Pro men to watch in Oceanside
With two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion Michael Raelert not on the start list, it looks like former champs Andy Potts and Matt Reed and the always-dangerous Rasmus Henning should win. But Ronnie Schildknecht, Jordan Rapp, Maik Twelsiek and Michael Weiss would dispute that judgment.
Andy Potts, 34, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Potts has been a killer at the 70.3 and the Olympic distance. The 2004 Olympian won this race in 2008, won the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, took 6th at 2008 Ironman Hawaii, has won Escape From Alcatraz 3 times, won 2007 Pan Am Games gold, and placed 3rd in the 2006 ITU World Cup standings. Last year he won his first Ironman at Coeur d’Alene, took top honors at Boulder 70.3, and placed 2nd at Kansas 70.3.
Rasmus Henning, 36, Denmark
This clutch Danish performer would have been favored but for two relatively recent inexplicable busts – his off-the-back finish at Kona and his cramp DNF at Abu Dhabi earlier this month. This triathlon prince of Denmark’s best days are scary good and include winning the $200,000 top prize at 2007 and 2008 Hy-Vee World Cups, winning Challenge Roth last year in 7:52, his debut 5th at Ironman Hawaii in 2009 despite racing with a broken hand. Ordinary days for this talented fellow would include his 3rd place at the 2010 Abu Dhabi International, 3rd at California 70.3 last March, and 3rd at Ironman Arizona in November.
Matt Reed, 36, Boulder, CO, USA
Boom Boom Matty Reed should be favored when he is on top of his game. Witness his 2008 wins at US Nationals, US Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa, St. Anthony’s, Boulder Peak. Not to forget , his yeoman points accumulating work lifting the entire US men’s team on his back to a full 3-person squad for the Beijing Olympics. And please remember his 2009 victories at Oceanside 70.3, the Dallas US Open, Life Time Fitness Minneapolis, and the Pan American Championships. And hit the replay of last year’s wins at Life Time Fitness Minneapolis, Rev3 Knoxville, and 2nd at Oceanside 70.3. However, Reed has been susceptible to over-racing and it’s not sure if he has come into the 2011 season fully recharged.
Ronnie Schildknecht, 32, Switzerland
The Swiss charger came to international attention with his 4th place at Ironman Hawaii in 2008. But he has been consistently excellent at home with 4 straight (2007-2010) Ironman Switzerland wins and a similar streak at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland. He likes Oceanside, as seen in his 3rd place finish there in 2009.
Jordan Rapp, 31, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Rappstar made an incredible comeback from near-fatal injuries suffered when a car smashed into him on a training ride last March. His 4th place finish at Ironman Arizona last November, during which he pushed to the lead by the end of the bike but surrendered maybe 10 minutes near the end of the run due to lack of fitness, was great. Now the major thing slowing his absolutely full recovery is a still-injured shoulder that hampered his usual first pack swim and left him 12th at Abu Dhabi. Oceanside’s challenging bike course should be right up his alley and this race will be a good test to see if he has returned to the form that brought him wins at Ironman Canada and Ironman Arizona in 2009.
Maik Twelsiek, 31, Germany
This German can really bike and will love Oceanside’s tough bike course. Recent form in 2011 is a little off – out of the top 10 at IM New Zealand and Abu Dhabi International. But he has the firepower to podium – witness his 12th at Ironman Hawaii last year and 3rd places at Lake Placid and Lanzarote. He also knows how to win – see his victories at Ironman Lake Placid in 2009 and at Ironman Wisconsin in 2007.
Michael Weiss, 30, Austria
Top mountain biker who took 32nd place in the 2004 Olympics after a spirit-robbing flat.
He also just missed the Austrian MTB team for the Beijing Olympics. After turning to triathlon, he came with a killer bike. Last year he won Ironman St, George, took 3rd at XTERRA Worlds in Maui, was 2nd at a half Ironman distance race in Monaco and 13th at Oceanside 70.3 and 1st at Challenge Walchsee – Austria. He just won the 2011 Super Seal Triathlon as a tune up for this top flight Ironman 70.3 early season test.
