Gemmell wins silver at opening ITU World Cup in Mooloolaba

New Zealanders Nicky Samuels and Debbie Tanner finished inside the top ten at the opening ITU World Cup Triathlon in Mooloolabah on Australia’s Sunshine Coast today while Kris Gemmell stood on the podium in second place, the Kiwi in the Australian sandwich of Courtney Atkinson and Brad Kahlefeldt.

The women’s race was won by one of the new stars of Triathlon with 20 year old Canadian Kirsten Sweetland clearing out from a lead pack of 7 on the 10km run to win her second World Cup title ahead of Emma Moffatt (AUS) and Daniela Ryf (SUI).

Competitors were greeted by conditions far from typical for the Sunshine Coast of Australia, with heavy overcast skies and strong winds buffeting the course, in particular at the turn on the 7 lap bike course.

It was only in the final 500m of the swim in the Mooloolah River that the large lead group splintered. Annabel Luxford (AUS) secured the swim prime, exiting the choppy water in a relatively slow 20:53, a clear sign that the strong wind and non-wetsuit conditions were having an effect on the field.

It was a mixed day for the Kiwis with Samuels in the thick of the action riding in the lead group throughout the 40km and holding on to finish fourth, just outside another World Cup podium for the Wanaka athlete.

Tanner though missed the lead group out of the water after being ill following a choppy and demanding swim and had to play catch up in a chase pack of 7 throughout the bike; her efforts in vain though as the group lost time each lap to enter transition two over a minute behind the leaders.

Early on the bike the two groups developed and slowly but surely the leaders rode clear of the chase pack with Samuels (NZL), Annabel Luxford (AUS) and Daniela Ryf (SUI) prominent.

The lead group included race favourite Emma Moffatt (AUS), Kirsten Sweetland (CAN), Tomoko Sakimoto (JPN), Misato Takagi (JPN), and Jillian Petersen (USA).

Despite the efforts of 2008 world number two Felicity Abram (AUS) and former World Cup winner Debbie Tanner (NZL), the chase pack of 7 riders couldn’t make any headway and found themselves over a minute behind going into transition two.

Up front Moffatt made her move early on the run, swiftly moving into the lead from 6th out of transition. The Beijing bronze medalist delighted the partisan Australian crowd with a clear show of strength to them and to her competitors as she led through the first of four laps.

The only athlete to stay with the Australian was Kirsten Sweetland, the 2006 World Junior Champion and a renowned runner. It quickly became apparent that Sweetland wasn’t here to run on the shoulder of Moffatt, she was in Australia to win and by the end of lap two it was the Canadian who had assumed control of the race, leading Moffatt at the 5km mark by 13 seconds, a lead she extended to 37 seconds heading into the final 2.5km lap and an even more commanding 55 seconds by the race finish.

It is the second World Cup win for Sweetland after her win in Richards Bay (RSA) in 2007 and comes on the back of an illness wrecked 2008 campaign.

“What a great way to come back, today just felt effortless,” said Sweetland.

“I race best when it is a little lighthearted, without pressure and today I just felt like I was doing what I love, it is a great way to start the new season.”

Samuels was pleased with her first up effort on the international stage after a strong pre-season of training back home.

The news was not so good for Wellington’s Kate McIlroy. The former track and mountain running athlete lost contact with the leaders out of the water and after working hard through the first half of the bike, suffered a puncture that ended her World Cup debut on the wrong note.

GEMMELL CLOCKS FAST RUN FOR SECOND

In the men’s race some surprise front running tactics played out in favour of Australian Courtney Atkinson as he held off a fast finishing Gemmell to win another World Cup title.

Rising young Australian star Josh Amberger led out of the water with Atkinson and another young Aussie in James Seear right on his shoulder. Any thoughts of backing off early in the bike were quickly dispelled though as the three worked superbly through the first 20km to open a lead of one minute on the chase pack.

That margin was all the more incredible given the quality in the large second group, with race favourite Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS), Kris Gemmell (NZL), Laurent Vidal (FRA) and Michael Raelert (GER) all prominent.

Towards the end of the 40km bike three leaders became two as the strong wind and hot temperatures took a toll on Amberger and he was quickly swallowed up by the chase group of 17 riders, leaving Atkinson and Seear to work together alone.

Gemmell tried to stir the chasers but without any support, the bunch found themselves giving one of the sport’s best runners in Atkinson over a minute advantage heading into the 10km run.

It proved too big a margin to overcome, with Atkinson winning by 11 seconds from a fast finishing Gemmell with Kahlefeldt 55 seconds back in third.

Atkinson was delighted with the win, but not so sure about the way it was achieved.

“That is an awful way to race, effectively on your own for the entire journey, it was tough for sure. But it was also hugely satisfying to win in that manner, satisfying but tough.”

The Aussie didn’t focus pre-race on breaking away on the bike, it was simply something that happened before he knew it.

“I had no inkling that we would race like that today. Out of the swim I thought there was quite a big bunch but early on the bike we had a gap and suddenly it turned into a minute so we went for it. To be honest at no time did I think it was the right thing to do but once committed we went for it.

“Josh and James raced amazingly today, I rode as hard as I could and then on the run it was conserve, conserve, conserve.

“I knew Kris and Brad would take time out of me early but I think I came home quicker than I went out and pretty much had it under control the whole way.”

Gemmell ran superbly in his first standard distance race of the year and was delighted with his form and fulsome in his praise of Atkinson.

“I love the way the race was won today, to see Courtney win it like that is great and he so deserves the win. I knew that I would run well today, we just couldn’t get anything going on the bike. I tried a few times to chase the leaders down but didn’t get too much help and in the end that proved the difference.”

Shane Reed raced steadily on his return to the World Cup circuit to finish in 13th while Graham O’Grady ran well to climb to 14th and Clark Ellice finished 20th. Martin van Barneveld struggled to overcome a virus picked up earlier in the week but finished in 25th place.

ITU World Cup, Mooloolaba

Elite Women

Pos Name Country Time Diff.

1 K. Sweetland CAN 2:02:00 00:00

2 E. Moffatt AUS 2:02:55 00:55

3 D. Ryf SUI 2:03:03 01:03

4 N. Samuels NZL 2:04:19 02:19

5 F. Abram AUS 2:05:28 03:28

6 J. Petersen USA 2:05:34 03:33

7 A. Luxford AUS 2:05:53 03:53

8 D. Tanner NZL 2:06:25 04:24

9 L. Blatchford GBR 2:06:36 04:36

10 M. Takagi JPN 2:06:46 04:46

DNF K McIlroy NZL

Elite Men

Pos. Name Country Time Diff.

1 C. Atkinson AUS 1:52:05 00:00

2 K. Gemmell NZL 1:52:17 00:11

3 B. Kahlefeldt AUS 1:52:51 00:45

4 D. Hauss FRA 1:53:24 01:19

5 L. Vidal FRA 1:53:30 01:25

6 D. Wilson AUS 1:53:36 01:30

7 A. Raelert GER 1:53:41 01:35

8 G. Halverson AUS 1:53:50 01:44

9 M. Chrabot USA 1:54:02 01:57

10 J. Seear AUS 1:54:16 02:11

Plus NZers

13 S. Reed NZL 1:55:23 03:18

14 G. O'Grady NZL 1:55:32 03:27

20 C. Ellice NZL 1:57:04 04:58

25 M. Van Barneveld NZL 2:01:02 08:56