Whitfield and Canadians dominate in Cancun

Whitfield and Canadians dominate in Cancun

– Docherty 12th after blistering run leg Sunday November 4, 2007 (For immediate release)

CANCUN, Mexico – Simon Whitfield claimed his third world cup title of the year and the tenth of his career at today’s Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup. In a sprint finish, he edged out fellow Canadian Paul Tichelaar who earned his first trip to the world cup podium. Volodymyr Polikarpenko of the Ukraine took the bronze, preventing a full Canadian podium sweep with Brent McMahon in fourth place.

Best of the Kiwis was world number three Bevan Docherty in 12th place after posting one of the quickest run splits in the field. Docherty worked hard in a chase group on the bike but was unable to bridge what became a sizeable gap to the lead bunch. Terenzo Bozzone finished 24th while Kris Gemmell withdrew early on the bike leg.

Although the sun came out in the afternoon after the women’s race, the gusting winds were still swirling strong, making it difficult and unpredictable conditions for the men. Whitfield’s teammate Colin Jenkins led the men out of the water and into T1. On the fast 40-kilometer bike course, a group of 15 men pulled away from the field building its lead with every lap. By the fifth lap, the lead grew to more than two minutes.

On the 10-kilometer run course, it boiled down to a battle between the Russians and Canadians. Alexander Brukhankov and Yulian Malyshev were pushing hard for the podium but the Canadians stayed in front of the group. With approximately 400 meters to the finish line, Tichelaar tried to break away but Whitfield kept him in his sights and used his signature strong finishing kick to pull ahead of his compatriot and broke the tape with a time of 1 hour, 52 minutes and 5 seconds.

With the win Whitfield tightens his grip the number two ranking in the world which puts him in position to earn a solid share of the US$250,000 bonus pool which will be finalized after the season finale in Eilat, Israel on December 1.

Gold – Simon Whitfield (CAN) 1:52:05 Silver – Paul Tichelaar (CAN) 1:52:06 Bronze –Volodymyr Polikarpenko (UKR) 1:52:08 4 – Brent McMahon (CAN) 1:52:15 5 – Yulian Malyshev (RUS) 1:52:16 6 – Samuel Pierreclaud (FRA) 1:52:47 7 – Reinaldo Colucci (BRA) 1:53:20 8 – Stuart Hayes (GBR) 1:53:26 9 – Alexander Brukhankov (RUS) 1:53:45 10 – Dmitry Polyansky (RUS) 1:53:59 Plus NZers 12 – Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1: 54:29 24 – Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 1: 55:53 DNF – Kris Gemmell

For full results, audio quotes, high-resolution images, and updated rankings, visit the ITU’s Online Media Centre: https://wwwtriathlon.org/media/cancun-medpanelopen.php

Up next: For the first time in ITU history, Israel will host a world cup. On December 1, the 2007 BG Triathlon World Cup series wraps up in Eilat, the scenic beach resort in southern Israel. The race for the world cup series titles for the men and women will heat up in the season finale.

For live coverage and more information, log onto triathlon.org.

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