Flat Tyre, Stolen Bike Wreck Chances in Vancouver

11th June 2007 – For immediate release

Flat Tyre and Stolen Bike Wreck Kiwi Chances in Vancouver

On a day that saw Sam Warriner win her fourth World Cup race in Vancouver, the luck ran out for the men with a stolen bike and a flat tyre impacting on James Elvery and Terrenzo Bozzone respectively as local hero Simon Whitfield won in a sprint finish from American Andy Potts.

New Zealand’s sixth ranked athlete (77th ranked internationally), James Elvery saw his Cannondale bike disappear from outside an internet café on Friday and despite a 5 minute chase on foot through central Vancouver could not catch the thief and could only watch as his most valuable piece of machinery disappeared into the distance.

That misfortune led to Elvery borrowing Warriner’s bike and effecting some quick alterations to try and find some level of comfort during the 40km bike leg. After a competent swim and bike leg, Elvery began the 10km run in the third group on the road in and set out to pick up vital ITU points, eventually finishing a highly creditable 25th in a fast run race.

“Once again I find myself in that 20 to 30 finishing area without breaking into the top 15. Today might well have been my day too but for the bike getting stolen. I did my best on Sam’s (Warriner’s) bike but it was just too much of an ask riding on a much smaller and differently set up bike to my own. I gave it my all regardless and will box on now to the next race and hope for better luck. In the meantime I have to find a way of getting a replacement Cannondale in a hurry.”

Meanwhile seventh ranked Kiwi Bozzone was sitting comfortably in the chase pack late on the bike leg and riding aggressively to stay in touch with the breakaway group of seven leaders when disaster struck in the form of a puncture, dropping him back through the field and costing him close to three minutes and any chance of a top twenty finish. Bozzone bravely continued when others may have withdrawn to finish in 31st place.

“I thought briefly about pulling out when the tyre went but points are so valuable this year I got to work as quickly as I could with the puncture and kept at it. Despite the disappointment my run was actually fairly good, indicating I was in pretty good shape for today had I not had the misfortune of the flat tyre.”

Meanwhile Clark Ellice did not start the latest round of the European Championship in Turkey.

ITU World Cup R6, Vancouver
Elite Men
1 Simon Whitfield Canada 1:49:16
2 Andy Potts USA 1:49:18
3 Matt Reed USA 1:50:11
4 Alexander Brukhankov Russia 1:50:35
5 P Tichelaar Canada 1:51:29

Plus New Zealanders
25 James Elvery Auckland 1:54:58
31 Terrenzo Bozzone North Shore 1:55:50
41 Martin van Barneveld Wellington 1:57:54
45 Blair Jordan Auckland 1:58:29
DNF Sam Walker Auckland
DNF Liam Scopes Auckland

Full results and information can be found at www.triathlon.org

ENDS

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