Breakthrough Win For Kiwi Triathlete - Whyte Podiums In Asia
Sydney based New Zealand triathlete Anna Cleaver broke through for an impressive victory at the Port McQuarie Half Ironman event on the weekend, posting quickest times in the swim and run sections to win by almost four minutes from race favourite Katherine Baker and Nicole Ward while in Asia Kiwis Jamie Whyte and Kieran Doe recorded top four results.
Cleaver has extensive experience racing in age group competitions representing New Zealand but her form and improvement suggests she might not be in age group categories for much longer as she proved too strong for the largely Australian field.
Right from the start and the 1.9km swim, 29 year old Cleaver took control of the race.
“I think the gun went off before most people were ready so it was a bit of a fight for position at the start of the swim. I stuck with the lead boys and came out of the swim in 23mins 55 seconds, with the next two girls a minute and a half behind me. It is was a different experience to Gold Coast as swimming with the boys requires more aggression and you get knocked around a fair bit.
“The plan on the bike was to ride hard and hold off the strong female cyclists for as long as I could. Kat Baker caught me at the 60km mark at Gold Coast so I wanted to improve on that this time. I expected it to be a challenge though as the tough cycle course would suit her and the other girls who are all known for their strong bike splits.
“The bike was a 2x45km lap course. I found the hills tough and welcomed the flat stretch half way through each lap. I knew I wouldn’t be strong enough to ride with the lead pro boys up the hills so I had to be controlled at the start of the bike. After reaching 70km without being caught I decided today was the day when I was going to try to come off the bike leg first, regardless of how much it would make the run hurt! It was pretty lonely out there but I had a few laughs with the drivers on lead motorbike and the race photographers.
“A very quick transition saw me almost run past the lead mountain biker! The run was 3 laps, and involved one steep hill and part of it was exposed to those hot winds. I ran the first part springy and fast and eventually settled into a more comfortable pace. There were so many supporters on the course cheering me on, most of them doing the race themselves, so thank you!
“My first win in the Australian half series and it was great to cross the finish line with my Mum there waiting!”
Port McQuarie Half Ironman
1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21km run
PosNameTimeSwimCycleRun
1Anna CLEAVER4:31:410:23:552:36:231:31:22
2Katherine BAKER4:35:170:25:282:36:151:33:33
3Rebecca EVELEIGH4:40:080:30:392:35:061:34:22
4Nicole WARD4:48:160:25:272:49:381:33:10
5Suzanne ALWAY4:49:010:28:162:38:411:42:04
WHYTE PODIUMS AT LATEST 70.3 IN ASIA
In further good news for New Zealand triathletes Jamie Whyte and Kieran Doe finished 2nd and 4th respectively at the Taiwan 70.3 with Whyte gambling on the trip to Taiwan with minimal preparation.
“Well the gamble to go race the Taiwan 70.3 on just a few weeks of training paid off,” said Whyte. “It didn't come easy though, the course was very honest with strong winds making each leg of the race challenging. The water was choppy for the swim and a cross current made it more difficult. Kieran led the swim out. I exited the water with a small bunch about 2 minutes back. The bunch included the race favourite, Marcel Zamora of Spain, who has an incredible 5 Nice Ironman titles! So I was in good company but six other athletes were up the road with Kieran leading the charge on the bike.
“I was feeling good on the bike today. I was able to drop Zamora after 10km and by 30km I had caught everyone up the road except Kieran. By the end of the bike I was a minute on down, and started the run with the eventual winner of the race Jonathan Hotchkiss of Great Britain.
“He quickly established a small lead over me but I was holding him at about 30 seconds. We run past Kieran after about 5km.Half way through the run I put in a sustained effort to try and bridge the gap to the top spot but I couldn't get across. My attentions then had to shift to the fast running Zamora coming from behind. With less than a kilometre to go he caught me and run straight past, which is never a pleasant experience at the end of a half ironman. I quickly tucked in behind him and decided to hang on for as long as possible.
“I thought the finish line was just around the next corner and wanted to hit him before he hit me, so I put in a big surge to establish a gap and then tried to hang on. But the finish line wasn't as close as I hoped - still over 100m away! I felt my body die and sensed Zamora running back on to my shoulder. If he run passed me now I was history, so I dug deep once more and found a surge I didn't think I had in me. I collapsed in a heap across the finish line!
This result caps off a satisfying international year for Whyte, originally from Southland. Whyte placed top five in all four of the 70.3 Ironman's he raced, with just the top of the podium left off the honour roll for now.
Taiwan 70.3
Pro Men's results
1 04:09:51 Hotchkiss Jonathan UK
2 04:10:59 Whyte Jamie NZL
3 04:11:10 Zamora Marcel ESP
4 04:12:55 Kieran Doe NZL
5 04:15:05 Horner Kent RSA