Clean sweep by visitors

IT WAS a clean sweep by visiting athletes in the 23rd Coast Duathlon . . . and there was no denying the talent.
Gwaloop cycle race winner in 2009 and 2010, Candice Hammond, and boyfriend Elliot Riley have both been under-23 New Zealand team rowers, with Candice now a rising star in ironman racing (ninth woman in this year’s NZ Ironman at Taupo).
She won the women’s title in an impressive four hours 20 minutes on Saturday, while Riley, with only a few tris and duathlons behind him, was in command in the men’s race — his four hours nine minutes 47 seconds a time beaten by only four of the fast teams.
Both were on the early pace, running to Tatapouri in 55 minutes and maintaining their grip over the cycle and final run. Riley posted sixth-fastest ride time against the team riders, though Hammond earned bragging rights on the drive home to Cambridge for her marginally faster run splits.
But the runs of the day belonged to the senior member of the Waikato contingent, Hugh Allison, who made a mark as a harrier during a brief spell living in Gisborne a few years ago. He won the veteran section in 4hrs 18mins. He was first runner to Tatapouri, knocked out a respectable cycle time to Tokomaru Bay, then with 90km in his legs ran third-fastest up to Te Puia — beaten by just two team runners.
Defending 2010 champions were missing due to other race commitments and injury, but Doug Moore stepped up to be fastest Gisborne competitor, finishing second in the men’s race. He was hot on Riley’s heels on the run out of the city but could not match his cycle pace and was 21 minutes behind at Tokomaru Bay — still a great time by the developing multisporter.
Carolyn Pentecost did her chasing on the bike in the women’s race. After giving up 11 minutes to the flying Hammond on the run, she was just a minute slower than the younger ironman triathlete on the cycle, her powerful ride keeping her in touch to finish 23 minutes down.
Supervet Pete Lamont was no match for the younger Hugh Allison on the runs but was only six minutes off his ride time as he finished second veteran in 4hrs 57mins, with 23-time Coast competitor Charlie Savage third in 5hrs 39mins to bring his knighthood another step closer.
Dave Conway and Neil Koevoet put identical running injuries to one side to engage in a duel of the wounded, until Koevoet succumbed to cramp on the bike north of Tolaga Bay and Conway pressed on to finish in 5hrs 51mins.
The warm conditions and sometimes head-on nor’wester added an edge to the hilly 100kms, and the visiting athletes found it tougher than they expected.
Hammond said they had come to give the race a serious nudge but, not having seen the course before, she found it harder than she expected and the hills steeper. But she thought it was a great race and could understand why it had been such a popular challenge for so many years.