Monaco 70.3

While my illustrious editor and his sausage-eating partner in crime, Matt, attempted to break the record for the most amount of wurst eaten in a four-day period over at Eurobike, I went further south to soak up some rays, take a holiday and, er, watch an Ironman.

In temperatures topping 35°C, athletes at the fifth annual Ironman 70.3 Monaco were treated to conditions more associated with the lava fields of the Ironman Lanzarote course, albeit with zero breeze and a backdrop of flashy cars and four-tiered yachts. Monaco, it would seem, is yet to feel the effects of a global recession.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert, had an early start to sound the klaxon and get the action under way. Just over fours later Axel Zeebroek of Belgium ran the final stretch, uphill, to take the title and enjoy the streamer fireworks that befitted a Monaco champion. While it was Kristel Robin of France who did the same for the ladies just under an hour later.

Full race report and a review of how the 150-strong British contingent got on in the principality in next issue. Now, I'm officially on holiday!