Javier Gomez makes it three from three at season opening Auckland WTS
By Merryn Sherwood on 06/04/14 at 4:38 am
Spain's Javier Gomez kept his undefeated streak at the Auckland World Triathlon Series intact, recording a comprehensive win over Jonathan Brownlee in the first WTS event of the 2014 season...
Spain’s Javier Gomez kept his undefeated streak at the Auckland World Triathlon Series intact, recording a comprehensive win over Jonathan Brownlee in the first WTS event of the 2014 season in New Zealand.
Gomez had already recorded wins on the Auckland course in 2012 and 2013, and while pushed for most of the run by Brownlee, proved too strong again on the tough, hilly course. After Mario Mola‘s New Plymouth win blemished his completely perfect record in New Zealand, Gomez was happy to be back on top.
“It was another great race here in New Zealand,” Gomez said. “I felt really good all the time, the water I felt good, the bike was really hard, some of us worked pretty hard to keep the gap between the second group and during the run I tried many times to drop Jonathan, he was pretty strong, but on the last lap I had something left and I just gave everything and didn’t look back and it was a pretty good race.”
It was Brownlee’s first race of the 2014 season and he gave full credit to Gomez, as they added yet another chapter to their amazing rivalry.
“It was a tough race today, it was another pure triathlon,” Brownlee said. “I keep using that word and with Javi as I keep saying the thing about him is that I’m always going to see him in the race because he’s going to be out at the front of the swim and he’s a great cyclist and then the run, to be honest he destroyed me today. It’s the first race of the season today and he absolutely killed me, I was hanging most of the way through that and then the last lap he just had more than me. Well done to him, he’s obviously in great shape.”
Behind the two sport’s heavyweights, a fractured field opened it up for a first-time podium place. While Joao Silva, Mario Mola, Sven Riederer, Steffen Justus and other pre-race medal contenders ended-up in a chase-pack that left T2 two minutes behind the leaders, a trans-tasman battle emerged between New Zealand’s Ryan Sissons and a trio of Australians, Dan Wilson, Ryan Bailie and Aaron Royle. While Sissons fell away, the Australian trio ran shoulder to shoulder until the final kilometre, when first Bailie surged, then Wilson and Royle. But Royle backed his sprint, just as when he won the Under23 world title on the Auckland course in 2012.
“I was pretty confident in my sprint finish so I tried to go with about 2.5k to go but they hung on so I just thought no, I’m just going to save it for that final 100 and luckily I got the win for third,” Royle said.
“To be honest I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bad on a bike so to come out there and get on the podium, I was completely shocked but obviously very happy. It was a tough bike, I couldn’t do anything today on the bike, I was totally spent and I got on the run and for some reason I found some legs that I didn’t think I had today so I’m a bit shocked but obviously over the moon to get on the podium.”
The men’s race also started with a non-wetsuit swim and it was Slovakia’s Richard Varga who led the field into T2. A large lead group of almost 20 was whittled down over the next few laps, led by Gomez, Brownlee, Henri Schoeman and Thomas Bishop pushing the pace at the top. At the halfway point it was stripped down to 12. But that wasn’t quite the end of the story in the bike, as New Zealand’s Tom Davison engineered an impressive bridge up to the lead pack. Davison left the swim a minute down from the leaders but showed the form that carried him to a national road cycling championships as he just sliced through the field, towing teammate Ryan Sissons and Australia’s Declan Wilson with him to the leaders.
The lead pack of 15 entered T2 with a lead of over a minute and a half, meaning the medals were secure within the top 15. From there, another thrilling battle between Brownlee and Gomez loomed. They edged away from all chasers early on, before Gomez put down the hammer at 7km and comfortably collected his third Auckland win.
