A strong bike leg set Sue Cuthbert up for victory in the Mosgiel Pool Blokefree Triathlon yesterday.
On the 4km run, 15km bike and 150m swim course, Cuthbert was immediately locked in a battle with Marion Baxter on the run section, with nothing separating the pair through until the transition to the bike stage.
Cuthbert knew if she was to have any chance she would have to put in a good bike section.
"I knew if I didn't make a break on the bike she [Baxter] would pass me in the pool, as I'm not a fast swimmer," Cuthbert said afterwards.
Little did Cuthbert realise, but Baxter had had the sharpness taken out of her in winning the Southland sprint triathlon championships in Gore on Saturday.
"I was sure I could get her [Cuthbert] on the bike. But I just felt a bit tired. No sprint left in me, I guess," Baxter said.
The gap between the two slowly grew, as Cuthbert closed for the transition to the pool swim a handy 1min 47sec clear of Baxter, with both having established a sizeable lead over the rest of the 50-strong field.
Although Baxter was able to reduce the deficit a little on the swim, the lead Cuthbert had built on the bike proved more than enough as she crossed to finish in 48min 16sec, with Baxter second in 49min 27sec and Kirsten Stallard third in 52min 32sec.
There was double celebration for Cuthbert as her daughter, Alice, finished sixth overall and first in the junior section, in 55min 51sec.
The duathlon section held over the 4km run and 15km bike stages was won by Rachel Jackson in 1hr 11min 21sec, while the "no knees" event over the 15km bike and 150m swim stages was won by Roanne Hurley in 55min 28sec.
