Joey Payeur
You win some, you lose some.
Fort Frances triathlete Jeff Tilbury had to accept both the roses and the thorns last week upon receiving news about his competitive passion on two fronts.
Tilbury netted a secondary selection to take part in the 2015 Age Group Triathlon World Championships in Chicago next September.
He missed out on an automatic berth in the male age 45-49 sprint division at the Pinawa (Man.) Free Spirit Multisport event back on Aug. 24, finishing in third by 45 seconds to winner and instant “worlds” qualifier Quinn Dykstra.
The event will be held simultaneously with the 2015 International Triathlon Union World Championships Grand Final, which will pit the absolute best from around the globe against each other.
“I’m quite excited,” enthused Tilbury. “I’m very, very stoked.
“Now I have to make sure I stay injury-free,” he stressed.
That doesn’t mean Tilbury will take his foot off the gas pedal in terms of the number of triathlons he does next year, but will impact when he chooses to compete.
“I’ll maybe do a couple more events early in the season, although I’m going to maintain a regular schedule,” he explained.
“I was probably in the best shape of the year this September,” Tilbury added.
“If I plan properly, I can get my fitness level to where it will be peaking at just the right time.”
On the flip side, though, came word the Rainy Lake Triathlon Club’s plans to host its inaugural sprint-distance triathlon next August will have to be shelved until 2016.
The Ministry of Transportation refused to approve the club’s road plan for the cycling part of the triathlon, which was slated to head east from Fort Frances on Highway 11 to Rocky Inlet Road and back.
That’s because the ministry’s construction schedule for next year includes a road resurfacing project that will stretch from town limits to the Highway 502 turn-off to Dryden.
“We’re deflated a bit,” said Tilbury.
“We knew they were going to be paving that road,” he noted. “We were hoping they would be done by then, but apparently not.”
Tilbury said other options for the cycling segment of the race were looked at, but none of them were considered viable upon further examination.
“We kicked around ideas for the bike route but all the factors involved in controlling traffic were pretty overwhelming,” he explained.
“We don’t want a haphazard bike course just to run an event.”
But Tilbury is confident the triathlon will go full steam ahead come 2016.
“We will have brand-new fresh pavement so it’ll be nice for the bikers to come back to town on,” he reasoned.
“I understand why the project needs to be done.”
In lieu of the triathlon, Tilbury said the club will go ahead with its third-annual “Splash and Dash” event next August.
