Less than a fortnight after being “super lucky” to walk away from a training ride T-boning in Tasmania, Saxon Morgan was anxious to get back in the saddle.
The 24-year-old Cantabrian was awaiting delivery of a new Specialized S-Works when The Full Send called on Tuesday. He hoped the ticking clock ahead of his Friday departure for Mooloolaba would prove the height of any stress he confronts leading into the Oceania Triathlon Sprint Championships.
His plan? A couple of days to dial in the replacement for his trusty old race steed which had been mangled during a training just two days before the continental standard distance champs in Devonport on March 15.
“Some lady just didn’t see us as she was pulling into a parking lot and wiped me out. Luckily my bike took the brunt of it, snapped in half,” Morgan said. “After looking at the bike, people expected me to be in a lot worse state.
“I was just fortunate to hit the bonnet and not be flung onto the ground.”
A physio was able to buff the worst out of a sore left shoulder while his training ride pal, Jack Staples (pictured above), happily loaned his bike for Morgan to race.
Adrenaline kicked in as soon as the world No.77 splashed into Bass Strait on race day. While Staple’s steed was a tad small and made the eight climbs up Devonport’s imposing North Street Hill a little more challenging, Morgan remained a key contributor throughout the bike breakaway to set up his run to a noteworthy 5th.
He was doubly relieved to do no further damage to a pelvic bone injury suffered late last year after his career-best 9th at World Cup Miyazaki.
Morgan’s mending symphysis pubis – the joint where the two pelvic bones meet – largely accounted for his 10k split of 32:55, only the 12th fastest of the day. It was nothing he and new coach Mark Elliott hadn’t anticipated.
“I’m probably about two months behind where I want my run to be given the load and intensity that I’ve been able to do so far.
“Mark and I have just been working together at a pretty conservative pace, building back the run just to be careful that the injury doesn’t come back. That’s the last thing we want leading into the really important races in the middle and later stages of the year.”
As such, Morgan is tempering expectations for Sunday, especially in a field deepened by the addition of Matt Hauser and Dylan McCullough.
“Another breakaway on the bike would be ideal to give me a little bit of a buffer leading into the run as it’s obviously only two weeks after Devonport and there’s only so much work you can put in after a standard distance and pre a sprint.”
Morgan is enjoying his new relationship with Elliott after John Helleman’s retirement post Paris.
“Mark’s a very knowledgeable man, loves his data and numbers and so do I. I’m really looking forward to developing our coach-athlete relationship and hopefully reaching new heights over the next few years. We’re both on the same page with where I want my triathlon career to go.”
McCullough, Goodisson scratched as Mooloolaba weather/jellyfish cast doubt
Oceania Triathlon Sprint Championships – Updated preview
🎯 From Mt Maunganui, to suddenly storm ravaged Kingscliff in NSW, and now finally to tourism magnet Mooloolaba, the Oceania Sprint Championships have been a moving target for the continent’s best this summer. The latest shift was forced by Cyclone Alfred and sees Sunday’s test tacked onto the famed Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival, itself pushed out by three weeks by Alfred. Wedging the elites into an already tight age group schedule means it’ll be a particularly early alarm call for the 17 Kiwis with the men’s race off at 6:15am, two minutes ahead of the women. UPDATE: Three days of heavy rain, and the threat of jellyfish, saw the age group triathlon’s scheduled early Saturday reduced to duathlons. A further update on the Oceania Sprints will be made at Saturday night’s race briefing.
MEN – 9:15am Sunday NZT
🇳🇿 James Corbett, Jett Curteis, Reeve Dooney, Joel Lange, Gus Marfell, Henry McMecking, Finnley Oliver, Sam Parry, Robbie White.
Full men’s start list
Dylan McCullough’s season bow has again been delayed with the top ranked Kiwi for Mooloolaba a late scratching. Matt Hauser’s riposte after his Ironman Geelong 70.3 DNF last Sunday will be a key narrative while James Corbett’s back-up-ability will also come under the microscope after the Aucklander claimed U23 gold and elite silver at the continental standard distance champs in Tasmania a fortnight ago. Devonport champ Brandon Copeland isn’t racing but Brayden Mercer, a bronze medallist at World Cup Napier and runner-up to Corbett in the U23 race within the elite race in Tassie, is sure to bring plenty of heat. Sam Parry returns after missing the standard champs as a precautionary measure with a knee niggle.
WOMEN – 9:17am Sunday NZT
🇳🇿 Charlotte Brown, Phoebe Carter, Lulu Johnson, Amara Rae, Brea Roderick, Ainsley Thorpe, Nicole van der Kaay, Sophie Webber.
Full women’s start list
Nicole van der Kaay will look for a slippery escape from Mooloolaba’s main beach as the Kiwi No.1 seeks to back up her comeback bronze at the Oceania standard champs in Tasmania a fortnight ago. As ever, the less NVDK gives up out of the water, the more dangerous her bike and especially her run will be. Ainsley Thorpe is on the start list after her World Cup Napier bronze and illness-enforced Devonport DNS, as are the standout early season Aussies Richelle Hill (standard champ) and Emma Jeffcoat (Napier silver). A heavy head cold has forced Eva Goodisson’s withdraw after the Gold Coast-baed Kiwi’s encouraging 5th in Napier and 4th in Devonport. Paris Olympics reserve Brea Roderick is seeking steady improvement to her run speed after claiming U23 bronze in Tasmania and 9th overall following her 13th in Napier.
“Super happy with my swim and bike, it’s feeling the best it ever has,” Roderick said after Devonport where she clocked 38:04 for the 10k after a 18:49 split for the 5k in Napier.
“I haven’t done the work to have run a good 10k so was happy to get to the finish line and see improvements from Napier two weeks ago. The U23 Worlds in Wollongong is the big focus this year, as is remaining healthy and enjoying what I’m doing at this moment in time.”
