Docherty takes Sydney WCS
New Zealand’s Bevan Docherty broke away from France’s Tony Moulai and the USA’s Matt Chrabot at kilometer 6 of the run, then held off big moves from Russia’s Alexandr Brukhankov and France’s David Hauss to win the opening round of the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series in Sydney on Sunday.
Docherty, the 2004 ITU World Champion and Olympic Silver medalist and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist finished a revised version of the 2000 Olympic venue in 1:51:27, with Brukhankov edging Hauss just 6 seconds back.
"It's an awesome feeling," said the 33-year-old Docherty, who closed with a 5th-best 31:20 run. "It's a great start of the season."
Docherty added that he was inspired watching longshot Simon Whitfield win the 2000 men's Olympic triathlon final. "I told myself then that one day I would be there crossing the line first at the Sydney Opera House — and now it's happened."
Brukhankov passed more than a dozen competitors on his way to the runner-up slot with his race-best 30:55 run.
Just 7 seconds later, 22-year-old Russian Dimitry Polyansky finished 4th, edging 2000 Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield, who closed with a 4th-best 31:14 run, by one second.
Three-time Life Time Fitness series champion Greg Bennett finished 7th, 25 seconds back, finishing with a 6th-best 31:28 run. The USA’s Matt Chrabot, coming off a recent win at the Miami International, led the early kilometers of the run and took 9th just 29 seconds off the winner. Three-time Olympian Hunter Kemper made a break on the bike with Russian rookie Anton Chuchko, led 2k of the run, and held on with a 32:51 run for 10th, 40 seconds off the winning pace.
Docherty now leads the 2010 Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series with subsequent races in Seoul, Madrid, Hamburg, London and Kitzbuhel leading up to the double points Grand Final in Budapest, Hungary. Just the best four performances of the WCS preliminary rounds will count for the title. Last year's undefeated WCS champion Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain is sitting out the first two races of the 2010 series with a stress fracture to his femur.
2010 Dextro Energy Sydney ITU World Championship Series
Sydney Australia
April 11, 2010
S 1.5k/ B 40k/ R 10k
Men’s Results
1. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:51:27
2. Alexandr Brukhankov (RUS) 1:51:33
3. David Hauss (FRA) 1:51:33
4. Dimitry Polyansky (RUS) 1:51:40
5. Simon Whitfield (CAN) 1:51:41
6. Tony Moulai (FRA) 1:51:48
7. Greg Bennett (AUS) 1:51:52
8. Laurent Vidal (FRA) 1:51:54
9. Matt Chrabot (USA) 1:51:56
10. Hunter Kemper (USA) 1:52:07
11. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) 1:52:28
12. Ivan Rana (ESP) 1:52:35
