Posted: July 30, 2006

Triathlon: Warriner and Kahlefeldt cruises to victory in Salford

Sam Warriner wins at Salford - Photo: spomedis/ITU

ENGLAND, Salford – Under threatening skies in Salford, England, Kiwi Samantha Warriner and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Brad Kahlefeldt from Australia won the 2006 Salford BG Triathlon World Cup in times of 2:04:28 and 1:54:31 respectively. The eleventh stop of the 2006 BG Triathlon World Cup series was exceptional as the local organising committee revved up their bid for the 2010 world championships.

"It's my 35th birthday next week so this is a nice birthday present,” said Warriner. “It was good as well as I enjoyed pulling through with Andrea [Hewitt] and Debbie [Tanner] from New Zealand, so it was good from that point of view. With the young ones coming up it’s good to see us old gals still got it."

Behind Warriner were Brazilian Mariana Ohata, who finished second and Kiwi Andrea Hewitt, who finished third. Their times were 2:04:52 and 2:04:56 respectively.

"It was really good. I was excited to be out there and it was great,” said Ohata. "I have been training hard. I have been away from my family, my friends, my house for months."

Warm temperatures all week brought the water temperature to a balmy 22 Celsius, so for the first time in the event’s history it was a non-wetsuit swim in the Salford Quays. Anneliese Heard from Great Britain led a small group of athletes out of the water including last year’s winner and team mate Liz Blatchford, Julie Dibens (GBR), Joelle Franzmann (GER), Marie Rabie (RSA), Jessica Harrison (FRA) and New Zealanders Samantha Warriner and Andrea Hewitt.

Quickly into the eight-lap technical bike course it was these eight plus Magli Di marco Messler (SUI) and Mariana Ohata (BRA) who broke away from the rest of the field gaining a 60 second gap by the end of the first lap. It was clear the day’s winner would come from this group as they continued to grow their lead over the chase pack of forty. By the end of the 40 kilometre bike, their lead was an insurmountable two minutes.

"The bike worked really well together and kept coming through,” stated Warriner. “Then I decided this is it, this is the one I'm going to win this year. I thought ‘I'm going to go out to the front and then no one else can beat you’. I put that in my head, then just kept going and it was awesome.”

Out on the run Warriner and Hewitt broke away within the first kilometre and ran together for the next two laps. At the seven kilometre mark Warriner notched it up a gear and Hewitt was unable to go with her. Behind them was a quickly approaching Ohata that eventually overtook a fading Hewitt with less then a kilometre left.

"I knew that Marianna was catching me on that last pace but I didn't want to look behind because I knew she was getting up close,” commented Hewitt. “I just heard the crowd yelling for me and then for Brazil and when she came past I had nothing to give at the end."

Full women’s results and video updates from the race are available at Triathlon.org.

Brad Kahlefeldt wins at Salford - Photo: spomedis/ITU

In the men’s race, Kahlefeldt bested three-time world champion and team mate Peter Robertson and rising British prodigy William Clarke. Their times were 1:54:44 and 1:54:46 respectively.

"I was definitely fit for this one. Training has been going really well,” said Kahlefeldt after pulling off his third world cup win of the year and moving into third spot in the overall rankings. “I haven't peaked yet. I want to peak for the World Championships. I really want to win that. It's a tough course but I think that it could favour me like last year."

At the end of the 1,500 metre swim a steady stream of twenty-three athletes, including Clarke, number one ranked Andy Potts (USA), Stephane Poulat (FRA), Richard Stannard (GBR), Daniel Unger (GER), Marko Albert (CZE) and Filip Ospaly (CZE), exited the water and raced into transition one.

The second pack that formed in the opening stages of the bike contained many of the big guns such as Kahlefeldt, Robertson, local favourite and four-time world cup winner Tim Don (GBR), Reto Hug (SUI) and Sven Riederer (SUI). It was just before the ten kilometre mark that this group was able to catch up to the leaders and create one large pack of fifty athletes.

"It was getting a bit hairy towards the end,” commented Robertson on the enormous pack. “The most important thing was to stay up and to stay out of trouble.”

Soon after the group formed, Poulat and French team mate Samuel Pierreclaud attempted to break away from the group but were reeled back less then five kilometres later. Then it was Andreas Raelart (GER) and Stuart Hayes’ turn to try. They managed to stay away but only by twelve seconds as the men headed into transition two.

On the run, Kahlefeldt, Robertson, Clarke, Potts, Unger and Stannard broke away immediately out onto the four lap course, catching the two leaders. Kahlefeldt and Robertson quickly went off the front, leaving the others behind. They ran together until the seven kilometre mark, where Kahlefeldt made his move accelerating up over the Lowry Bridge. The next time he glanced over his shoulder Robertson was gone. It was cruise control from there on in.

"I feel quite chuffed with the first half [of the run] and then the second half I had to run out by myself and it was really tough,” said Robertson. “I lost it towards the end and then Will passed me but in the last lap I came back strong."

Before the end of the third lap Clarke managed to catch Robertson and surge past him to the cheers of thousands of supporters. It was not until they reached the stadium that he realized he still had one more lap to go. Robertson managed to catch the spent Clarke on the final lap and take the silver medal.

"I had a great battle with Robertson but it was at the wrong time,” replied Clarke. “I caught him on the third lap. Salford has always been a three lap race and I was looking forward to finishing on the third lap and then I saw that the finish was closed off and I thought you're kidding me I've got another lap to go."

Potts managed to pull himself into fourth place and with that, move into second position in the world cup rankings behind fellow American Hunter Kemper.

Full men’s results and video updates from the race are available at Triathlon.org.

2006 Salford BG Triathlon World Cup results – Elite Women
WARRINER, Samantha (NZL)                 2:04:28 
OHATA, Mariana (BRA)                          2:04:52 
HEWITT, Andrea (NZL)                           2:04:56 
HARRISON, Jessica (FRA)                     2:05:18 
FRANZMANN, Joelle (GER)                    2:05:37 
DI MARCO MESSMER, Magali (SUI)       2:05:41 
BLATCHFORD, Liz (GBR)                      2:05:48 
TANNER, Debbie (NZL)                          2:06:17 
FRINTOVA, Vendula (CZE)                     2:06:36 
LISK, Ricarda (GER)                              2:06:37
 
2006 Salford BG Triathlon World Cup results – Elite Men
KAHLEFELDT, Brad (AUS)                     1:54:31 
ROBERTSON, Peter (AUS)                    1:54:44 
CLARKE, William (GBR)                        1:54:46 
POTTS, Andy (USA)                              1:54:47 
UNGER, Daniel (GER)                            1:54:48 
STANNARD, Richard (GBR)                    1:54:49 
TURBAYIVSKYY, Volodymyr (UKR)        1:54:53 
HUG, Reto (SUI)                                    1:54:57 
RIEDERER, Sven (SUI)                          1:55:03 
HAYES, Stuart (GBR)                            1:55:14

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