Liam Lloyd got his 2019 season off to a flying start as he won the Welsh Duathlon title in a course record time at Neyland.
The British international triathlete won from Sam Wade in 55 min, 42 sec, while Catherine Marks secured a win for Pembrokeshire as she took the women’s title in 1:12:49.
Lloyd made light work of the blustery conditions whipped up by Storm Freya and also found a way to make up five seconds on Wade after leaving Transition 1 in a sport that involves running, cycling, then another run.
The ‘Big Two’ were almost a minute ahead of third place Dai Cole at that stage, with John Collier a further 30 seconds behind.
Superior strength on the bike allowed Lloyd to turn his slight deficit into a two-and-a-half minute lead over Wade. Cole also pedalled well, completed the leg a mere 30 seconds slower than Lloyd, which allowed him to return to T2 some 15 seconds up on Wade in third.
“It was a great start to the 2019 season and I enjoyed being back racing. A massive thanks all the Cycle Specific team for creating a quality training environment,” said Lloyd after his win.
By the time Wade and Cole went to battle on the final run leg, Lloyd was already more than a kilometre down the course. With Lloyd almost guaranteed the top spot on the podium, the battle for 2nd was well and truly on as both athletes left Neyland prom for the final time.
It was Wade who finished the strongest of the two, kicking with 250 metres to go to finishing in 58:40 to leave Cole in third, seven seconds behind. With Wade being a member of Triathlon England, Cole took the silver medal and West Coasts’ John Collier, fourth overall in 1:01:39, took the bronze medal in the National Championships.
Liam Lloyd completed a lightning fast course record at the Welsh National Duathlon Champs, held this year in Neyland with the Pembrokeshire Duathlon whilst Pembrokeshire’s own Catherine Marks took the ladies title https://t.co/PLfAftaE8j@sportpembs @sport_wales
— Welsh Triathlon (@WelshTriathlon) March 4, 2019
In the women’s race, Rhiannon Ace was first home in an impressive time of 1:10:19, but the Welsh title went to second place Catherine Marks, who clocked 1:12:49. Second place went to Gog Triathlon’s Emer Sandham, who had travelled from Conwy, whilst third spot went to Celtic Tri’s Hayley Griffiths.
The male 40+ Category was a hotly contested category, with Ufit Tri Team’s Richard Wilder pipping Gareth Green and Mark Binding, with less than two minutes separating the three. Female 40 category went to Bynea CC’s Mel Best, who also finished fifth in the overall ladies’ category.
Best’s Bynea CC team mate, Dean Hardie, took the gold in the Male 60+ category, Cycle Specific’s Owen Jones won the Male 50+ category, while Sue Graves backed up her Welsh Super Series success from 2018 by taking the Female 70+ category.
Welsh National Duathlon Championships
Female Senior: 1, Catherine Marks (Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club) 1:12:49; 2, Emer Sandham (GOG Triathlon Club) 1:19:05; 3, Hayley Griffiths (Celtic Tri) 1:21:54
Female 40+: 1, Mel Best (Bynea CC) 1:27:01
Female 70+: 1, Sue Graves (Farnham Triathlon Club) 1:51:21
Male Open: 1, Liam Lloyd (Cycle Specific) 55:42 (Course Record); 2, David Cole (Cycle Specific) 58:47; 3, John Collier (West Coast Triathlon) 1:01:39
Male 40+: 1, Richard Wilder (Ufit Tri Team) 1:03:10; 2, Gareth Green (San Domenico) 1:04:03; 3, Mark Binding (Taff Ely Tri) 1:05:28
Male 50+: 1, Owen Jones (Cycle Specific) 1:08:29; 2, Gary Cairns (Celtic Tri) 1:11:58; 3, Tim Parfitt (Cr@p Tri) 1:14:21
Male 60+: 1, Dean Hardie (Bynea CC) 1:13:19
WELSH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019
Sunday, 19 May
Welsh National Standard Triathlon Championship (TATA Steelman, Margam)
Sunday, 26 May
Welsh National Sprint Triathlon Championship (SWYD Barry Sprint Triathlon, Barry Island)
Saturday, 20 July
Welsh National Aquathlon Championship (Aberavon Aquathlon, Aberavon Beach)
Sunday, 21 July
Welsh National Middle Distance Triathlon Championship (Sospan Sizzler, Burry Port)
Sunday, 3 November
Welsh National Cross Duathlon Championship (Coed Y Brenin Cross Duathlon)