Ben Hoffman, 28, Durango, CO, USA
Hoffman just keeps on getting better. This year he took 12th against the elite-elite field at Abu Dhabi. In 2010 he was 7th at Oceanside, 6th at New Orleans 70.3, 2nd at Ironman St. George, 2ns at Boise 70.3, 1st at Ironman Lake Placid, 1st at Branson 70.3 and an off-form 9th at Wildflower,
Paul Ambrose, 27, Australia
This Aussie has advanced while spending many miles as a training partner with two-time Ironman Hawaii champion Chris McCormack. Recent form is not so hot – he DNF’d at Abu Dhabi. But in 2010, he won Ironman Louisville and Memphis in May, took 2nd at Lake Stevens 70.3 and 3rd at Rhode Island 70.3. In 2009, he was 5th at Ironman Arizona, 5th at the ITU long course world championships, 2nd at Cancun 70.3 and 3rd at the Challenge Barcelona half.
Jozsef Major, 32, Hungary
Major made his big breakthrough with a win at Ironman Arizona in 2008. Major is a 6-time Ironman distance Hungarian champion. In 2009 he was 9th at Oceanside 70.3 and placed 3rd at Ironman China.
Maxim Kriat, 26, Ukraine
Last year, Kriat placed 12th at IM 70.3 Worlds, 1st at Augusta 70.3 with a course record, 1st at Mooseman 70.3 and was 2nd at Syracuse 70.3. In 2009, he was 2nd at Ironman Florida.
Bjorn Andersson, 32, Sweden
The powerful Swede is one of the triathlon’s greatest cyclists. He led most of the Clearwater 70.3 World Championship bike in 2007 – and actually hung on in the run long enough to win Wildflower that same year. In 2009 he led Wildflower off the bike and took 2nd in TriStar 111 in Estonia in 2010. Am excellent swimmer, Andersson will likely lead the charge on the bike. Bearlike Bjorn has a questionable run, and DNF’d Abu Dhabi this year.
Chris McDonald, 33, Australia
Like many slow starters for 2011, McDonald started with a disappointing 11th at Rev3 Costa Rica. But he should soon be back to more typical fitness that brought him 2010 honors with a 2nd at Ironman China and 3rd at Ironman St. George. As the season progressed, he fell back with a 5th at Ironman Coeur d’Alene and a 9th at Ironman Florida. But this guy can win, as seen with his victories at Challenge Wanaka in 2009 and Ironman Wisconsin in 2008. McDonald was a reliable top contender in 2008 – 2nd at Ironman Louisville, 4th at Challenge Roth and 2nd at Challenge Wanaka.
Christian Brader, 30, Germany
Brader came on strong in 2010 with a 2nd at Ironman Canada, 2nd at TriStar 111 Germany 4th Ironman Regensburg and a 16th at Ironman Hawaii. In 2009 he was 2nd at Ironman Lake Placid.
Bryan Rhodes, 38, New Zealand
Rhodesy has 4 Ironman wins – Malaysia in 2001 and 2002, UK in 2005, and Canada in 2008. At his best in Malaysia, he posted a race-record 8:10. In the UK he ran away by 30 minutes from the field on one of the toughest courses anywhere. Great swimmer, very strong biker, but only on his best days can he stay with the studs on the run.
Torsten Abel, 37, Germany
Abel started coming into his own in 2009 with third place finishes at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland and Ironman Arizona. In 2008 he took 8th at Oceanside 70.3 but DNF’d last year.
Mikel Elgezabal, 32, Spain
This year Elgezabal placed 6th at San Juan 70.3. Last year his top finishes were 2nd at TriStar 111 Monaco and 6th at Ironman Switzerland.
Callum Millward, 28, New Zealand
This Kiwi is coming on fast with a 3:49:55 second place finish at the 2011 Tauranga half Ironman – beating the legendary Cameron Brown in the process. In 2010, Millward won the Rotorua Triathlon and placed high at the 2010 ITU sprint distance worlds in Lausanne.
