Lucas leaves Jersey on Monday to travel to Madeira with club-mate Paul Clements, who qualified for the event in the same race – at Bala in Wales, last September – as Lucas, but who is not competing because of a serious hip injury which he picked up when he was knocked off his bike in a duathlon earlier this year.’I know Paul is really disappointed about missing it and I’m very upset on his behalf after all the training he’s done, and after he did so well in last year’s World Championships in December – but I’m delighted he’ll be there to guide me and get me to the places I have to be,’ Lucas said.The race starts with a harbour swim in Funchal and is followed by the cycle section and the run.’The gradients for the bike course are horrific,’ Lucas said.
‘Mark Pickford, who has been fantastic in sorting out the technical aspects of my bike, has basically cannibalised two bikes to make one which will be able to cope with the course.
After that the run is a flat course around the harbour area – thank goodness!’Lucas’s training in the build-up to the World Championships has been going well, and he has taken part in the Tri Club’s winter duathlon races, finishing third overall in last weekend’s event, and breaking the 40 minute barrier in the recent Spartans’ Spring 10k..’I seem to be coming into form at the right time.
I haven’t been doing triathlon for all that long but I have trained hard and I know I’ve made huge advances in my ability to compete.
The training seems to have worked and I am as good as I can be for this race.
It’s a big occasion so I am a bit nervous, but the work has been put in.
Now I just want to get on with it.’
