Jordi González is a race director of Challenge Barcelona. Challenge Barcelona 2009 is black listed as it was reported by several triathletes to Say NO To Drafting – but it is obvious that Jordi was very surprised by the situation as well. I hope that his efforts to clean up the race for the future will work out.
Jordi, please tell us your experiences as a triathlete and as a race director?
In the beginning of the 90’s I lived in Madrid studying Publicity and Public Relations. At this time when I came from vacations to Canary Islands I read in the newspapers some adverts about training camps in Lanzarote, with Richard Hobson and Sarah Springman I think.
With some friends we contact Kenneth Gasque and we promote the first Canary Triathlon Federation. In 1991 we organize the first Gran Canaria Triathlon, Olympic Distance without drafting, we are talking about the old days.
At the same time I began to train a little bit, I didn´t do any sport before, just for fun.
In 1992 Ironman brand came to Lanzarote, depending at this time from Ironman Europe, in Roth. I started to help Kenneth in the press area, and in 1998 he asked me why not to move another race, Powerman Lanzarote, to the big island in Gran Canaria, and we did. We orhanized the race 3 years until I moved to Lanzarote like race technical coordinator.
Before I moved to Lanza, I did five time the Ironman where “the normal limits don’t apply” and the nicest one in the world. After that, I did 8 Ironman races more.
When I decided to move back to Gran Canaria for personals reasons, I had contacts with Challenge Roth, and I worked with them to promote the new brand in Spain until now.
What motivates you do be a race director?
I really don’t think about. What I know is than I’m very happy at the finish line when I see the smiles in the face of the finishers.
Behind this smiles are many hours of training, stealing hours to the family, thinking in a dream, to be finisher. Is amaizing to think how people can go to a race which is organize by me team, they give us theirs dreams, they put in our hands one year or training, family vacations, and for me is a big responsibility, and I try to teach the organizer team about this thoughts.
You have been race director of Half Challenge Barcelona 2009 – how were your expectations regarding drafting before the race? How much attention were you able to focus on it?
To organize a race like this Challenge is to put in movement a big machine. This machine has a lot of pieces, and maybe the central one is the race director, but all of them have are important.
First of all, we started to work in the security plan, long time ago. How to close the traffic in one of the main road in Barcelona area. We wanted to have a fast race and easy for beginners. When you have a safe course then you start to think in everything, like drafting.
Honestly, I didn´t expect to have so many drafters. I did many races, like Austria Ironman and in Lanzarote as well, and when I was in a group we tried to be legal, and all most we could. What I could see in Calella are many people joking about the situation, and is really sad.
The day before I meet I triathlete who I know from other races and he told me, tomorrow I´ll draft, I want to do a good race, imagine my face!!
When 500 triatheles want to draft is very complicated to avoid the problem.
What are your impressions about drafting during Half Challenge Barcelona 2009?
I said before my impressions. During the race I was busy and I didn’t know anything about, I was in transition zone and finish area all the time and was when I saw the DQ list when I saw the problem, and then I started to get more info from the referees and motorbikes from the organization.
This morning I was riding with a friend who did the race and he told me than he was pass by two big groups, and he used the breaks to be 20 mtrs behind, for him was ok to lose time but to be fair, and I know another case from a triathlete who stop in the T2 he gave us the chip and he said, I did “draftint” I don’t want to continues, I don´t know the name but he is invited to race in October if he wants. The message is clear, if you want you can be fair.
In my evaluation meeting with police from all villages where the race course pass, I could see a video from the helicopter and between groups there were space enough for the triathletes, maybe 2 kms.
How do you think this problem can be solved – under your organization and in general in non-drafting triathlon races?
We are working on it for October.
More waves starts, pros male and female 20 minutes ahead and then the age groups, 9 starts mores with less people.
Of course to teach the referees, and to work with the national federation if we can, to get referees with international experience and more. They must start to show cards from km number 1, we can not wait until the big groups are made.
To change the bike course a little bit.
And we need to try to teach the triathletes as well. They must know we are very strict with the rules.
Any advice for other race organizers?
Is sad when I read in Internets forum another organizers saying “shit” about another races. This problem is our problem, if we talk about long distance races. Is easy to say I would do something, but nobody is free of mistakes.
We have to work together, and suggestions are always welcome, but we should be more professionals between us if we want to be respected from outside.
How does the Say NO To Drafting project seem to you so far? Any advice how we can improve it?
The new website is very nice and simple. Is not necessary to have a complicated one. The message is clear “No Drafting”. You, the triathletes, federations, organizers, all of us have this sports in ours hearts, all together can make this sport better and fair.
I want to try, don´t you?
