Rocketman Hörmann
on the Hardy Toll Road
Created: 04/28/2022Updated: 04/28/2022 18:09
By: Wolfgang Stauner
Phenomenal bike split: Markus Hörmann drove his best sub-discipline on the Hardy Toll Road despite adverse conditions.
The Greilinger professional needed 4:21 minutes for the 180 kilometers – almost an average of 42.
Unwelcome souvenir from Salou: My knee hurts. Inexplicable collapse during the marathon © triathlonfokus/Marcel Hilger
The Greilingen professional triathlete Markus Hörmann is not satisfied with his performance at the Ironman Texas.
After the fourth-best bike split, he collapses at the marathon and finishes 18th in the final standings.
Houston/Greiling – Markus Hörmann had planned his premiere at the Ironman Texas down to the smallest detail;
among other things, the arrival with his wife Marie had already taken place ten days before the starting signal in the Woodlands, 50 kilometers north of Houston.
During the stay, meals were specially prepared for the needs of the professional triathlete in an apartment with a kitchen.
"So I started fit and confident," reports the 30-year-old Greilinger.
Unwelcome souvenir from Salou: It pinches in the knee
Nevertheless, Hörmann also carried two mortgages with him: On the one hand, he had to take a break for almost the whole of February after a vaccine breakthrough;
on the other hand, the Challenge Salou stuck in his muscles harder than he had thought.
Because of the cold Mediterranean Sea, the challenge was held as a run-bike-run duathlon.
“That put a lot of strain on the muscle attachments above the knee.
And that's why I went into the race a bit bruised."
I've never gotten so in the Goschn.
Markus Hörmann on the hectic start at Lake Woddlands
The swim start at Lake Woodlands already showed that this long distance with its 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride and 42 km run would be a real test of character.
“It was an incredible kick and punch.
I've never had such a bad time before," reports Hörmann.
Added to this was the 30 degree hot air and violent gusts of wind that made it difficult to breathe.
The swimming time was correspondingly poor – 58:22 minutes.
"I didn't even begin to do my job.
Normally I'm five or six minutes faster."
But he did a phenomenal bike split on the Hardy Toll Road, which was driven up and down twice.
He needed 4:21:44 hours for the 180 kilometers – almost a 42 average.
In the field of 1,822 male finishers, it was the fourth best time, and "my personal best at an Ironman."
He worked his way up to eighth place.
Unexplained slump at the marathon
At the second change, the top five were only two minutes away.
"Actually a good starting position for catching up," muses Hörmann.
But the tactic worked out with trainer Florian Heck was to approach the first half marathon cautiously in order to have enough grains at the back.
But it didn't come to that.
Things were going really well up to kilometer 16, “then the slump came.
Inexplicable, dynamic running was out of the question.
Maybe I invested too much in cycling,” speculates Hörmann, who is usually faster in basic training.
With the 3:30 marathon time and the resulting total time of 8:54:43 hours, he was passed through to 18th place.
After all: The mental strength fits
In two out of three sub-disciplines, Markus Hörmann was not able to access the potential that he claims for himself.
"In any case, a lot of analysis is necessary," sighs the professional, but he also brought a positive aspect from Texas: The mental strength is there and now also the knowledge to be able to pull off a messed-up Ironman.
“Last year,” Hörmann looks back, “I would have dropped out five times in a competition like this.
Probably right after swimming.”
Also read:
Interview with Hörmann: "The right strategy starts in the head"
