Team record first success

THE Guernsey Triathlon Club celebrated their 20th anniversary by beating old rivals Jersey for the first time. The De Putron Fund Management-sponsored event attracted a large field of over 50 competitors.

There was an Olympic distance triathlon of a 1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run for individuals, a relay event over the same distance and a sprint and junior distance race (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run).

'This event was all about participation and celebrating the last 20 years of our sport in Guernsey. It was great to see so many people competing in triathlon in the island,' said GTC president Mark Naftel.

'The inter-insular win was the icing on our birthday cake.'

The events began simultaneously with all competitors running into the water for the start of the swim. Sea conditions were near perfect with almost flat calm in Pembroke Bay.

First to emerge from the water was first-time entrant Matt Allen, competing in the junior sprint event, closely followed by regular Alex Ford.

The latter took the lead on the cycle ride but was chased hard by Dan Arblaster whose impressive bike and run splits gave him victory in the category.

Andy Bell, a former island elite racer, took the senior sprint distance win despite an ongoing knee injury, which has kept him away from competition for the last two years.

Sam Herridge showed her true pedigree in the Olympic-distance swim, coming up the beach in first place in 17min. 28sec., ahead of all the male competitors.

A large group of inter-insular men chased her, the closest being Jersey's Doc Snook 47 seconds behind.

Local junior Martin Chapman posted an impressive 18-43 split in his first full-distance triathlon.

Eventual overall winner Alan Rowe was nearly three minutes off the pace coming into the busy transition area.

The bike course took cyclists down the west coast to L'Eree, up the hill to the Mallard, along the main south coast road to Pleinmont and back up the west coast to transition at Pembroke. Thanks go to Public Services and contractors at the Route de Pleinmont works who ensured the road was passable to competitors.

Triathletes are not permitted to draught behind one another during the bike race making the cycle event a wholly individual effort.

Herridge was soon overtaken by the faster male cyclists with Jersey's Tom Perchard and Snook posting impressive times on an unfamiliar course.

Rowe, however, clocked the fastest split of 1-02-46, including the time spent changing from swim to bike gear.

Rowe was in fourth going into the run, which consisted of two 5km loops from Pembroke to L'Islet and back on a mix of road and coastal paths.

He pushed hard in his strongest discipline to pass the Jersey competitors one by one until he took the lead near the halfway mark. Rowe posted fastest run split of the day, 35-12, to take victory by a two-minute margin over Perchard.

Jersey's men sneaked a narrow victory in their inter-insular, winning by only 52 seconds on cumulative time despite strong races by Guernsey's Dave Holmes and Ian Scholes, who posted a new personal best.

Herridge dominated the women's race to take the win with fastest splits in all three disciplines.

Gail Merrien was second while an ever-improving Rachel Eeles posted a personal best over eight minutes quicker than her time for the same course last year.

The Jersey girls were distanced by a huge margin with Guernsey winning their respective contest by 45 minutes.

In the combined inter-insular, the one that really matters to Guernsey, the Sarnians won by about 43 minutes.

A competitive team from legal firm Carey Olsen took the relay win in a time of 2-06 from S.O.S. and builders 'Team Falla'.

The event included a couple of faces from the first organised triathlon in Guernsey 20 years ago.

Retired policeman Dave Langlois completed the bike leg in one of the relay teams, while Naftel managed the whole event in 2-20, some way off his personal best.

The club will be running a series of winter duathlons, starting in November. The next novice triathlon will be in May at Beau Sejour. Details will be on the club website from next month.

Any further information from Mark Naftel on 07781 101819 or email mark.naftel@cwgsy.net or www.gsytriclub.org.gg.