Liam Lloyd To Use Welsh Triathlon Super Series As Springboard To Success

Liam Lloyd believes the Welsh Triathlon Super Series will continue to provide the perfect stepping stone for home-grown triathletes to go and take on the world.

Lloyd won three of the opening four events to cement his position as firm favourite to grasp the overall series title.

The Team Wales Commonwealth Games pick for 2018 has brushed off the disappointment of eventually missing out on the Gold Coast through injury last summer to dominate his home series.

Highlights of round five – the Gower Standard Triathlon – will be shown on S4C on Thursday September 5 – where Lloyd and his big rival Chris Silver go head-to-head.

Not only has the series produced a high quality showdown between two of Wales’ finest triathletes as they swim, bike ride and run in variously scenic parts of the country, but for Lloyd it has also created a bridge between domestic competition and the ITU events overseas.

The 25-year-old Great Britain international from Llanelli says: “I didn’t do the series last year because the Commonwealth Games was early in the year. In the end, I didn’t compete at the Games because I got injured.

“But watching the Welsh Super Series last year, the atmosphere and the TV coverage made it an excellent series. It’s really growing in popularity and filling a gap in the UK. When the British super series ended a few years ago, it meant there wasn’t a series where athletes like myself could race locally in the UK as well as continue racing overseas.

“Watching it last year made me want to take part this time and that also went for a few others I know.

“The prize money (£3,000 to the overall winner) is also attractive and that’s increased the competition at the top level and the standard of athlete.”

Embed from Getty Images

Having come back strongly from the stress fracture that ruined his Commonwealth Games hopes, Lloyd hit the ground running this year by winning the Welsh National Duathlon title, before a hugely impressive fourth place at the World Duathlon Championships in Spain.

That set him up nicely for the Welsh Triathlon Super Series and he duly dominated – winning the opening three events.

Victory at the opener, the Llanelli Sprint Triathlon, was followed by another triumph as he joined women’s race winner Hannah Munday, in backing up victories and making it two from two at the TATA Steelman in Margam.

Silver – who stepped in to replace Lloyd for Wales at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games – indicated he would be the man breathing down Lloyd’s collar as he finished second in Margam.

Then came Lloyd’s hat-trick – a third consecutive victory for the Cycle Specific team athlete as he beat Alex Matchett by 11 seconds to take the title at the Bala Big Bash Sprint Triathlon.

Embed from Getty Images

Lloyd opted not race the fourth leg of the series, the Snowman Standard Triathlon in Snowdonia, as the 10k run involved a 2,300 feet elevation and tricky descent.

“It was more of a challenge course,” adds Lloyd. “Running up and down a mountain isn’t really my strength. I’m more at home on the flat.

“There’s always a risk of injury coming down. I had decided to do five out of the six races and that was the one I chose to miss.”

That gave Silver his chance and he seized it, winning ahead of Beau Smith to stay within striking distance of Lloyd in the overall standings.

With two rounds of the series to go – Gower and The Sandman Sprint Triathlon in Anglesey on September 14 – Lloyd held a points lead over second-placed Silver that would be healthy enough to make Lloyd overall series champion with a race to spare if he won at Gower and Silver finished any worse than second.

Liam Lloyd.

But if Lloyd failed to win at Gower, where the race starts and finishes against the beautiful backdrop of Port Eynon, then Silver could still catch his rival as the final race offers extra points – meaning it could all still be on the line as they slip into the waters of Llanddwyn Bay.

“It’s been a great series and a good battle and it just all depends on where Chris and I finish in the last two races,” says Lloyd.

“Gower will probably prove the toughest race. It’s a little bit longer than the others, but it’s a great setting for a triathlon. In fact, I was talking to someone the other day who’s been doing triathlon since before I was born and he said Gower was one of the first triathlons ever held in Wales.

“So, that makes it special, irrespective of the standings in the series. I am looking to finish with two wins in the last two events and that will be good enough to win, whatever anyone else does.

“It’s been a great series so far. It would be an honour to win it and the prize money would be very nice, too.”

Cyfres Triathlon Cymru – Triathlon Gwyr – Thursday Sept 5, 8.30pm on S4C.