Elite Men
1. Javier Gomez ESP ES 01:54:13
2. Jonathan Brownlee GBR GB 01:54:33
3. Aaron Royle AUS AU 01:55:49
4. Dan Wilson AUS AU 01:55:52
5. Ryan Bailie AUS AU 01:55:59
6. Ryan Sissons NZL NZ 01:56:23
7. Vincent Luis FRA FR 01:56:30
8. Mario Mola ESP ES 01:56:36
9. Richard Varga SVK SK 01:56:37
10. Gregor Buchholz GER DE 01:56:39
View Full Results >>
http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2014_itu_world_triathlon_auckland/264330
Rankings Men
1. Javier Gomez ESP 800
2. Jonathan Brownlee GBR 740
3. Aaron Royle AUS 685
4. Dan Wilson AUS 633
5. Ryan Bailie AUS 586
6. Ryan Sissons NZL 542
7. Vincent Luis FRA 501
8. Mario Mola ESP 464
9. Richard Varga SVK 429
10. Gregor Buchholz GER 397
View Full Rankings >>
http://www.triathlon.org/results/rankings
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Gómez Noya reina en las Series Mundiales de Auckland
6 abril, 2014
Javi_Auckland_060414Un impresionante Javier Gómez Noya se ha proclamado esta mañana campeón de las Series Mundiales de Auckland. El vigente campeón del mundo inauguraba la temporada de la misma forma que la terminó en Londres el año pasado, con una espléndida victoria, tras imponerse a Jonathan Brownlee, después de mantener un intenso duelo con el británico en la carrera a pie. Mientras que Mario Mola y Fernando Alarza también destacaban y lograban la octava y undécima plaza de la clasificación final.
El eslovaco Richard Varga era el primero en realizar las dos vueltas de natación por la bahía de Auckland, con Gómez Noya saliendo a 5 segundos, Cesc Godoy a 7s, Mario Mola a 19 s, Fernando Alarza a 22 s, Vicente Hernández a 24 s e Iván Raña a 29 s. A continuación llegaba el sector ciclista, compuesto por ocho vueltas por un circuito muy técnico que incorporaba exigentes subidas en su recorrido por las calles de la loclaidad neozelandesa.
El gallego fue el gran dominador de la prueba, llevando buena parte del peso durante los 40 km del tramo ciclista, en el que tiraba del pelotón de cabeza en su afán por aumentar la ventaja con respecto a sus perseguidores. Mientras que el resto de españoles, Mola, Alarza, Raña, Godoy y Vicente Hernández hacían lo propio en el segundo grupo perseguidor; intentando arañar valiosos segundos para superar una desventaja que ya rondaba los dos minutos a su llegada a la T2.
Una vez más, los 10 km de carrera a pie serían decisivos para dirimir al vencedor. Al igual que en Londres el pasado mes de septiembre, Noya y el menor de los Brownlee volvieron a protagonizar un auténtico duelo de gigantes, con los dos luchando por alcanzar lo más alto del podio.
El desgaste del segmento ciclista no hizo mella sobre un Gómez Noya que marcó el ritmo en el transcurso de este tramo, siempre un paso por delante del triatleta de Yorkshire. Hasta que entrados ya en la última vuelta, y a falta de poco más de 1.5 km, el español se atrevía a lanzar un ataque que dejaba a Brownlee sin capacidad de respuesta.
Así, el ferrolano lograba desmarcarse para completar los últimos metros del recorrido con una buena renta proclamarse campeón de esta primera ronda de las Series Mundiales de Triatlón ITU 2014. A 20 segundos del español, llegaba Jonathan Brownlee firmando la medalla de plata. Mientras que el australiano Aaron Royle se colgaba la presea de bronce.
Por detrás, los españoles iban remontando posiciones y tras un gran esfuerzo, un espléndido Mario Mola entraba en el Top-10, clasificándose en octavo lugar. En tanto que Fernando Alarza también destacaba progresando y superando rivales en este último segmento de la prueba, para concluir en una meritoria undécima plaza. Por su parte, Iván Raña lograba la 24ª plaza en su regreso a las pruebas ITU, Cesc Godoy conseguía la 39ª posición y Vicente Hernández se clasificaba en 42º lugar.
Previamente se había celebrado la prueba femenina, con victoria para la británica Jodie Stimpson, seguida de la alemana Anne Haug y de la también británica Helen Jenkins, plata y bronce respectivamente. La competición femenina estuvo marcada por varios percances en el segmento ciclista, con varias triatletas envueltas en caídas y perdiendo posiciones.
Routier volvió a sobresalir en el tramo inicial de natación, saliendo en cabeza y permaneciendo entre las primeras posiciones. Sin embargo, poco después los accidentes la perjudicaron y la triatleta de Banyoles se clasificaba en 39º lugar.
En una competición bastante desafortunada para las españolas, Tamara Gómez tenía que retirarse durante la prueba.
http://www.eleconomista.es/blogs/bikeandbici/gomez-noya-reina-en-las-series-mundiales-de-auckland/
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