Hey, Evgen:


I am from Argentina, I live in Buenos Aires and I participated in IM Mar del Plata in 2017.


MDQ (Mar del Plata) is located 400km from Buenos Aires. By car it takes 4hs to travel the road through highways and routes in good condition. MDQ is the most important coastal city of the country so you will find places to eat and buy food without problem.


The climate is changeable so I recommend you to be prepared for both heat and cold (10 degrees Celsius) and for the wind, which is and will always be present. Swimming has a difficulty between medium and high depending on the waves as it is open sea.


The state of the route is mostly good and there shouldn't be any drafting as there aren't many registered. I recommend you in case you need to train carefully to leave for the side of Santa Clara del Mar (part of the route) as another part of the city is not possible.


The run stage is 99% flat, except for a small climb of 15mts that must be done 3 times.


MDQ is a good race that unfortunately will stop in 2020 due to costs and the regional economy.


Feel free to ask me everything you need for this post or for PM.


Many successes!


Ezequiel

Thank you. great info

I would advice going for the race but spending most of the time in Buenos Aires proper. Mar del Plata is nice with little kids and a little cheaper, but outside of the registration and immediate recovery day, I didn't find it very exciting. BA on the other hand has a lot to do.

Regarding the race I would just say two main things. First, expect lots of wind on the bike, LOTS. If you're a trainer guy most of the time and not a great handler and decide to roll with a disc because of the flat, you might have an amazing day or you might regret that big wheel. I witnessed some weak bikers getting battered and ready to give up. Second, pack your own sunscreen even if the athlete guide says there will be sunscreen in T1&T2 and on course. There might be none and that makes for a bad day.

Thank you.
I am 150lbs, 4+ years on TT bike. good skills. Tend to use 60mm+ disc. From my experience, main problem with stability is front wheel height. But if its gusts like 30m|h, things gets much worse)))))

Still had slight skin birned from Zurich 2018. Get the lesson well))))

   I've raced there each of the past couple of years, for better or worse (I had terrible races, but nothing to do with the venue, just being sick and overreached). I'll reiterate the wind! I didn't find it to be too bad from a handling perspective, because the course is so flat, the wind is steady vs gusty, and it was more of a straight tailwind/headwind situation than any major crosswinds. Race day both years, we had a tailwind out, and a headwind back which worsened each loop-so, definitely a need to be mentally prepared for that. There were points where I was spinning out at 30mph+ on the way out, then grinding under 15mph into the wind on the way back. There was also a stretch into the wind where I could see the city buildings, but the wind was particularly strong, and they just weren't getting any closer-brutal. But, I did do a few training rides in the days leading up to the race where the wind direction was the direct opposite! It's also a factor on the run, obviously not as bad as on the bike, but expect to to affect pace to some degree. One other thing for the bike-keep an eye out for stray dogs! I've never encountered an aggressive one there, but I did have one chase me last year.

Swim-wise, getting through the breakers at the start of each lap (or single lap, last year was shortened due to combined water/air temp-it didn't feel that bad swimming, but my feet were frozen for a while on the bike) is the hardest part. Afterwards, there are swells that can make sighting a little bit hard, but nothing too bad. If you can get out for some practice swimming at the race site, do so early-by mid/later morning, usually the water was so kicked up that conditions were really rough. We actually weren't allowed to swim out at one point last year because someone had unfortunately lost her life trying to practice swim earlier in the day. Also, when it comes to meals, be prepared that most restaurants don't open for dinner until 8pm. We stayed at airbnbs with kitchens and just cooked for ourselves; there were grocery stores within walking distance with enough of the basics to make do.

On a different note, my first year there, there was some sort of organized march for the lost submarine soldiers during the bike, and they actually had to divert us onto the sidewalk at one point. Last year, we were walking back from poking around the city, and a protest to the G20 summit began down one of the main roads. Everything was peaceful and I always felt entirely safe there, just interesting experiences! Everyone we encountered was friendly and kind, despite our limited Spanish skills. If you're looking for something to do after the race and have a car, Sierra de los Padres was neat to check out-and the bakeries and empanadas are fantastic!

Thank you!

Hello,
Seems the bike course has 560 meter gain on a 60 km loop.
Does that mean there is a hilly section near the end of the loop, or rolling hills over the route?

There is a very slight hilly section before arrival.


Here you have the 2017 route, different from the 2019 route, but it runs through the same places as this year: https://connect.garmin.com/.../activity/2369946634


You will be able to see the 2019 course for the next few kilometres:
- 0 to 46.72.
- 65, 59 to 83.97.


Mar del Plata is a flat race where the greatest resistance to overcome is the wind.

Thank you very much!!!

AFAIK, this year they change the route again. It's totally flat

3 laps https://goo.gl/maps/p6K2J3mDXDek5osb8

Try to avoid riding alone, not too early for safety, not too late to avoid traffic (be very careful). The route is in good condition but be alert for potholes or unfilled expansion joints on the pavement

Lifeguard service starts at 8am until 8pm

Hi, if any wants to sell the bike or wheels after the race just let me know.
And course ask what you want about the city or anything about the race. I live in Bs As.