Weekend Box Sep 15 2013
It was a less busy weekend opposite of the ITU Grand Finals but there were other races and we have results from Pacific Grove, Challenge Almere and 70.3 Sunshine Coast. But it wasn't all about racing this weekend with devastation going on in Colorado.
Zaferes, Vodickova win Kelp Crawl
Tommy Zaferes and 2012 Olympian Radka Vodickova of the Czech Republic won the elite titles at the Olympic distance Triathlon at Pacific Grove Saturday.
Zaferes, the 2011 Triathlon at Pacific Grove elite champion, led a devastatingly quick three-man breakaway on the 40 kilometer bike leg that left the rest of the elite field far behind. Zaferes then turned on the jets with a race-fastest 32:58 10-kilometer run that brought him to the finish of this Olympic distance, draft legal event in 1:50:48 with a 1 minute margin of victory over runner-up Chris Braden of Boulder, Colorado and 4:34 over defending champion and 3rd place finisher Dustin McLarty of Irvine, California.
Like the men's contest, three women competitors made a successful breakaway on the bike that essentially decided the podium. Radka Vodickova emerged from the water undaunted by the famed kelp with an 18:53 swim split, with Sagamore, Ohio's Lindsay Jerdonek and defending champion and 2008 Olympic triathlete Julie Ertel trailing at 19:59 and 20:00 respectively. After a lap or two of the windy bike leg Vodickova decided it would save energy to slow down and work into a cooperative three-woman group in this draft-legal event. Vodickova then won it with a race-fastest 36:13 10k run, 30 seconds faster than Jerdonek's split. Ertel ran 38:20 and finished 3rd, 2:07 back of Vodickova.
The Triathlon at Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove, CA / September 14, 2013
1.5k swim / 40k bike / 10k run
Top men
1. Tommy Zaferes (USA) 1:50:48
2. Chris Braden (USA) 1:51:48
3. Dustin McLarty (USA) 1:55:22
4. John Dahlz (USA) 1:57:51
5. Derek Oskutis (USA) 1:58:03
Top women
1. Radka Vodickova (CZE) 2:06:33
2. Lindsay Jerdonek (USA) 2:07:04
3. Julie Ertel (USA)2:08:40
4. Kelsey Withrow (USA) time not available
Bart Colpaert and Susan Blatt take Challenge Almere
Belgian Bart Colpaert started his day with a great swim right behind Kiwi Dylan McNeice and then pulled away on the bike and run to a very convincing win. German Susan Blatt crushed the women's field with a 23-minute advantage over runner-up Irene Kinnegim from the Netherlands.
Challenge Almere
Almere, Netherlands / September 14, 2013
2.4m swim / 112m bike / 26.2m run
Top men
1. Bart Colpaert (BEL) 8:34:50
2. Georg Potrebitsch (GER) 8:43:19
3. Erik-Simon Strijk (NED) 8:45:48
4. Roeland Smits (NED) 8:50:43
5. Hannes Cool (BEL) 9:00:33
Top women
1. Susan Blatt (GER) 9:24:40
2. Irene Kinnegim (NED) 9:47:37
3. Kathrin Walther (GER) 10:07:44
4. Hillary Biscay (USA) 10:10:50
5. Heleen bij de Vaate (NED) 10:15:42
Pete Jacobs and Gina Crawford win 70.3 Sunshine Coast
Pete Jacobs looked great all day at 70.3 Sunshine Coast and when the dust all settled the 2012 Ironman World Champion took the win over Clayton Fettell by over 7 minutes in 3:39:57 and looked primed and ready to defend his title in Kona in a few weeks. Gina Crawford took the women's title in 4:23:17 but had to chase down Lisa Marangon on the bike and hold off Kiyomi Niwata during the run.
70.3 Sunshine Coast
Mooloolaba, Australia / September 15, 2013
1.2m swim / 56m bike / 13.1m run
Top men
1. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 3:39:57
2. Clayton Fettell (AUS) 3:47:07
3. Casey Munro (AUS) 3:50:58
4. Sam Appleton (AUS) 3:51:15
5. Kieran Roche (AUS) 3:58:37
Top women
1. Gina Crawford (NZL) 4:23:17
2. Kiyomi Niwata (JAP) 4:24:16
3. Jessica Fleming ((AUS) 4:27:41
4. Janine Willis (AUS) 4:29:28
5. Lisa Marangon (AUS) 4:33:16
Colorado flooding disaster
Let us all think about the folks in Colorado who still battle the elements in Colorado and are still far from the clear. Quite a few lives were lost and the nature and property damage is mind boggling.
So let us all think about the folks in Colorado today and send them some warm thoughts.
