Craig Alexander and Ali Fitch to race Ironman Coeur D’Alene

Crowie has announced that he will race Ironman Coeur D’Alene this weekend in a bid to earn the points he needs to guarantee his starting place at Kona this year, the race carries 1,000 qualifying points and a prize purse of $25,000. The two time World Champion had hoped to have things well and truly wrapped up by now, and to be focusing on his
carefully planned training for the big race in October, however illness threw a spanner in the works when he was forced out of Ironman Australia in May, he also withdrew from Escape from Alcatraz and the Eagleman 70.3.

“I rested up back home in Cronulla, then got back to training with my doctor’s approval. I was coming quite good actually, with all that Ironman training in the bank and some extra time at home to focus on core and strength work, rather than airplane hopping. When we finally headed to the US, a full month later than our normal schedule, I felt ready and excited to race at Alcatraz.”

Unfortunately, the virus was still lingering a bit in Craig’s body. “I had coughed so much and so hard that I had strained my intercostal muscles, which basically feels the same as cracked ribs.” Between long-haul travel, the craziness of getting himself and his family back into the Boulder groove, and the immediate travel to rainy and cold San Francisco, everything flared up again. “It is healing, and I think the virus has finally fully run it’s course, but the decision to pull out of the Eagleman 70.3 was necessary, given my less than ideal condition.”

This race will be no walk in the park for Crowie,  the two lap bike course has a decent section of ‘undulations’ and technical descents, and also racing will be four-time Ironman Champion, Canadian Tom Evans and two-time Ironman champion, Maik Tweksiek from Germany.
Also of interest to Australian’s will be the return to Ironman racing of Ali Fitch. The 38 year old Sydneysider who is now based in Darwin, was 2nd at IM Canada in 2008, and 2nd at IM Malaysia in 2007, but has been out of competitive racing for around four years following a string of injuries and a nasty accident. She recently raced the half distance at Challenge Cairns although the day hardly went to plan as she punctured twice and at one point waited for 45mins on the side of the road. However she still ran the half marthon and finished the race with a 1:37 run without pushing herself too much.

Speaking to Ali after the race in Cairns while watching the women’s Challenge Cairns race unfold she spoke about how frustrated she has been not being able to race for the last four years. “When injury forced me to stop I felt I was at the top of my game. I was getting podiums in major long distance triathlons. Since I have suffered a lot with many surgeries on different parts of my body including my hip and after a bike crash my skull. All very, very frustrating!”

Ali will be up against an in form  Julie Dibens from the UK  and Americans Cait Snow and Meredith Kessler. Kessler was second at last year’s Ironman Coeur d’Alene and backed up that performance with her first Ironman win at Ironman Canada.

Men’s Professional Field

1 Tom Evans CAN
2 Maik Tweksiek DEU
4 Tim Snow USA
5 Matt Burgess NZL
6 Arland Macasieb PHL
7 Brian Hadley USA
8 Scott Tremblay CAN
9 Logan Franks USA
10 Cesar Valera VEN
11 Adam Jensen USA
12 Blake Becker USA
13 Olly Piggin NZL
14 Kyle  Pawlaczyk USA
15 Raul Furtado BRA
16 Brendan Halpin USA
17 Heath Thurston USA
18 Joe McDaniel USA
19 Juan Ramirez MEX
20 Billy Edwards USA
21 Lewis  Elliot USA
Women’s Professional Field “Tentative

30 Caitlin Snow USA
31 Kelly Williamson USA
32 Julie Dibens GBR
33 Meredith Kessler USA
35 Haley Cooper-Scott USA
36 MacKenzie Madison USA
37 Teri Albertazzi USA
38 Caroline Gregory USA
40 Kelzie Beebe USA
41 Desiree Ficker USA
42 Ali Fitch AUS