“Much too short” was the finish line for Moritz Bickel.
Photo: private
Photo: Private “> “Much too short” was the finish line for Moritz Bickel. Photo: private Photo: private
No one can take his start in the legendary triathlon in Hawaii anymore, but Moritz Bickel is not satisfied with his time in the Klagenfurt Ironman: “The 42 seconds are annoying.” With a time of nine hours and 42 seconds, the Neckarsulm triathlete finished 37th on September 19 in Austria. There were 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and a marathon behind him. In the end – with a lead of almost 16 minutes on the second in his age group between 25 and 29 years – he let it run out easily.
For the legendary course in Hawaii, Bickel has set himself the goal of running under nine hours in October 2022. It’s not that easy: “The race is slower than in Europe. You swim without a wetsuit and the climate is 30 degrees hotter and muggy. Here in Klagenfurt it was 20 degrees, that was ideal. There might also be wind there.” , he explains.
Risk or drive alone?
The Eberstadt native found the race in Klagenfurt “very well organized”, along with the triathlon in Roth and in Frankfurt “one of the races you should have done”. The 26-year-old mastered the 3.8 kilometers through Wörthersee and in the last third through the Lend Canal in under 55 minutes. After swimming, he was third in his age group. In a small group, Bickel drove more defensively, due to a Dixi stop and the cool temperatures, he initially lost the connection and was on his own. At kilometer 90 his father and girlfriend Ines cheered him on. That gave him a boost in motivation: he was able to attach himself to a group of ten people. But then he had to let it go following another stop. There were two options: go it alone or risk it. Bickel decided on the latter, following around ten kilometers he caught up with the group once more and had a two-minute lead over the second-placed in his age group when he switched to running.
When walking past cafes, he might “do his thing”. After twelve kilometers the lead had grown to five minutes. Bickel finished the race solidly and treated himself to enough food. He describes the “much too short moment of crossing the finish line” as “indescribable”. On the Klagenfurt route, Bickel liked the fact that you might see the fans on the Lend Canal, which runs from Lake Wörthersee to the city centre. He described the bike course as “diverse”. The athletes drove only one big lap – not several, as in other runs.
Bickel wants to plan the new season soon
Bickel’s season is over following Klagenfurt. In two or three weeks he wants to plan the next steps with his coach Felix Schumann. Then it will be decided whether he will continue to run long-distance races next to Hawaii next year, or whether he will start in the league and the middle distance. The training should be easier until October, then he wants to pick up the pace once more.