Crowie wins Huski battle
The pristine coastal hamlet of Huskisson is a happy hunting ground for the Sydneysider, having claimed three titles at the location where he celebrated his honeymoon 11 years ago.
A blistering run ensured he bridged the two-minute gap to main rival Pete Jacobs at the end of the ride, catching the defending champion halfway through the 20km final leg to eventually win in a time of 3hr 36min 04secs, exactly one minute clear of Jacobs.
In the elite women’s race, Queenslander Carrie Lester announced her arrival in top company, clearing out on the bike and holding good form on the run to record a comprehensive victory in 4hr 01min 55secs, five minutes clear of Pip Taylor.
Alexander remained composed despite some early hiccups, when he was among a lead group on the swim course that was initially led in the wrong direction by officials. He recovered well to exit the water within 90 seconds of noted swimmers Clayton Fettell and Jacobs. A wrong turn early in the bike leg didn’t help his cause, but he kept the leading pair within striking distance during the 80km ride.
“I had a diabolical swim here last year and, considering a bit of a hiccup at the start, I was pretty happy to come out of the water where I did,” Alexander said. “I thought Pete was the danger-man because he’s in pretty good shape for this time of the year, so I wanted to keep close enough to him, then I was able to step things up on the run and pick him up.”
His love affair with Huskisson is a good sign as the veteran attempts to claim a third successive World Ironman crown in Hawaii in October this year.
“This place holds some sentimental memories for us considering we had our honeymoon down here and I’ve enjoyed a bit of success down here now too, so I love coming back. It’s one of the most scenic courses you could ask for but there are also some technical challenges in that there are some decent rolling hills on the ride and it’s a tough enough run along the coast, so it’s always a good test of form. I’m very happy with the shape I’m in for this time of year, so it’s a matter of building on that with races through the northern hemisphere summer with an eye on Kona (Hawaii) in October.”
Jacobs raced bravely in the heat, picking up a badly wilting Fettell early on the run, before struggling himself late in the race. It had been far from the ideal preparation, returning from the United Arab Emirates a week ago, completing a backlog of landscaping jobs through the week and switching to a new bike that he rode for the first time only on Friday.
“I went out hard on the run and tried to hang on because I knew Crowie would come at me, but I faded over the second half and Crowie simply left me behind,” Jacobs said. “But given my preparation it wasn’t a bad effort and I’m in fair shape for Ironman Australia next month.”
Lester took ownership of the women’s race after the opening third of the bike, reeling in Taylor who had led the field out of the swim by more than a minute. It was Lester’s race fitness that told though, having won the Canberra Half Ironman and come second in the Geelong 70.3 coming into this weekend.
“It took me a little while to get settled on the bike but once I sorted myself out I put the foot down and cleared off,” said the 29-year-old Sunshine Coast resident, who has made an impressive transition from age group athlete to long course professional over the past 12 months. “I only raced here for the first time last year as an age grouper, but this has to be my favourite course – it’s just so beautiful. Now that I’ve worked out what distance suits me I’ve been able to knuckle down over the last 12 months and make some really good progress so hopefully I can keep improving.”
Taylor, competing in her first and only race in Australia for the season before heading overseas, was solid if not spectacular.
“I was happy with it as a training day but not happy with it as a race,” she said. “I didn’t feel great on the bike but the race served its purpose as a February indicator and now I have to pick things up a notch to ensure I’m ready for the summer season in the United States.”
A field of 912 athletes competed in today’s Long Course Championships, while more than 3000 people took part in a variety of events as part of the Jervis Bay Triathlon & Multisport Festival.
Results- Men
- Craig ALEXANDER 3:36:04 - 24:49/ 2:01:37/ 1:07:34
- Pete JACOBS 3:37:04
- Christian KEMP 3:37:14
- Adam HOLBOROW 3:39:31
- Joseph LAMPE 3:41:28
- Tim BERKEL 3:43:06
Women
- Carrie LESTER 4:01:55 - 27:39/ 2:12:08/ 1:19:51
- Pip TAYLOR 4:06:55
- Tara PROWSE 4:08:23
- Melissa VANDEWATER 4:09:14
- Christelle VAN NIEKERK 4:16:14
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