Samuels takes Mooloolaba
New Zealand’s Nicky Samuels combined with Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf to gain 2 minutes with a bike breakaway, then surged ahead of Ryf and held on against two-time ITU World Champion Emma Moffatt’s second-best run to win her very first ITU World Cup in Mooloolaba Sunday.
When the racing was over, Samuels, 28, won the $6,250 first prize and finished the tough Mooloolaba course on a demanding, rainy, windy day in 2:03:13 with 20 seconds in hand over runner-up Moffatt and 43 seconds over 3rd place Barbara Riveros-Diaz of Chile.
Samuels’ previous career best results include a bronze at the 2006 ITU World Championship Under 23 women, a 4th at the 2007 ITU World Cup in Madrid, a 3rd at the 2007 ITU World Cup in Kitzbuhel, a 4th at the 2009 ITU World Cup in Mooloolaba, and a bronze at the 2010 Oceania Championships in Wellington, New Zealand.
Looking back on this day, Samuels knows she owes a good portion of her win to the brave bike breakaway cooperation of Ryf. The New Zealander and the powerful Swiss charger took off like rockets on their way to a low 1 hour and 4 minute bike on a day buffeted by gusting winds – which gave them a 2:02 head start on the heavy hitters in the chase pack.
"Daniela went (on the bike) and I thought she's a strong cyclist, I should go with her and we just pulled away from there,” Samuels told ITU media. “We worked well together and that's the key when you're away.”
On the first lap of the hilly run, Samuels opened up a slim five-second lead on Ryf. Moffatt and Riveros also worked hard and trailed by 90 seconds after the first lap. Paula Findlay and Liz Blatchford were another ten seconds behind. After 5k of the run, Samuels had a lead of 37 seconds over Ryf, and ion the third lap of the 10k run Moffatt and Riveros Diaz reeled in Ryf. Once Ryf fell off on the run, Samuels maintained her 37:24 10k run just enough to hold off by 20 seconds Moffatt’s second-best 35:40 run.
"To tell you the truth I wasn't too confident I'd be able to hold the lead," Samuels told ITU media after the race. "Then I thought I had a good head start and couldn't ask for anything more. Once I had it on the third lap I thought I should be able to hold this."
"It's a tough course and I don't really it gets much tougher than this so it's a great way to start the year," said Moffatt.
Riveros-Diaz, who burst into the ITU spotlight with an upset win at the 2010 season-opening ITU World Championship Series event in Sydney, had to overcome penalties incurred on the bike which were included in her 36:05 run. Riveros-Diaz still managed to make the final spot on the podium, 43 seconds behind the winner and ahead of Canada’s 2010 sensation Paula Findlay, who won a photo finish duel with the Czech Republic’s Vendula Frintova, the defending Mooloolaba champion, for 4th place, 53 seconds back of Samuels. Ryf, who had been ill leading up to the race, obviously suffered more than Samuels in their bike breakaway and could only manage a 38:40 run to finish 6th.
ITU World Cup Mooloolaba
Mooloolaba, Australia
March 27, 2011
S 1.5k/ B 40k/ R 10k
Elite Women
1. Nicky Samuels (NZL) 2:03:13 — $6,250
2. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 2:03:33 – $5,000
3. Barbara Riveros-Diaz (CHI) 2:03:56 – $3,750
4. Paula Findlay (CAN) 2:04:06 – $2,500
5. Vendula Frintova (CZE) 2:04:06 – $2,000
6. Daniela Ryf (SUI) 2:04:28 – $1,750
7. Liz Blatchford (GBR) 2:04:39 – $1,500
8. Sarah Groff (USA) 2:04:42 – $1,000
9. Lauren Campbell (CAN)2:04:57 – $750
10. Kerry Lang (GBR) 2:05:11 – $500
16. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2:06:14
