Bournemouth –based triathlete Phil Mosley (Cliff Bar/Scott/Specialized) put his winter training to the test at Castle Coombe. Mosley has enjoyed a good winter and was using this early season “pipe opener” to try out his fitness ahead of somewhat bigger challenges…………………..
The Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire has seen the likes of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna grace its two-mile track, but this weekend it was duathlete's who set lap records at The Big Adventure Store Chilly Duathlon. 250 competitors completed a two mile run, a 10 mile cycle and another two mile run, all met with unseasonably warm conditions for February. For many, it was an early season sharpener for the British age-group Duathlon Championships in mid-March, while others used it as an opportunity to see if their winter training had paid off.
The race began at a furious pace, with junior international triathletes Iestyn Harrett and Liam Lloyd scorching around the first 2-mile run in just nine minutes and 52 seconds. Hot on their heels were Welsh student Alex Matchett, age-group silver medal winning triathlete Simon Thornton and ex-GB elite duathlete Phil Mosley.
The two young leaders were soon overhauled on the bike, as Mosley powered his way to the front. Not far behind him were Matchett and Thornton, with Lee Rankin also making up good time with a rapid ride.
By the end of the bike Mosley had established a lead of 40-seconds, which he extended during the second run, breaking the tape in 42 minutes and 13 seconds to win by over a minute. Behind him, a close fought battle was raging as Matchett eventually took second, just four-seconds ahead of Thornton, while Lee Rankin held onto fourth.
The women’s field was also hotly contested, with age-group triathlon World Champion Kate Robson, British age-group triathlon champion Louise Bardsley and elite international duathlete Michelle Parsons all going head to head. Robson set the pace on the first run with an impressive 10:59. Bardsley wasn’t far behind, while bike-specialist Parsons came in almost a minute back from the leader. It didn’t take Parsons long to make up the deficit on the bike, clocking 22 minutes and 49 seconds for the 10-miles. Ultimately it wasn’t enough. A fast-running Robson re-caught Parsons after a mile and turned it into victory by half a minute, while another quick run from Bardlsey saw her just miss out on second place. After the fireworks at Castle Combe, all eyes will turn to Rutland on 10th March, where the Dambuster Duathlon plays host to the British Championships.
After the race the race Mosley spoke to "E D" about his win and plans for the season
“It was nice to win, but I'm not getting carried away. It felt really hard from beginning to end. I spent the whole race thinking "if I ever enter a short race like this again, please shoot me first". In my head I thought everyone was much closer behind me and I didn't realise I had it in the bag until about three minutes from the end, so there was no let up. My target was to win the race in a time that indicated I'd had a good winter. There's still work to be done, but I was happy with the outcome. My target races this year are the British Duathlon championships on 10th March, and then several Ironman 70.3 triathlons throughout the summer including Vienna and Antwerp. I'll also do some local cycle time trials to get in good shape for the bike.”
BRIEF RESULTS:
Overall Men
1 Phil Mosley,Triathlon Plus,42:13.841
2 Alex Matchett Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club, 43:05.768
3 Simon Thornton,BAD Tri,43:09.572
Male Veteran:
1 Ian Cardy,DB Max Tri, 44:17.699
Male Super Veteran:
1 Peter Wheddon,BAD Tri,46:23.871
Male Super Veteran 60:
Stuart Mcgowan, Bike and Run/Hillingdon Triathletes, 51:37.543
Overall Women
1 Kate Robson,BRAT Club,47:53.503
2 Michelle Parsons,unattached, 48:22
3 Louise Bardsley,TORQ, 48:30.086
Female Veteran
1 Maria Powell,PacTri,49:08.265
Female Super Veteran
1 Maggie Bromley,Kingswood Tri, 56:17.264
PHOTO,www.sportysnaps.com
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