Fall can’t stop a Tritons second in MLT debut

BRANDON Copeland has bounced back from two bike crashes to help take the Gold Coast Tritons to second in their Major League Triathlon debut in the US.

Copeland was the fourth and final member of the Tritons team to compete in the mixed relay on Saturday and began his leg in the lead following solid performances from Jazz Hedgeland, Rio Olympian Ryan Fisher and NSW Northern Beaches product Emma Jeffcoat.

The Gold Coaster navigated the 300m perfectly in 3m swell but came unstuck twice on the 6.5km bike leg, coming off twice in slippery conditions on a rain soaked boardwalk of Atlantic City, dropping his chain on the first fall.

“The team did an awesome job to give us a solid lead starting my final leg but, in an effort, to drop the competition I over cooked a corner and came unstuck on the slippery boardwalk,” Copeland said.

The first fall was enough for Gliders representative Tommy Zaferes to take the lead.

– TOM BOSWELL