Potts set to defend his Ironman CdA crown

Defending Ironman Coeur d’Alene champion Andy Potts was asked if he knows when his training is on point and he’s primed for a good race day.

He answered without saying a word. Potts, who also won in Coeur d’Alene in 2010, flashed a wide smile.

“I’ll let you interpret,” the 38-year-old from Colorado Springs said.

Potts will be the favorite Sunday when 24 professional male triathletes plunge into Lake Coeur d’Alene for the 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run. The start time was moved up to 5:30 a.m. for the men, 5:35 for the pro women because temperatures are expected to reach triple digits.

There’ll be a new women’s champion. Heather Wurtele, who has already qualified for the World Championship in Hawaii, isn’t entered. Her husband, Trevor, should challenge in the men’s race, along with Matt Russell, Maik Twelsiek, Paul Matthews and Leon Griffin. Potts took the lead from Twelsiek early on the run course last year.

Women’s favorites include Amanda Stevens, Dede Griesbauer, Amber Ferreira and Heather Jackson.

The expected 100-degree temperatures have everyone’s attention. Griesbauer, competing as an age-group athlete, had a rough day in hot conditions at the 2006 Ironman Coeur d’Alene. She recalls seeing 108 degrees on a downtown bank sign.

She “hit the deck” 7 miles into the run.

“There was a local fisherman, a medical student who was home on break, and his dad and they saw me go down. They rushed over from a dock or the shore and called 911,” Griesbauer said. “I was pretty lucky.”

Griesbauer has gained experience as a pro competing in the heat, evidenced by her win at Ironman Taiwan and a second-place finish at Ironman Puerto Rico (70.3 miles) this year.

“I’ve gotten a little smarter and I think I’m in a better position now,” she said, “but it’s going to be so ridiculously hot it’s hard to know what to expect.”

Potts won half-Ironmans in Chattanooga and New Orleans this season and placed fourth at the 2014 World Championship. He’s won both times he’s competed in Coeur d’Alene.

“I went to (Hawaii) hoping for a good race and if I had a good race I was thinking maybe one or two people could beat me and three people beat me,” Potts said. “I was kind of disappointed, and it was my best race there.”

Potts said he’s prepared for Sunday’s conditions.

“The heat is a factor but it doesn’t overwhelm me by any stretch,” he said. “As a professional, this is what I prepare for. I prepare for sleet, cold, extreme heat, all eventualities. That’s my job.”