Source: USA Triathlon // filed: September 25 2006
BEIJING, China -- Competing on the course that will be the site of the 2008 Beijing Olympics triathlon competition, American Laura Bennett (Boulder, Colo.) earned a fourth place finish at the 2006 Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup on Sunday.
Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal won in a time of 2:01:34. Fernandes bested current world champion Emma Snowsill of Australia by 44 seconds, solidifying her place in history, tying the current record of 12 world cup victories in a row set by Australian Emma Carney in the early 1990's. A further 47 seconds back was third place finisher Elizabeth May of Luxemburg. This is May's first podium finish.
A full women's field of 75 took to the water just on the outskirts of Beijing for a preview of the 2008 Games course and valuable Olympic Qualifying points.
At the end of the first of two swim laps the athletes were already strung out in the non-wetsuit swim. Australian Annabel Luxford, who is back after injury, led a strong group out of the Changping reservoir including Snowsill, Fernandes, Bennett, Sarah Haskins (USA), Samantha Warriner (NZL), Andrea Hewitt (NZL), Joelle Franzmann (GER) and Vanessa Raw (GBR).
This lead group was caught early in the 40 kilometer bike course by an efficient chase group to form one large pack of 22 athletes. These women worked well together, increasing their lead on the sizable chase group to an insurmountable 3 minutes heading into transition two. World championships one-two Snowsill and Fernandes rode beside each other the entire challenging, 6-lap bike leg.
In her typical style Fernandes shot out of transition two, moving to the front on the hilly 4-lap run course. By the end of the first lap she had put 20 seconds into second-place Snowsill and 40 seconds into the rest of the field. Each lap Fernandes' lead grew by another 10 seconds, giving her plenty of time to wave and clap to the thousands of colourful spectators in the finish chute.
May and Bennett had their own battle going for the final podium spot as they traded positions for the last 2 kilometers of the race. It was May's middle-distance track history that enabled her to out-kick Bennett to the line.
2006 Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup -- Elite Women results
1. FERNANDES, Vanessa (POR) 2:03:53
2. SNOWSILL, Emma (AUS) 2:04:38
3. MAY, Elizabeth (LUX) 2:05:24
4. BENNETT, Laura (USA) 2:05:36
5. FRANZMANN, Joelle (GER) 2:05:43
6. WARRINER, Samantha (NZL) 2:06:01
7. HEWITT, Andrea (NZL) 2:06:08
8. WHITCOMBE, Andrea (GBR) 2:06:08
9. TREMBLAY, Kathy (CAN) 2:06:12
10. RAW, Vanessa (GBR) 2:06:24
Other American Athletes
11. HASKINS, Sarah 2:06:46
18. LAVELLE, Becky 2:08:12
44. WASSNER, Rebeccah 2:13:01
Full results are available at http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zresults-evt-dtl.php?call=TVRrdw==&id=Njg2&rsid=439&keep=sh
MEN'S RACE
Andy Potts (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the top American male finisher, earning 12th place, nearly two minutes behind winner Frederic Belaubre of France.
Fifteen seconds behind Belaubre was Spanish champion Javier Gomez, who recently won the Hamburg world cup. Gomez's second place moves him into the lead of the overall world cup rankings, a place no Spaniard has been before. In third place was Belaubre's team mate Stephane Poulat, who despite being one of the strongest swimmers and cyclists on the tour, has been on the World Cup podium only a few times before.
As the men started the 1,500 meter, non-wetsuit swim it was Olympics on the minds of many of the 88 starters. The temperature began to rise as a southerly breeze gave no refuge to the athletes on the sheltered technical and hilly course.
Out of Changping reservoir a long string of athletes headed out on the 40 kilometer bike course. By the end of the first of 8 laps two distinct groups had formed with many race favorites in the second pack.
Out onto the 4-lap run course it was Gomez who immediately moved to the front of the race, putting 10 seconds between himself and Belaubre. The tough run course took its toll on the young Spaniard though as he began to slow and was eventually caught be Belaubre with 3 kilometers to go and was unable to stay with the fleet-footed Frenchman.
Jarrod Shoemaker (Sudbury, Mass.) finished in 15th in a time of 1:54:58. Current World No. 3 Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.) struggled to a 44th place finish.
2006 Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup -- Elite Men results
1. BELAUBRE, Frederic (FRA) 1:52:48
2. GOMEX, Javier (ESP) 1:52:58
3. POULAT, Stephane (FRA) 1:53:44
4. OSPALY, Filip (CZE) 1:53:53
5. FRODENO, Jan (GER) 1:54:02
6. PETZOLD, Maik (GER) 1:54:11
7. DOCHERTY, Bevan (NZL) 1:54:08
8. POLIKARPENKO, Volodymyr (UKR) 1:54:20
9. DON, Tim (GBR) 1:54:27
10. GEMMELL, Kris (NZL) 1:54:33
American Athletes
12. POTTS, Andy 1:54:43
15. SHOEMAKER, Jarrod 1:54:58
37. REED, Matthew 1:56:56
42. UMPHENOUR, Joe 1:57:20
44. KEMPER, Hunter 1:57:37
56. KITE, Derek 2:00:37
69. O'DONNELL, Timothy 2:13:44
Full results are available at http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zresults-evt-dtl.php?call=TVRrdw==&id=Njg2&rsid=438&keep=sh
USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 1,800 races and connects with more than 70,000 members each year, making it the largest multi-sport organization in the world.