Press Release - 2003 ITU Geelong World Cup - Elite Men

by World Triathlon Admin on 23 Nov, 2003 12:00

ITU Media:
23 November 2003

Walton Wins Geelong World Cup By Largest Margin Ever.

Geelong, Australia: For immediate release: Craig Walton, the   local Aussie hero, won the Geelong ITU World Cup by one of the largest margins   in the history of the sport.

Walton powered his way through the 1500 metre swim to exit almost   45 seconds ahead of his teammate Bryce Quirk and Hamish Carter of New Zealand,   but a slow transition cost Walton 15 seconds and he started the 8 lap bike course   with his lead cut to 25 second.

Behind him was a large pack of 24 led by Carter and Quirk, which   stormed through the swim to bike transition and headed off in hot pursuit of   Walton.

At the end of the 1st lap Walton hsf maintained his 25-second   lead, but went to work on the second lap and increased his lead to over a minute.  

Although the chase pack of 24 had all the credentials they needed   to reign Walton in, i.e., some of the best cyclists in the sport; Frank Bignet   (FRA), Carter, Joe Umphenour (USA) Olivier Marceau (SUI) and Spanish brothers   Hektor and Eneko Llanos, Waltons lead just got larger and larger on each   lap.

Brave Heart   Walton at the front was not only holding off the chase group, he was dramatically   building his lead on each lap. Local fans were visibly praying that the foot   injury that has been nagging at Walton for several months has completely healed   so he could run all the way to finish line in the lead.

By the halfway   point of the bike Walton had increased his lead to one minute 40 second, and   he continued to power away from all challengers. At this point in the race Shane   Reed of New Zealand attempted a lone breakaway from the large chase pack and   was soon joined by Graham OGrady of Australia and Ritchie Cunningham   of Australia.

Incredible as it   might seems, Waltons lead increased to almost 3 minutes by the bike to   run transition, as Shane Reeds strategy to break from the big pack was   mildly successful and provided his trio with a clear break from the madness   that big pack create through transition.

Still coping with   the three-minute deficit, Ritchie Cunningham was the first one from the chase   pack onto the run followed by OGrady, Quirk, Carter, Bignet, Craig Alexander   (AUS), Chris Hill (AUS) and pre-race favourite Bevan Docherty (NZL).

Walton lost 34   seconds to the chasers on the first lap of the run, as Kiwi teammates Hamish   Carter and Bevan Docherty moved through the crowd not in the hunt for   Walton, which was an unreasonable objective, but for the 2nd step on the podium.  

Although Carter   and Docherty ate away at Waltons lead through the 4-lap 10km run course,   Waltons lead was too large for any ordinary mortal to overcome.

Craig Walton won   his first World Cup of 2003 in style, along with the adoration of the thousands   of fans who lined the course. Hamish Carter was 2nd back 1:40. Bevan Docherty   was 3rd followed by Craig Alexander and Shane Reed who were 4th and 5th.

After the race   Craig Walton said, I was totally focused, and I knew that I was in good   form. It was a surprised that the guys didnt get their act together on   the bike, and it gave me the chance to put my stamp of authority on the race.   I want to be on the start list in Athens (2004 Olympic Games Triathlon) and   I know now that nothing is going to stop me.
 
 

Related Event: 2003 Geelong ITU Triathlon World Cup
23 Nov, 2003 • event pageall results
Results: Elite Women
1. Wieke Hoogzaad NED 02:08:57
2. Barbara Lindquist USA 02:09:00
3. Carol Montgomery CAN 02:09:07
4. Jill Savege CAN 02:09:16
DNF. Beatrice Lanza ITA DNF
Results: Elite Men
1. Craig Walton AUS 01:55:19
2. Hamish Carter NZL 01:56:59
3. Bevan Docherty NZL 01:57:27
4. Craig Alexander AUS 01:57:37
5. Shane Reed NZL 01:57:53
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