Search
shop

Altitude camp next as Tom Bishop looks to continue upward trajectory

Tom Bishop is aiming to build on a superb first half of the season as he builds up to the US Open in Milwaukee
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Tom Bishop reflected on 12 months of strong progress after his victory at Challenge Wales on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Brit has moved from number 70 in the PTO world rankings at the end of 2022 to the top 30 thanks to a superb season so far.

He started it with second place behind Jason West at CLASH Miami, followed a week later with a win at Challenge Puerto Varas. Solid displays at the PTO European Open and The Championship were then rounded off with the win in Fishguard to keep the upward momentum going.

In the same event in 2022, Bishop had finished fourth, with the likes of Jack Hutchens and Harry Palmer just ahead of him. This time it was no contest as he dominated the race to win by over seven minutes.

Advertisement

Leading from the front

And speaking to us since then he talked us through how the race panned out: “I guess I was not really sure what to expect as I’m quite tired after all the racing and had trained pretty hard since I got back from Challenge’s The Championship.

“I just wanted to be aggressive and managed to get a gap with Andrew Horsfall-Turner on the swim so we kind of worked together to maintain it.

“I spent maybe the first five or so minutes just kind of recovering on the bike and then I thought, I’m going to go for it really hard out to the first turn point and then see what the gap is. I think it was about 90 seconds and we had a tailwind on the way back, so I just wanted to keep the pace really high. 

“It was four minutes at the second turn point and I just tried to keep it controlled for the second lap but still managed to build my lead so I had about seven and a half minutes off the bike.

“It was a really tough run course with kind of gravel sections, really steep hills, steep downhills as well. So I was really conscious about not blowing up for a start, not getting cramp, muscle damage and so on.

“So it was nice to kind of have a race under control. I didn’t have to push the run too hard because last year when I raced, I was so sore for days afterwards, almost a week.

“With Harry chasing me down for third last year I was conscious of him and how well he runs so I did push at the start. Well done to all the guys who raced but I was really happy with the win.

“To come with the win when I came fourth here year was a nice improvement.”

It’s kind of shown how far I’ve come over the past 12 months.

Onwards and upwards

But there will be no resting on his laurels for Bishop, with a busy and important six weeks in prospect.

Tom Bishop Challenge Wales win 2023
[Photo credit: Challenge Family]

First up is an altitude camp, then Challenge Kaiserwinkl-Walchsee at the start of July, before the focus switches to the PTO US Open in Milwaukee.

Bishop added: “I’ve got an important month and a half coming up, especially with the building to the PTO’s US Open if I get a start. 

“So just want to put my focus in the next six weeks with a race in the middle, make sure I can really push on and get in some better shape for the US Open in August.”

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
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Frederic Funk finish line Challenge Samarkand 2023 photo credit Challenge Family
Challenge Roth 2025: German star goes into the unknown in iconic triathlon showdown
Challenge Barcelona 2023 - Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade
‘It’s going to be an absolute firecracker’ says Cam Wurf after booking IRONMAN World Champs spot
Maya Kingma Karlovy Vary win 2024
Two-time Olympic triathlete joins top pro cycling team – and is set to race in Giro d’Italia
Oliver Conway World Triathlon Cuo win Saidia 2025
Breakthrough World Cup win – and Brownlee Racing spot – in memorable week for British youngster
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
Triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders moving again but taking it step by step in injury battle
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

Share to...