Search
shop

Dan Lorang: ‘Fire still burns bright’ for Frodeno as bar gets raised

Current Kona champion Jan Frodeno has always relished a challenge - and his coach predicts it will be the same in 2022.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

“Triathlon is still a relatively young sport but every year it gets more and more professional. The bar gets raised higher and higher.”

That’s how coach Dan Lorang sees what could be an extraordinary year for the sport at long-distance level, and it is difficult to argue.

Not one but two IRONMAN World Championships, important new PTO races and initiatives, Sub7Sub8 and much more are all in the pipeline for the next 12 months.

Lorang, Jan Frodeno, Anne Haug, Lucy Charles-Barclay and the other athletes he coaches are all relishing the prospect – though it does not come without challenges.

Advertisement

Fire burning bright for Frodeno

Frodeno, who turned 40 last August, is arguably the most fascinating of his athletes when looking at what’s a unique year.

He already has modern-day GOAT status with three Kona wins, and seemingly always walks the walk rather than talking the talk when it really matters. Dan’s insight into the German superstar is fascinating:

“We know that Jan is not the youngest athlete anymore so we try to stay at the top and when we communicate, he brings up ideas of what we can do and where he wants to invest and try out.

“The fire still burns bright to be ready for these challenges, no matter the outcome. It motivates him and he wants these hard races, where he can perform at his highest level. It brings the best out of him. And in the end he wants to win.”

And while Norwegians Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden took centre stage and raised that bar at the backend of 2021, Frodeno was hardly anonymous.

Jan Frodeno / Lionel Sanders / Zwift Tri Battle Royale
Frodeno created his own battles (Photo credit: Joern Pollex)

He sets his own challenges,” explains Lorang. Just think of his Zwift Tri Battle Royale with Lionel Sanders when he created a new record time for the Ironman distance, or putting pretenders firmly in their place at the Collins Cup.

“If he gives his best and in the end he gets second or third then he will not be happy but he will also say ‘okay, I did everything I could’. I think that is also important for him, to knows he did everything possible to do that race. And in the end the best should win.”

‘In Kona we will have the showdown’

And Lorang is keen to point out that changing things for the sake of it isn’t the way to go as we gear up for the 2022 campaign.

“You can always try to do better – or copy others – but you should never forget why you have been successful over the years.

“[The better way to do it] is to look at these things and say okay, what can we optimise. It’s not that we stay still and say we know how it works – no, we look at the process, take the good things out and say what can we do better. And from there we go.

“I think it will be a very exciting year, with two different races I can imagine, one in St George and one in Kona. They are both World Championships but I think the one which will be really exciting is Kona at the end. St George will set the first bar and then in Kona we will have the showdown.”

Finding a balance

Two World Championships in six months also sets an unprecedented challenge for athletes and coaches alike.

Dan Lorang Head of Performance BORA - hansgrohe
Lorang’s athletes come first (Photo credit: BORA – hansgrohe / Veloimages)

And Lorang outlined his approach as follows: “Basically what I’m doing is looking from two perspectives. One perspective is the physiology side, the other is the mental side, psychology.

“It’s good for the sport to have this diversity and different competitions. But it makes it more and more complicated to plan. And to peaking at the right moment – and also to prevent athletes from getting injuries.

“That is also a point. And what is sometimes a little bit of a concern is that nobody really talks about it.”

So that’s the focus of the next part of our interview.

Dan Lorang TRI247 Interview

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
FORM Smart Swim 2 PRO lens close up
FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles review: can these high tech goggles actually help you to train smarter and swim faster?
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
TRIFIT VORTEX tri suit
The small but mighty tri brand you NEED to know about: Why TRI-FIT are on a mission to disrupt the triathlon apparel scene
latest News
Alistair Brownlee Olympics Triathlon London 2012 Podium Gold
Olympic icon Alistair Brownlee reveals most British thing ever when it comes to fuelling recovery
Lionel Sanders IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2025 celebration finish line
Lionel Sanders provides BIG update on triathlon comeback
Gwen Jorgensen World Triathlon Cup Tongyeong 2023 run
Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen issues last call for scholarship fund for young athletes
Norseman Triathlon 2023 Start
The Norseman 2025: Date, start time and how to follow live for ‘the race that makes athletes cry’
Jan Frodeno Cheesehead PTO Tour US Open 2023 Milwaukee
Triathlon legend Jan Frodeno goes outside his comfort zone to take on epic UTMB challenge
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...