Greenfield back to winning ways
Jon Greenfield was back on form and back to his winning ways to become the third different winner of four races in the Ana Leaf Foundation / Guernsey Triathlon winter duathlon series.
The popular Reservoir circuit was home to this weekend’s race, based at the St Saviour Community Centre at the top of Neuf Chemin road the race features a hilly run and bike course, the race was played out against blue skies and unseasonably warm weather.
Junior competitors competed on a shortened course of 1 mile run, 8 mile bike, 2.4 mile run whilst the adults did two 2.4 mile runs sandwiching a 16 mile, two lap, bike course.
Greenfield set out his stall on the first run closely guarded for the first 2.4 mile lap of the dry, compacted, muddy Reservoir run course by Bob Guilbert. Coming into the Neuf Chemin climb and approaching transition 1 only a few seconds separated the leading two runners. The fast improving Tim Andrews was close behind with former island runner Dave Dyke and novice duathlete Jo Ensink slightly distanced.
Josh Thornton narrowly lead Remi Naftel on the short junior run course, but once onto the bike Thornton showed where his strength was, never being threatened over the remainder of the race for the junior win. In the womens race Colette Andrews took the ladies title in a severely depleted female field.
On the two lap, hilly bike course the close chase between Greenfield and Guilbert continued, the former slightly extending his lead to about sixty seconds into transition 2.
Speaking after the event Greenfield said "Leading from the front isn't a position I've had for a while but I felt good so went with it. I've used the series to get my fitness back and today's final race shows its going in the right direction."
Andrews and Dyke maintained their respective positions whilst there was close racing between Sean Murphy and Michael Cotterill who showed bike strength to lead Ensink into T2.
Guilbert was unable to make inroads into Greenfields lead on the second lap of the run course, Greenfield finished with just over a minute advantage over the chaser, Andrews completing the top three with Ensink in forth also taking the novice category win.
Guilbert said ‘Jon is coming back to form at just the right time. He led us around the first run and managed to gain a small lead up the hill at the end of the circuit and then showed his strength on the bike to open the lead up. The bike course was good fun with the westerly section a test with a few hills included. This made it hard going into the second run and I was just trying to hold off Tim who has had a good season and I knew would be going hard to catch me. It is very difficult to know where the other racers are on the run which kept the pace honest throughout’.
The club now turn their focus on the 2014 Triathlon series, starting with the Novice Triathlon at Beau Sejour on 18th May. Online entry and a novice training plan for new athletes is available on the club website www.guernseytriathlon.com
