddie!

And late news from the Otley 50 mile Time Trial from Sunday 28 June where Tom Van Rossum smashed out a 1:49 coming in 6th position; Rich Knell-Moore a 2:01;  David Morley 2:07.

But so the title suggests…more is to come, a whole lot more this coming weekend as we head to the Euros at Geneva, Challenge Roth and the infamous Ripon Triathlon.  Good luck to all or our athletes 🙂

Afternoon! Here we are again 🙂

Let’s head straight to Wasdale where our man Neil Midgley has not long come in from the climbs and peaks of the Lake District, scoring a very highly commendable 14th overall at yesterday’s inaugural Wasdale X – the hardest long distance course in the world. The race is advertised as ‘at 140 miles (226km), with a record breaking 16,994 ft (5,180m) of ascent, Wasdale X is the Ultimate Triathlon’. Starting at 0330 hours on Sunday morning, we understand that the swim was halved due to cold conditions (one swimmer was wearing two wetsuits) (I would still be there in T1 taking them off).  We are yet to speak to the legend that is Neil – our congratulations go out to you Neil and a tremendous race and superb position!

Back to ‘normal’ distance…and over to Rutland for the Dambuster Triathlon where two of our athletes put on yet another good show. Tim Ashelford won his age group in a very speedy time of 2:09 and was 27th overall out of 800 athletes.  Andrew Whiteley was back in action guiding Haseeb Ahmad to an outstanding and 13th in Haseeb’s age group out of 115 competitors.

Then onto another podium at the Titan middle distance race and Max Hazell took Bronze! The race was set on the edge of the Brecon Beacons and featured a 4 mile climb in the race known as the ‘Iron Mountain’.  Congratulations Max!

Finally back to Yorkshire for the Harrogate Bash – a 45 minute period of madness around the city centre on closed roads.  Two Jackpotters took to the roads, Will Cowan and Jenni Muston. The men’s and ladies race became one!  Will was hindered from the start having to start the race at the back but finished in a huge 7th overall!  Seemed to me that the remainder of the riders sat on his wheel for the majority of the race.  Really well ridden Will. Jen had a self-inflicted panic before the race having realised that the battery operating her gear shifters was sat in the charger back home, a good few miles away from Harrogate.  Chris Brown to the rescue with a spare! The race was a little unfair for the two ladies who participated – trying to hang on to Cat 2 male cyclists did not mix. Jen won cycling most of the race on her todd and now has her points to race in the Nationals 🙂

…another supersonic weekend…where to start…

Challenge Denmark…and Cat Jameson takes to the middle distance for the 3rd time in 3 weeks and podiums after a fantastic race! Cat was 1st out of the swim and 1st after the bike in the Pro field and raced to a huge 3rd position overall. Absolutely brilliant racing! And the Jackpot suit looks tremendous!

Then over to Baku 2015 and the European Games where our very own Heather Sellars and Tom Bishop raced for Team GB.  Heather had a storming race finishing 15th overall in the ladies finishing just 5 minutes behind Nicola Spirig, the race winner, over the standard distance.  The following day, Tom took to the Baku shores finishing in 16th overall just 3 minutes behind Gordon Benson (fantastic Gordon and Tom!) who won the race in a time of 1:48:31. Tom was spotted out shopping the following day….:

Back in Blighty to the Bleinheim Triathlon and ANOTHER PODIUM! Claire Pickersgill who has been injured after a ripped hamstring, secretly chose this as her first race back before hitting the European Champs scene in Geneva next month and popped a BRONZE on the Saturday day of races concluding in a huge 7th overall for the weekend and 5th in age group position.  What a comeback!!!  Kieran Hill was also on form coming in 20th position in the Elite race – Kieran, you swim like a fish!

Still in Blighty and we head to the inaugural IM 70.3 in Staffordshire – you kept this one quiet Colin!  Colin Hill stormed to a 6th in age group position and will be heading to the Alpine climes in Austria at the end of August for the Worlds 70.3 competition alongside our very own Eddie Howarth!  Fantastic racing Colin and another welcome comeback after injury!

Finally over to the Deva Triathlon in Chester which was held as the National Standard Championships 2015.  Richard Knell-Moore was more than pleased (and so he should be!) with his supersonic time of 2:06:30 finishing in 16th position in his age group and Tim Ashelford 5th in his age group (50-54) against extremely high competition, finishing in a very speedy time of 2:08:15!

Another awesome weekend of racing 🙂