BROWN AND FERGUSON TRIUMPH AT 25TH BONITA IRONMAN NEW ZEALAND

9 March 2009, 7:23AM
Sports Media NZ

Bonita Ironman New Zealand delivered the familiar and the new in Taupo today as Cameron Brown won his eighth title and Christchurch’s Gina Ferguson ended the six-year reign of Jo Lawn.

Bonita Ironman New Zealand delivered the familiar and the new in Taupo today as Cameron Brown won his eighth title and Christchurch’s Gina Ferguson ended the six-year reign of Jo Lawn.

The day dawned overcast and drizzly but importantly reasonably calm with the high winds of the previous 48 hours dissipating before race start with light winds and the occasional shower providing ideal race conditions.

In the men’s race all eyes were on seven-time winner Brown or fellow kiwi debutant and World 70.3 (Half Ironman) Champion, Terenzo Bozzone.

Brown answered that question in emphatic style, putting together a near perfect race to set a new race record of 8:18:05. But for Bozzone there was no disgrace in second today, an amazing result on debut at the ultimate triathlon distance.

The swim did little to separate the contenders and for much of the bike it was a tight group of five riders at the head of the field, with Brown, Bockel, Bozzone and Jan Raphael (GER) to the fore. Bockel worked hardest over the final 40km to open up a three minute lead, it was a move the Ironman debutant would suffer for later in the run.
Brown was his usual metronomic self on the run, cutting out the marathon in an amazing 2:44:08 as he wore down Bockel and left Bozzone running for second. The 36 year old appeared invigorated by the challenge and was delighted with his eighth Taupo title.

“That was a whole lot of hurt out there today, in particular the second half of the run as I was just trying to concentrate,” Brown said. “Once I passed Dirk (Bockel) I worked on putting as much distance on him as quickly as I could. I was running scared over the final few kilometres, you have to. You never know when you might cramp or how others might be finishing.

‘I just wanted to win today. The race record is a bonus and a result of the hard training I have been doing with my coaches Brendon Cameron and Mark Bone. It has been a tough build up but this shows we are doing the right work, in particular on the bike but even my run today was great, this is a nice feeling but right now I am thinking of a few weeks off.”

Bozzone raced outstandingly to finish second in his Ironman debut, passing a tiring Bockel in the second half of the marathon. The world 70.3 champion admitted that he found the extra distance tough physically and mentally.

“With 40km of the bike to go I just wanted it to end, my legs were getting quite tired and both Dirk and Cameron rode away from me. Then when I got off the bike and started the run I thought there is no way I am going to run a marathon after riding 180km but somehow I managed to get through,” Bozzone said.

Bozzone was fulsome in his praise of Brown and the Ironman race itself, dropping clear hints that this might be his future in the sport.

“It is just awesome to race alongside Cameron and see how he puts the whole thing together. Ironman is definitely where it is at for triathlon as far as I am concerned. From the moment I came to my first race in 2001 and my coach Jon (Ackland) put on a seminar I knew that Kona was for me. I plan on going this year but you never know.

“Right now I can’t think of any part of my body that isn’t hurting. I had some tough patches out there today but managed to get through, so to finish second feels great.”

Bockel held on for third in his debut at this distance after representing Luxembourg at the Beijing Olympic Games ahead of Jan Raphael (GER) and a fast finishing Richard Ussher, the former Coast to Coast champion improving on last year’s seventh place to finish fifth despite a disappointing swim.

Earlier local hope and Port of Tauranga Half Ironman champion Duncan Milne was forced to withdraw 3km into the marathon, suffering the effects of a spill early in the bike that left him unable to run with any degree of comfort.

If the men’s race was confirmation that the old guard was holding firm in the face of younger challengers the women’s race hinted that change was afoot with 29 year old Ferguson stopping Lawn’s record run of six consecutive victories.

Like the men earlier, for the majority of the bike leg there was never more than seconds separating Denmark’s former world champion Lisbeth Kristensen, Lawn and Ferguson, before the Danish mother of one pulled away to open up a three and a half minute advantage on to the marathon run.

It was Ferguson who responded strongest on the run though, moving first past Lawn and then a tiring Kristensen before the halfway mark. Ferguson held strong to win in 9:18.26, more than four minutes ahead of Lawn with Australia’s Charlotte Paul passing a tiring Kristensen for third.

The Christchurch athlete had no doubts as to the importance of the occasion.
“Yeah, this is my biggest win, the race was really competitive with Jo and Charlotte and earlier Lisbeth and it is here in New Zealand so yes, this is definitely the most important win of my career so far,” Ferguson said.

“Jo was pushing the whole way and I was running scared for a big part of the marathon, I only thought I had it with 7km to go, I knew I had the legs for that last part and wouldn’t let Jo past me. But it is so hard, your body doesn’t want to push but you know you have to. The final 6km was the best experience of my life though with the support and noise of the crowd, it was amazing.”

Lawn was gracious in defeat.

“That was an incredible experience, the crowd was amazing again, I just wish I could have finished first but Gina had a great day today and was too good. We pushed each other I think and that’s what makes champions.”

Ferguson pinpointed one aspect of her race and training that she felt made the difference today.

“I’ve been working hard on my cycling, and I’m pleased it is coming along nicely. I came off the bike six or seven minutes down on Jo last year but his year was a minute-45, something like that. So I think that was the difference today, I didn’t have to chase her down so much on the run.”

Paul ran a blistering 3.09.04 marathon to head a tiring Kristensen for third with Bella Bayliss (UK) in fifth place.

The leading age grouper was former Commonwealth Games marathon representative Craig Kirkwood (Tauranga) who won the 30-34 years age group in 9:09:26 with a 2hr 54min marathon.

Former world kayak champion Ben Fouhy was an impressive 12th in the same age group in 9:41:09.

Provisional results, 2009 Bonita Ironman New Zealand (3.8k swim, 180km bike, 42km run)

Professional male: Cameron Brown, AUCK, 8.18.05,1 (new race record); Terenzo Bozzone, AUCK, 8.25.37 2; Dirk Bockel, LUXEMBOURG, 8.27.12, 3; Jan Raphael, GERMANY, 8.32.32, 4; Richard Ussher, AUCK, 8.35.56, 5

Pro Women: Gina Ferguson, CHRISTCHURCH, 9.18.26, 1; Jo Lawn, AUCK, 9.23.08, 2; Charlotte Paul, AUS, 9.30.25, 3; Lisbeth Kristensen, DEN, 9.32.51, 4; Bella Bayliss, UK, 9.41.04, 5.

Full results: www.ironman.com

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