Reigning Pan Am Games gold medalist Julie Ertel of the United States has won her first career world cup today in Cancun, highlighting a gold-bronze finish for the Americans. Frances Carole Peon celebrated her birthday with a fantastic sprint finish to edge out Sarah Haskins for the silver and her first career world cup podium.
I am absolute ecstatic. Training was very good this fall and then two weeks before this race we had terrible fires in California and I started my taper much earlier then normal, said the recently married Ertel, formerly Swail, whos husband was in Cancun. My husband was so supportive. Every lap he yelled at me, Im so proud of you. Although he would have yelled that if I was last too.
On a blustery morning in Cancun, 41 elite women ran into the warm waters of the Playa Langosta for the non-wetsuit swim. The windy conditions coupled with the long shallows created tough swim conditions for the women and benefited the strong American contingent. The first five women out transition one were from the United States led by Jasmine Oeinck, silver medalist from this years Under23 world championships.
I expected to be out with the first group at the end of the swim and I was surprised to see we got gapped just as we rounded the last buoy, recalled Ertel. When I got on the bike I had a decision to make. Do I really throw it out and try to catch the group ahead. And we did.
Out onto the flat 40-kilometer bike course, a lead group of ten women materialized. That pack included defending champion Anja Dittmer of Germany, Carole Peon of France, and a pair of Brits, Jodie Swallow and Kerry Lang. World number three Samantha Warriner was relegated to the chase pack after a tough swim and struggled to make up time on the bike. After the second lap, the chase was already facing a 2-minute deficit that ballooned to more than four minutes when they headed into T2.
After a fast transition, Peon was the first to head out onto the 10-kilometer run course with Bennett close behind. After taking the initial lead, Bennett faded back in the second lap as Ertel surged ahead and never relinquished the lead. Ertel adds the Cancun title to her breakthrough year in which she also was crowned U.S. National Champion. In all the United States placed five in the top ten.
We had our strongest team here, said bronze medalist Haskins. I believe this is the first time in a long time that there have been two American women on the podium.
Im really proud of the entire American team. It was a great team effort, said Ertel.
2007 Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup - Women’s Results:
Gold Julie Ertel (USA) 2:03:22
Silver Carole Peon (FRA) 2:03:34
Bronze Sarah Haskins (USA) 2:03:37
4 Jodie Swallow (GBR) 2:03:39
5 Laura Bennett (USA) 2:04:14
6 Sarah Groff (USA) 2:04:18
7 Anja Dittmer (GER) 2:04:37
8 Kerry Lang (GBR) 2:04:42
9 Jasmine Oeinck (USA) 2:07:22
10 Juri Ide (JPN) 2:07:55
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La actual medallista de oro de los Juegos Pan Americanos Julie Ertel de los Estados Unidos ha ganado hoy su primera copa del mundo en Cancn, en la que destaca el oro y el bronce final para las americanas. La francesa Carole Peon celebr su cumpleaos con un fantstico sprint final superando a Sarah Haskins y conseguir as la plata y su primer podium en la copa del mundo de su carrera.
En una maana tempestuosa en Cancn, las 41 mujeres de la lite corrieron para introducirse en las aguas templadas de la Playa Langosta para los 1500 metros del segmento de natacin sin neopreno. Las condiciones del viento, junto con los largos tramos poco profundos crearon unas condiciones duras en la natacin de las mujeres y beneficiaron a las fuertes nadadoras americanas. Las primeras cinco mujeres en salir de la primera transicin eran de los Estados Unidos lideradas por Jasmine Oeinck, la medallista de plata Sub 23 en los campeonatos del mundo. Tambin en ese paquete de cabeza estaba Laura Bennett, una de las favoritas a priori y Ertel.
Al inicio de los 40 kilmetros del plano circuito de la bicicleta, un grupo lder de diez mujeres comenz a materializarse. Ese paquete inclua a la defensora del campeonato Anja Dittmer de Alemania, Carole Peon de Francia y un par de britnicas, Jodie Swallow y Ferry Lang. La nmero tres del mundo Samantha Warriner fue relegada al paquete perseguidor tras una dura natacin dura y las dificultades que encontr para mejorar su tiempo en la bicicleta.
Tras una rpida transicin, Peon fue la primera en encabezar los 10 kilmetros del segmento de la carrera con Bennett por detrs. Despus de la ventaja inicial, Bennett se descolg en la segunda vuelta y Ertel se situ delante y nunca abandon la cabeza.
En la carrera estaba segura y luego yo encontr una oportunidad a mitad de carrera para hacer mi jugada, la hice y funcion, dijo Ertel.
Ella aade el ttulo de Cancn a su ao de ruptura en el cual ella tambin ha coronado el Campeonato Nacional estadounidense. Estados Unidos situ a cinco mujeres en los diez primeros puestos.
2007 Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup Resultados no oficiales Femeninos:
Oro Julie Ertel (USA) 2:03:22
Plata Carole Peon (FRA) 2:03:34
Bronce Sarah Haskins (USA) 2:03:34
4 Jodie Swallow (GBR) 2:03:39
5 Laura Bennett (USA) 2:04:14
6 Sarah Groff (USA) 2:04:18
7 Anja Dittmer (GER) 2:04:37
8 Kerry Lang (GBR) 2:04:42
9 Jasmine Oeinck (USA) 2:07:22
10 Juri Ide (JPN) 2:07:55