Bridging The Gap - Henri Schoeman

Vincent Luis

Henri Schoeman

In the men’s field, the fight for the front of the race is tight. Vincent Luis leads Henri Schoeman going into the Championship Finale, so it is all to play for over the weekend’s racing!

Our SLT Performance Indicator gives scores based on the athlete’s performances in the series so far. It is emotionless, relying on cold hard facts to provide a representation of how each athlete is performing in each given discipline, and providing a cumulated total.

Currently, Luis is leading Schoeman by 0.2. It’s tight! Schoeman takes the swim and transition, but Luis makes enough ground on the bike and the run to give him the smallest of margins. This is reflected in the standings, the numbers do not lie.

In this world, even the smallest of margins is enough.

Schoeman knows he has to improve to bridge this gap and take the fight to Luis, he has no choice, but where will he make the difference? What has he been focusing on to take the step up?

“I need to use the swim to my advantage to beat him, that’s the only area where I can beat him. I can’t wait for a sprint, we all know that.”

Does the course suit his racing style?

“This course is all about being up at the front from the start, if you get a gap on the bike or you’re chasing someone from behind, it is going to be very hard to chase and pass. If I’m out there in the front with a few people on my wheel, I could perhaps break them through the technical course and just go by myself.”

Has he made any changes in his training following the previous races in the series?

“Just working on the short, sharp intervals, I think speed is going to be quite important, but also pacing and adjusting to the heat. I’ve also been working on leg speed coming off the endurance miles I’ve been doing in the offseason.”

What advantages, if any, does racing in Singapore bring his way?

I’m in my ideal climate, as I love the heat, and I’m feeling fresh. We’ll see what happens to the body at these kinds of temperatures, especially in The Enduro, that’ll be quite interesting.”

Final word from Schoeman?

“We know Vincent is a great athlete, it’s going to be extremely tough, but I’ve had some good training in the offseason. I’ll be up there at the front, and I’m just going to go for it.”