Ogier Jersey Triathlon Sunday 24 September Race Report

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Jersey's Daniel Halksworth won Ogier Jersey Triathlon on Sunday 24 September. The women's race was won by Iceland's Karen Axelsdottir.

On a dry but blustery, 52 individual triathletes and 4 teams set off on the 1500m swim in St Aubin's Bay. The sea conditions were extremely challenging with a couple of triathletes withdrawing within a few minutes of the start. However, Halksworth who represented Jersey in swimming at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, soon established a lead which was not to relinquish. Scott Pitcher, who competed in triathlon at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and the one of the pre-race favourites soon gained distanced himself from third place Nick Saunders, who had recently competed in IronMan UK. As Halksworth entered transition he had established a lead of 90 seconds, with Pitcher in hot pursuit.

Out on the technically challenging bike course which takes in the picturesque west coast of the island, Pitcher and Saunders were in hot pursuit of Halksworth, who was competing in his first ever standard distance triathlon. Unfortunately, Pitcher came off his bike on a tight bend at the bottom of La Pulente hill and lost three minutes due to mechanical problems. Such were the challenging conditions, Pitcher was not the only competitor to come off his or her bike as the competitors pushed hard on the bike leg.

Halksworth was able to maintain his lead and entered T2 with a 2 minutes advantage. Pitcher was second, with Saunders not far behind in third place. Halksworth pushed hard early on the run and was able to maintain his advantage to the line over a fast finishing Saunders who had overtaken Pitcher to claim second place.

Further down the field there were a number of outstanding performances at the locally based Jersey triathletes were looking to secure a place at the 2007 NatWest Island Games to be held in Rhodes, Greece. Nic Le Cocq, racing for Tri-UK, was able to overcome recent injurry problems to take a well deserved fourth place. However, the male performance of the day came from 19 year old Tom Perchard in his first season of triathlon who raced home to secure fifth place. In the men's veteran race Simon Dowling was the winner, with GB age-grouper Michael Lucas taking the super veteran's prize.

In the women's race Tracey Huish, a strong swimmer soon established a lead over Jenny O'Brien, with Jo Lewis, Karen Axelsdottir, and Helen Mackenzie grouped together chasing third position. Huish continuted to maintain her lead on the bike leg with O'Brien keeping her second place, though Axelsdottir had reduced the gap on leader from four to two minutes. On the run leg Huish, on her weaker discipline soon found her lead being eroder by the fast finishing Axelsdottir who eventually took first place, with O'Brien third. Remarkably Axelsdottir had only taken up triathlon in May and this was only her second ever sea-swim. The women's veteran race was won by Pam Missenden, with the women's supervet race won by Jo Lewis.

The Jersey Triathlon Club would like to thank its sponsors the Ogier Group and all those individuals who helped make the race possible.


For final results go to race results. For photos of the event go to flickr