Link: http://www.dailypost.co.nz/localsport/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3755051
12.11.2007
BY KATARINA WILLIAMS
A broken derailleur put paid to Kieran Doe's chances in race one of the Contact Energy Cup at Rotorua's Blue Lake.
Instead, it was Gisborne-based Stephen Sheldrake - Triathlon NZ's junior high performance manager - who charged to victory in pristine conditions yesterday, followed by Auckland's Tristan Caldwell. Tony Dodds of Wanaka was third.
The race was held over an Olympic distance of 1500m swim, 40km bike and 11km run. The next race in the series is at Takapuna on December 2.
Tipped as the dark horse of the men's field, ironman specialist Doe had an early exit on the second lap of the cycle leg.
The failure of his derailleur - machinery that changes the bike's gears - proved Doe's undoing.
"I was just going over the top of the hill. I changed from the small to the big ring and it went straight out of the back of the bike," Feilding-born Doe said.
Caldwell threw some words of commiseration Doe's way when he sailed passed him. "I just yelled out 'sorry dude,' and gave him a bit of a smile. You don't want to see guys pull out of races, it means that it's a bit of a hollow victory."
Holding tight to Doe was Sheldrake, who had been warding off a cold for the past 12 days.
While he wasn't in peak condition, a strong bike leg gave Sheldrake the win. Sheldrake - 16th on the World ITU circuit - said he had conflicting information on his lead in the forest run leg. "I didn't take anything for granted. I knew if I could get two minutes-plus lead on the bike, it would be pretty hard for someone to catch up."
The women's race was won by 31-year-old Katherine Anton, who surprised the highly-favoured Fleur Bromley and Belinda Harper. While she finished up four minutes clear of runner-up Janine Sax, Anton was quick to dismiss claims it was an easy race. "It was long, hard going into the swim, it was hard to see. Also, the uneven terrain on the run made it quite challenging."
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