Sam Laidlow has invited long-time rival Kristian Blummenfelt to join him at Challenge Samarkand in the near future, so the titans of triathlon can do battle for the title of ‘king of Uzbek’.
The Frenchman won the race on Sunday after deciding to swerve the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in favour of conditions he felt would better suit his preparations for Kona next month.
Despite suffering nutrition problems and briefly having to walk during the early stages of the run, Laidlow took the tape ahead of Denmark’s Emil Holm and Britain’s Will Draper – but, more importantly, came away from the ancient Silk Road city confident that he had made the right call.
‘Tough but rewarding’ on the Silk Road
And so taken was he with the stunning surroundings of a course which includes the UNESCO World Heritage Area and runs past monuments from the 14th and 15th centuries that he suggested he would return… but wants his old friend and rival to come with him.
Posting on his Instagram account, Laidlow reflected on what he described as a ‘tough but rewarding’ experience in Samarkand, with all thoughts now focused on Kona.
Of course, while he was winning in Asia, Blummenfelt was finishing second at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships to Kiwi Hayden Wilde, in a race which was a near carbon copy of Laidlow’s victory over the Norwegian at Challenge Roth earlier in the year.
On both occasions, Big Blu found himself running out of road to catch the leaders, having given himself too much to do coming out of T2. It is a tactic that will no doubt be exercised once again as the athletes head to the Big Island… and possibly even Uzbekistan at some point in the future.
‘Came here to try a few things’
“Tough but rewarding day in Samarkand 🏆,” wrote Laidlow. “Came here to try a few new things ahead of the big dance, and to be honest, I’m really glad I did.
“The lights went out halfway through the bike, but I managed to battle through a very rough patch, get myself back in the game, and enjoy a little run battle with @emilholm3 over the final 10k 🤝.
“Crazy how this sport keeps teaching you lessons every day, even after 10+ years of racing professionally. Super fast course, great event and really well organised. Thanks, Samarkand! 🇺🇿
“Will have to come back with KB one day to settle who’s the king of Uzbek… 👑”
Blummenfelt has Kona issues to sort first
He is more than likely focused on other, more pressing matters, as he looks to devise a strategy that can limit the time he may need to make up during the punishing Kona marathon.
While his running ability is almost unrivalled among the Big Island field, Laidlow’s Roth victory showed that going hard on the swim and bike can prove a winning game plan – and that is something Big Blu must counter if he is to reclaim the IRONMAN world title.
