Docherty In The Money In Richest World Cup Race

23rd June 2008

For immediate release from Tri NZ

Docherty In The Money In Richest World Cup Race

Taupo’s Bevan Docherty has raced superbly in Des Moines Iowa this morning to pick up second place in the richest ITU World Cup event on the calendar.

Docherty paced himself throughout to sprint clear of Australian Greg Bennett in the closing stages but could not close the gap on winner Rasmus Henning (DEN), trailing the two time winner home by just 8 seconds.

Henning earns US$200,000 while Docherty picks up $40,000 for his work today but more importantly has once again shown he is in great shape with 8 weeks left until the Beijing Olympic Games.

Fellow Kiwi Shane Reed was with the lead pack throughout the swim and bike but faded on the run to finish 17th.

Docherty showed great strength on the run, leaving former world champions and renowned runners behind him as he picked up the pace over the final few kilometres, first dropping Simon Whitfield (CAN) then Ivan Rana (SPN) before shaking the attentions of Bennett 300m from the finish line.

Conditions were superb for the richest race on the ITU calendar with temperatures warm but not oppressive. However, due to the disastrous floods that have hit Iowa, the course had to be reconfigured and moved to West Des Moines nine days before the race.

The fields were top class with a number of nations using the event to finalise their Olympic teams, including the Americans who saw Hunter Kemper and Sarah Haskins claim the final spots for Beijing.

In the women’s race it was an Australian one two in the absence of any Kiwis with Emma Snowsill taking home the $200,000USD first prize from her countrywoman Emma Moffat in second with recently crowned world champion Helen Tucker (GBR) third.

2008 Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon World Cup
1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run
Elite Men – Unofficial Results
Gold – Rasmus Henning (DEN) 1:54:21
Silver –Bevan Docherty (NZL) +00:08
Bronze – Greg Bennett (AUS) + 00:11
4th Ivan Rana (SPN) +00:20
5th Simon Whitfield (CAN) + 00:28
Plus
17th Shane Reed (NZL) + 3:01

Elite Women - Unofficial Results
Gold - Emma Snowsill (AUS) 02:03:15
Silver - Emma Moffatt (AUS) 02:04:35
Bronze - Helen Tucker (GBR) 02:05:21
4th - Laura Bennett (USA) 02:05:30
5th - Liz Blatchford (GBR) 02:05:41
6th - Sarah Haskins (USA) 02:05:45
7th - Julie Ertel (USA) 02:07:12
8th - Becky Lavelle (USA) 02:07:44
9th - Sarah Groff (USA) 02:08:57
10th - Erin Densham (AUS) 02:08:59

ENDS

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