👌Amara Rae and Joel Lange each produced career-best Continental Cup results at Asia Triathlon Cup Lianyungang in China, Tayler Reid was off the pace in his WTCS season bow in Yokohama while Matamata off-roader Kieran McPherson was just outside the medals in the full distance race at Round 4 of the XTERRA World Cup in Alabama.
Here’s a rapid-fire snapshot of your Kiwi swim, bike and run stars competing offshore in short course and XTERRA this weekend:
Top 10s for Rae, Lange in Lianyungang
Rae was 7th in Jiangsu province, eclipsing by a place the 27-year-old’s previous continental best at Africa Triathlon Premier Cup Larache (Morocco) last July. Sydney-based Lange, meanwhile, was 10th in the men’s race, bettering his 11th at Asia Cup Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia last November. Will Taylor and Robbie White were 25th and 36th respectively.
Asia Triathlon Cup Lianyungang
Swim 1.5km / Bike 44km / Run 10km
Women
🥇 Anqi Huang (CHN) – 2:14:34
🥈Tara Sosinski (AUS) – 2:14:55
🥉Sinem Francisca Tous Servera (TUR) – 2:16:10
Also NZL
7. Amara Rae – 2:26:48 (21:45 / 1:23:04 / 38:20)
Men
🥇 Grigory Antipov (AIN) – 2:01:46
🥈 Bradley Course (AUS) – 2:01:50
🥉 Yunxiang Ma (CHN) – 2:01:52
Also NZL
10. Joel Lange – 2:03:29 (19:30 / 1:07:49 / 32:56)
25. Will Taylor – 2:06:23 (19:53 / 1:07:28 / 35:41)
36. Robbie White – 2:09:02 (19:47 / 1:12:30 / 33:38)
Reid 18th in Yokohama
Reid was in touch of leader Mark Devay (HUN) out of the water in Yokohama but faded on the run as Aussie Matt Hauser held off Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca to earn a third WTCS win and move to the top of the standings. Reid’s 10km split of 32:21 compared to Hauser’s winning 29:43 effort. Luxembourg’s Jeanne Lehair claimed a maiden WTCS gold after reigning Olympic and WTCS champion Cassandre Beaugrand crashed out on the bike leg. The world No.1 suffered nasty road rash after her back tire went from beneath her on some slippery pedestrian crossing paint work.
World Triathlon Championship Series – Yokohama
Swim 1500m / Bike 37:23km / Run 10km)Â
Men
🥇Matthew Hauser (AUS) – 1:41:08
🥈Vasco Vilaca (POR) 1:41:14
🥉Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) 1:41:29
Also NZL
18. Tayler Reid – 1:43:45 (17:57 / 52:21 / 32:21)
Women
🥇Jeanne Lehair (LUX) – 1:51:34Â
🥈Beth Potter (GBR) -1:51:38
🥉Lisa Tertsch (GER) – 1:51:40
McPherson back where he belongs in Alabama
After suffering concussion following a recon ride ahead of last weekend’s World Cup round in Weston Park near Birmingham, McPherson was back in more familiar results sheet territory overnight as Frenchman Felix Forissier made it three wins on the trot in Alabama. The Matamata 33-year-old’s 4th in the full distance saw him climb a spot up the season rankings with the short track race still to come in Pelham, Shelby County overnight. You can watch the LIVE stream of the short track (400m / 7.5km /3km) on YouTube in the early hours of Monday (3:10am NZ time). Short Track LIVE
XTERRA World Cup #4 – Oak Mountain
Swim 1500m / Bike 33km / Run 10km
🥇Felix Forissier (FRA) – 2:29:13
🥈Sullivan Middaugh (USA) – 2:29:43
🥉Sebastian Need (GER) – 2:31:34
Also NZL
4. Kieran McPherson 2:32:05 (20:50 / 1:29:42 / 39:58)
Women
🥇Alizee Paties (FRA) – 2:48:49
🥈Aneta Grabmuller (CZE) – 2:53:06
🥉Romy Spoeler (NLD) – 2:53:24
