Holly Lawrence, favourite for the women’s title at IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain, described an in-race detour on the bike onto an open highway as “scary” and “stressful”.

The Brit, the 70.3 World Champion in 2016 and currently #12 in the PTO World Rankings, was looking for a fourth straight victory in Bahrain in what this season was the Middle East Championship.

From bad to far worse

But the week got off to a bad start when her bike was initially held up in transit.

However all appeared back on track when the race got under way and she came out of the swim in the lead alongside Aussie Natalie Van Coeverden.

Lawrence then put her cycling prowess into action to open up an advantage of over four minutes on the rest past the halfway stage of the 90km bike leg.

But it was soon after that point that things went awry, her Bahrain Victorious Team posting on social media that she was “led the wrong way by moto” in an incident that saw her ride an extra four miles, lose her advantage and come into T2 +1:45 down on the front three which included eventual winner Marjolaine Pierré of France.

Lawrence would go on to finish +4:40 adrift in fourth place and she later posted on Instagram about the scare.

“Can’t talk about it yet… sorry if you saw me angry out there – was very stressful and honestly scary riding amongst all the cars on the highway and trying to find a way to get back on the course! This race was doomed from the start for me!”