You might think it´s a bit exaggerating to write an article about the finish of an aquabike race. Well, after repeated issues with the location of the finish line in recent championships, most of all the disaster at the World Championships in Ibiza a few weeks ago, I think it´s well worth to take a closer look about this in future events.

But first of all, let´s take a look at the bike course. There have been some minor changes lately, but the character of the course remained the same. It´s a two-lap bike course. In the first and last kilometres of the lap you might have an advantage if you have some cornering skills. The rest in between is just long and mostly flat straights with only minor rolling hills – no need to bring your climbing gears.

So let´s get to the topic that has been quite controversial in recent World and European Aquabike Championships. We had some neat solutions in past races though. For example, at the European Championships in Walchsee, Austria in 2021, where the finish line was a few hundred metres before T2. This is certainly the fairest and safest way to finish an aquabike race. There is one trade off to this solution, however. The finish usually happens in the absence of publicity. You finish your race, and nobody really takes note that you just became World or European Champion. In Walchsee the organizers had the best possible solution for this. After racking your bike in T2 you could still run (or walk) to the regular finish line to get a proper finish line experience – although you are already done with your race at that point.

Now the organizers of the European Multisport Championships in Belgium took it one step further. The finish of the aquabike race will be 200 metres before the dismount line. But it´s not just a timing point you pass, that is maybe marked with a little sign. It will be a proper finish with a big finish gate, barriers and – most notably – people! Because it is parallel to the triathlon finish line with 50 metres public zone in between. People can just walk over to see the new European Aquabike Champion coming in.

It basically looks like a proper bike race finish. So, I´m pretty sure that in cycling crazy Belgium there will be some cheering fans at the aquabike finish. I´m really looking forward to this race. I´ll be on the start line. Will you?