Just seems weird that Bolton charges the same price and the on-site experience isn’t the same of Euro IMs?
Maybe it’s ‘cos it was Covid, but I wasn’t impressed.
Outlaw was half the price and I’ve done it loads, so I’m a lot more blasé about the event.
But even with that, I’m not sure where my >£300 is going 
Dalesman / Lakesman are £155.
That’s seems decent to me At ~£15 per hour 
I’ve absolutely no idea but fully closed roads must cost a fortune.
I think they add some extra for the ‘brand’ too
The expos at the Euro IMs tend to be bigger and more impressive because the vendors pack their stalls into their vans and drive from one race to the next over the summer season. Lanza is a bit of a pain for them to get to on the ferry for a relatively small race and Bolton probably isn’t convenient for them either.
Post-Brexit, it’s probably a pain for anyone wanting to travel across from Europe to sell their stuff at an expo. That just leaves the locals, so maybe a couple of general tri retailers and a load of people trying to sell nutrition products.
Ah. Of course.
Bolton didn’t have these though 
I don’t give a hoot if they’re closed or not.
Makes no odds when I’m making a decision.
I did find it weird that you didn’t get presented the medal and just got it in a bag
One of my mates finished his 5th Lanza on Saturday and he got given his “special achievement” medal on the day. When I got mine you had to go to the awards ceremony to be presented with it on the stage.
I guess it saves the inconvenience of having to trek across the island to CLS if you’re not staying there, but you lose that “moment” at the presentation.
The first few times I did Lanza, most of the roads weren’t closed. I remember being passed by tour buses on the road up through the Fire Mountains. I think one of the reasons that the route was changed in recent years was because the local police told the organisers that the roads had to be closed in both directions. On the classic route that would have cut Club La Santa and Playa Blanca off from the airport.
Yeah I was supposed to do the year it changed. Basically there is a Spanish law that says organised bike races have to be on closed roads. Its largely ignored everywhere but a new police chief took over and decided it was going to be enforced.
I wonder if Lanza is being scaled down a bit because the locals have had enough of it. Its not like its really needed to bring tourists in. Last time I was out there they had closed the road to Femes to cyclists and there was some talk about people getting pissed of with CLS because all these cyclists were clogging up the road but not putting into the local economy because they stayed in the compound the whole time
CLS have put a cap on the number of riders that they allow on their group rides. I think it was something like 14 riders. Apparently it was due to a requirement by the police to limit group sizes, although the roads that the CLS rides go on don’t tend to be particularly busy.
Ooh, I’ve not heard of this, you get something special for doing 5?
Sure do, and one for 10 as well apparently, unless the chap had made his own. They were presented at CLS this year too, maybe it was an option to have it at the finish line
I wouldn’t mind running up and down that coastline
Not the best of days
Swim was pants but it seems most peeps times were down apart from Sids who mullered it.
Bike was brutal with the out and backs against the wind. Thought they could of had definitely 1 extra aid station and why they put the special needs so close to an aid station god only knows.
Run… felt ok then went down hill very quickly, longer bricks and some speed work needed instead of the long slow and steady. Could of had an aid station at the turn on the long out and back.
Medal and T shirt in a bag 
The expo was pathetic.
Going back in 2024 fir a friends 50th and I’ve unfinished business.
Oooing and Rrrrrrrring over Wales 
One week on and here’s what happened
Swim - all as good as it could be really, never expected a fast swim as the majority of my pre-race time was spent on technique rather than the long stuff, I ended up 3 minutes slower than 2019, other Piratey people were up to 10 minutes slower so I’ll take it, aiming for something better in Copenhagen.
Bike - aiming to go steady, a poor by standards round these parts of c. 170w or 2.3w/kg pushing to 250 max on the very up bits. Freewheeling at any point above 40kph. Stopped at the special needs aid station to apply the K tape for the run later on as it was likely to be drier giving the stuff chance to stick, turns out that was fairly pointless. Managed to not have my brain take over and stop for anything else apart from an interesting moment coming down from Mirador when the two bolts holding my saddle bottle holder sheared when I hit a bit of a bump, mildly unsettling noises as the bottles started rubbing on hte tyre. Fortunately the roving mechanic was nearby and some zip ties and duct tape sorted it temporarily but it meant my tool bottle had to go in my back pocket and there was no option to take on additional water at the aid station other than gulping some down which is less than ideal.
Rolled back into PdC after a tear jerking 5km out and back uphill into a headwind after 160+ km.
Set off for the run and lasted all of 500m before both achilies decided they weren’t really up for it. Never going to pull the plug although it got close when cramp caused the muscle in the front of my calf to lock up.
Long day out there again when it wasn’t supposed to be and wasn’t on track to be either but I’m now 3-2 up with the event and calling it for Lanza participation.
Brutal day for a lot of people it seems, 3 of 6 Pirates finished and a reported 28% DNF rate overall makes me feel slightly better. Never seen so many people (obviously decent athletes) walking at 12/13 hours into an IM.
I’ll feel a bit jealous sitting outside the Buccaneer next year watching racking but a cold beer will help I’d imagine.
Thanks again for the support from afar, it’s great and slightly weird how knowing that some people you’ve never met will be keeping an eye on progress but it keeps you going.
long time not posting (sorry) - but bumping into Symes coming out of the loo on the flight back home inspired me to log back on!
So - my 4th Lanzo and 37th Full and first event since 2019. Didn’t go quite as I wanted. DNF, Primarily due to losing 2 spokes in the rear (Zipp 404), waited ages for a mechanic - no spare wheel with him. I daren’t think what would have happened if the wheel completely went under me, so decided to limp it back very gingerly and lost 2 hours on where I wanted to be. Missed cut off by 5 minutes. It felt like a circus bike - rear wheel was hitting both sides of the brakes and the frame.
As others have said the “feel” of Lanzo that was wasn’t there this year. Hopefully they review some of the things for next year.
Nothing more to add really. Apart from I have entered for 2023.
Swim was Long (I had 4230m) - bike was long (113.6 miles)
So at least I got some VFM (and explains the slower swims)
Bad luck losing 2 spokes, but 37 full IM’s! Are you in some kind of battle with TC?
Who?? 
Was it the spokes or the nips that went? My 404 FC set has had a few nips go, and the low spoke count means it immediately goes out of true. It stranded me once. I’m considering a rebuild with brass nips.
Anyways congrats on finishing the bike anyway. Hope your frame is ok?
I did Lanza in 08 and it’s a toss up between a return in 2023, Celtman ballot, or an easy one like Copenhagen.
Frame “looks” ok. although Its still in the bike box and only had a cursory look at it.
The spokes went near the hub end. Circa 2" up… was outside the line of the rear cassette, so can rule out chain rub. Really dont know what caused it.
37 IMs!?
Kudos, @davem!