Interview: Ironman 70.3 Cozumel Winner Andi Boecherer

In 2011 Germany’s Andi Boecherer came to Ironman 70.3 Cancun in Mexico and took the win before he went on to claim eighth place in Hawaii at the Ironman World Championships. It was the perfect warm up and he returned to Mexico for Ironman 70.3 Cozumel, which replaced Cancun, and took a similar victory this weekend. We caught up with the new king of Mexico to see how his race went on the beautiful island of Cozumel.

How did you feel coming into the race?
Physically I felt good coming into the race because I had been hitting the numbers. This was good because I have spent time this summer getting over injuries and some issues.

How did you feel mentally?
Mentally I wanted to win this race because I wanted a confidence booster for Hawaii. If you go into Hawaii with at least a 70.3 title it helps. Plus I wanted to repeat last year’s victory in Mexico.

How did the swim go in Cozumel?
I always have problems if I can’t swim in a pool leading up to a race. I do a lot of swimming in the pool at home but I could only do open water swimming here. I planned to hold the front group but would have liked to set the pace. I hung on some feet and managed to survive. There were about 10 guys all in the front pack.

What happened on the bike with so many guys together?
We all went out on the bike at the same time and rode together until we reached the bottom of the island. When we turned into the head wind Luke McKenzie, Paul Ambrose and I broke away from the rest of the field. We were all riding legally at more than 15 metres instead of 10. Luke and I did most of the work.

How did you feel going out on to the run?
I was really confident going out on to the run and we ran together for the first few kilometres. They started quickly and we ran around 3:20 for the first kilometre. This fell to 3:30 for the second kilometre and I just ran on their shoulders until they slowed down.

Was this always your plan to stay with them early on?
I could hear they were breathing quite hard so knew they were working harder than I was, so I just waited. After 10K I had a two-minute lead on Luke McKenzie and 3:45 on the Daniel Fontana who had run through from the second group.

Did you feel you had the race sewn up then?
It was just me and the heat from then on. I continued to take on lots of ice, water and coke. Once I had a comfortable lead I was able to ease off a bit and save my legs a little. It’s over when it’s over, so it’s difficult to ever really step off the gas.

How did it feel to repeat you victory in Mexico
It was great to return to Mexico and race well again. The people here are so friendly and it’s such a beautiful place. Last year I had a good race in Hawaii after doing well at Cancun so I am pleased to come to Mexico and win again. This is a huge boost for my Hawaii preparations.

What are your plans now?
I am heading to Hawaii to start my final preparations for the Ironman World championships. I will be with my wife and daughter so it will be all good.

FILED UNDER: Features TAGS: 70.3 / Andi Boecherer / Cozumel / Hawaii / interview / Ironman 70.3 Cozumel