Posted: June 16, 2004

Triathlon: Bastos takes Health First Triathlon

MELBOURNE, Fla. (June 13, 2004) Invited back to defend his title at the second annual Health First Triathlon, professional triathlete Felipe Bastos (USA) made good on his return visit, winning the event in 2:06:59.

This year’s event was slightly longer than last year's and it was held in the middle of the Florida summer as opposed to the 2003 autumn race. “I set the pace early in the swim, but knowing I would face some tough competitors, I decided not to go out too hard, exiting the water with a minute lead on the rest of the field,” said Bastos, 23.

“On the bike course, however, I took the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach and paced the ride with my Ergomo power meter. I was really pleased with the new Paketa bike I’m riding – it tore down the course, felt so quick,” he explained. The bike course is setup so riders can’t easily see who is behind them.

Bastos’ only comfort on the course came when he pulled on his Sportz Edicate visor and cruised through the shade-free, 91-degree weather, which included a causeway over the Indian River, taking the win handily by three minutes. “For a very new event, Health First was a great race and really well organized. I’m hoping to be back on top in Melbourne next year.”

For more information on Bastos, visit www.Felipe-Bastos.com. He also encourages others to find out more about his sponsors: SportzEdicate (www.sportzedicate.com), AccuMed (www.accumedtech.com), Timex (www.timex.com), WinTheSwim.com (www.wintheswim.com), RudyProject (www.rudyprojectusa.com), Paketa Magnesium Bikes (www.paketa.com), Ergomo (www.ergomo-usa.com), TriSports.com (www.trisports.com), Truvativ (www.truvativ.com), Profile Design (www.profile-design.com), Continental (www.bikemine.com), Honey Stinger (www.honeystinger.com), JogMate (www.jogmate.com), and First Endurance (www.firstendurance.com).

For information on the Health First Triathlon, visit www.sctriathletes.com.

From Steve “Hammy” Handwerker