Four years ago, Frederik van Lierde had the race of his life at the IRONMAN World Championship. Being famous for his consistency in all of the three disciplines, the Belgian athlete paced himself to the win in a super focused fashion.
Some may have called this the victory of a dark horse, but that's not the whole truth. Van Lierde is one of the most consistent athletes in the world of IRONMAN—something he has proved with four wins at the tough IRONMAN France. Van Lierde’s win in Kona was only a spectacular success due to the fact that he took the crown in a more or less unspectacular way. It was the victory of a gentleman, someone who’s not aiming for attention or spectacular break-aways during a race.
After making it through few tough years, van Lierde is back in shape for Kona. The 38-year-old won again in Nice as he did in 2013, and, as you'll read below, he looks forward to showing his best on October 14 on the Big Island.
IRONMAN.com: Frederik, it really looks like you are on track for the race. What are your thoughts on the big day?
Frederick Van Lierde: Like everyone, I'm really looking forward to race day. The shape is just in time for the most important triathlon race of the year and that gives me a really good feeling. In my opinion, it will be a close race again with many contenders for the title.
IRONMAN.com:You celebrated the biggest success of your career in Kona four years ago, but after this success you had to go through some deep moments especially in Kona. Did the past few years make you mentally stronger?
Frederick Van Lierde:That's what sport at the highest level is all about: Big successes and tough situations to deal with. And that's what make those big victories even sweeter. For me personally, those years that didn't work, they are feeding my ambition to work even harder for a second title.
IRONMAN.com:You are able to pace yourself perfectly throughout the whole race. Remembering last year’s IRONMAN France after your bad crash only six weeks before: How did you manage to finish that race with a fracture in your shoulder finally taking fourth place?
Frederick Van Lierde:After all those years of training and IRONMAN racing, I can count on a really solid physical basis. The broken collarbone cost me four weeks of crucial training weeks leading up to IRONMAN France but that wasn't the issue. The fear to crash again on the bike, costed me many extra minutes on the bike. I finished only five minutes behind the winner with a 2 hour, 48 minute marathon. I have a great team of people working with me, and it's their merit as well I could race an IRONMAN only six weeks later.
IRONMAN.com: Do you think it's fair to call this year a comeback season? (You you're your fourth victory in Nice in July and the victory at the IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy in August).
Frederick Van Lierde: I have mixed feelings because of my performance at IRONMAN South Africa. My shape was a lot better than a seventh place performance on that day. Everyone knows what happened a week before, but still. On the other hand, in the weeks after South Africa, I needed some more time to recover and that paid off in the second part of the season with two big wins in July and August. Maybe IRONMAN France wasn't a surprise to win it for the fourth time, but for sure my win at the IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy was surprising. I'm really happy with the situation I'm in right now!
IRONMAN.com: Looking back to the IRONMAN African Championship in April the story is not only about sports. You were attacked a week out of the race during a training ride and got knocked unconscious. A group of teenagers robbed of your cell phone and sunglasses and you ended up in hospital. Did this moment change your view on sports?
Frederick Van Lierde: It didn't really change my view on sports more on life in general. In my opinion, it was just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, not on my person. Their action and aggression was not human at all. They were looking for money, I was the victim, at all costs. I'm paid to perform. A whole winter of hard work washed out was a big disappointment. Fear and relief on the mental side, and headache and sore legs on the physical side: that's how I raced and left South Africa.
IRONMAN.com: How do these Kona days look—who'd going to team up with you for the race and race week’s support?
Frederick Van Lierde: I'll be in Kona from October 6 together with my wife Sofie, my brother and manager Vincent, and my dad Roger. Next to them, there is my coach Luc Van Lierde, my massage therapist Marc, and my photographer David and camera man Jeroen.