Currie sends warning shot
Wanaka athlete Braden Currie has fired a warning shot at defending champion Sam Clark ahead of Saturday’s Kathmandu Coast to Coast one-day race.
Currie is chasing a fourth title after taking a year off in an attempt to make last year’s Kiwi Olympic triathlon squad, and is expected to go toe-to-toe with Clark during the 243km race across the South Island.
Only a couple of minutes separated the pair two years ago, when Currie crossed the line first in New Brighton, Christchurch.
Clark went a step better in Currie’s absence last year, but will find the going tougher this time round, if Currie has his way.
‘‘He didn’t have anyone pushing him last year,’’ Currie said.
‘‘I know if we tick the tempo up five per cent more than he did last year . . . it’s quite a different story to race that five per cent harder and it’s shown from races before - he hasn’t been able to do it.’’
The pair, and 102 others in the men’s one-day race, will set off from Kumara Beach on the West Coast at 6am.
They will start with a 3km run, before jumping on the bike for 55km and going on to a 33km mountain run.
A 15km cycle, 67km kayak on the Waimakariri River and a 70km cycle across the Canterbury Plains will take them to the finish line in New Brighton.
‘‘It’s a hard race, it’s a long race, there’s a lot of stuff that can go wrong,’’ Currie said. ’’But I feel like there is only a few people in this event that can race at the tempo that we can race at.’’
Currie has no regrets after skipping last year’s event to concentrate on triathlon, and said his failed bid ‘‘probably’’ worked out as he expected.
However, he believes his cycling is now stronger than ever and is primed to make a winning return.
‘‘To be able to return after taking a year off and show that I’m still the best in the world at it, it would be pretty special,’’ Currie said.
Clark said the only reason he was competing was to win, but Currie’s return had provided extra motivation to go back-to-back. While targeting the kayak leg of the race, he’s hoping conditions aren’t too warm for the final cycle leg.
Two-time Australian Olympic triathlete Courtney Atkinson is also entered in the men’s race.
He’s confident in his biking and running ability, but the kayak is where he is bracing for a potential letdown.
‘‘In my life at the moment, this is completely consuming me. I love it, I have no idea how I’m going to go.’
In the women’s race, Elina Ussher is chasing her fourth title, which would match Jill Westenra’s total and pull her to within one of Kathy Lynch, who won five times between 1991-96.
Defending champion Ussher’s biggest challenge is expected to come from No 2 seed Robyn Owen, who is a gun on water and hails from South Africa.
‘‘I feel like I’m ready to go,’’ Ussher said. ’’I think the start is the hardest part of the race. Once you get started, you relax a little bit more.’’
In the two-day event, schoolboy Cameron Jones leads the field at the end of the first day.
The 16-year-old Waimea College student holds a 10 minute lead over Hamish Elliott after clocking 5hr 13min 12sec.
Minus a bit of cramp, he said he was in good shape ahead of day two on Saturday.
‘‘I think the paddle is going to be my strongest, so tomorrow is hoping to be a stronger day than this. To be in the lead after day one is awesome,’’ he said.