Commonwealth Games gold medallist Brad Kahlefeldt from Australia won the newly renamed 2006 Salford BG Triathlon World Cup today in north-west England. His time of 1:54:31 bested three-time world champion and team mate Peter Robertson and rising prodigy William Clarke from Great Britain. Their times were 1:54:44 and 1:54:46 respectively.
The warm temperatures all week brought the water temperature to a balmy 22 Celsius, so for the first time in Salford’s history it was a non-wetsuit swim in the Quays. At the end of the 1,500 metre swim a steady stream of twenty-three athletes, including Clarke, number one ranked Andy Potts (USA), Stephane Poulat (FRA), Richard Stannard (GBR), Daniel Unger (GER), Marko Albert (CZE) and Filip Ospaly (CZE), exited the water and raced into transition one.
The second pack that formed in the opening stages of the bike contained many of the big guns such as Kahlefeldt, Robertson, local favourite and four-time world cup winner Tim Don (GBR), Reto Hug (SUI) and Sven Riederer (SUI). It was just before the ten kilometre mark that this group was able to catch up to the leaders and create one large pack of fifty athletes.
Soon after the group formed, Poulat and French team mate Samuel Pierreclaud attempted to break away from the group but were reeled back less then five kilometres later. Then it was Andreas Raelart (GER) and Stuart Hayes’ turn to try. They managed to stay away but only by twelve seconds as the men headed into transition two.
On the run, Kahlefeldt, Robertson, Clarke, Potts, Unger and Stannard broke away immediately out onto the four lap course. Kahlefeldt and Robertson went off the front leaving the other behind. They ran together until the seven kilometre mark, where Kahlefeldt made his move accelerating up over the Lowry Bridge. The next time he glanced over his shoulder Robertson was not there. It was cruise control from there on in.
Before the end of the third lap Clarke managed to catch Robertson and surge past him to the cheers of thousands of supporters. It was not until they reached the stadium that he realized he still had one more lap to go. Robertson managed to catch the spent Clarke on the final lap and take the silver medal.
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2006 Salford BG Triathlon World Cup results – Elite Men
1. KAHLEFELDT, Brad (AUS) 1:54:31
2. ROBERTSON, Peter (AUS) 1:54:44
3. CLARKE, William (GBR) 1:54:46
4. POTTS, Andy (USA) 1:54:47
5. UNGER, Daniel (GER) 1:54:28
6. STANNARD, Richard (GBR) 1:54:49
7. TURBAYIVSKYY, Volodymyr (UKR) 1:54:53
8. HUG, Reto (SUI) 1:54:57
9. RIEDERER, Sven (SUI) 1:55:03
10. HAYES, Stuart (GBR) 1:55:14
