Liam Lloyd fast to first once again, with a staggering win at the National Championship that took place at the SWYD Barry Triathlon on Sunday 26th May 2019.
It was a day very much anticipated by Welsh Triathlon to secure their new ‘Tim Tri Cymru’ representative team for the British Sprint Championships in Nottingham on Saturday 15th June and for athletes excited for the race. However, the day brought a drizzle for the triathletes competing, dampening their wetsuits even before entering the water, but this did not seem to dampen their day or performance as the triathletes took to the water and gave it their all.
Line up and ready for the swim on Barry Beach, the athletes took to the waters and It was the fantastic swim in the first wave containing the Junior and Senior age category that saw Cycle Specific’s Liam Lloyd thrash through the waves and first exit of the water ten seconds faster than second out of water, Onit Sports’ Ross Simpson. Then came an impressive swim from CES Sport’s Nathaniel Harries, from the Junior age category 46 seconds behind second place, with James Hodgson fourth out of the water, just under a minute behind third place.
With the transition times for the top four taking roughly one minute and a half, it was evident that their fingers were cold from the sea, making the adjustments and transition take longer than usual. With no more than a few second separating the top Seniors, it was the bike that slightly separated the pack. The bike race saw laps around Barry Town, of which the athletes battled against the wind and unforgiving showers upon them. With Liam Lloyd first in with a time of 00:29:59, closely followed by Oxbrigde Tri’s David Pearson with a close time of 00:30:39, second back. This was then followed by Ben Kent from Swansea University Tri Club with a time of 00:31:17seconds. We saw the slip of James Hodgson and Ross Simpson from the leading pack with a time on bike with just over 32 minutes.
Heading straight for the run, we saw a coastal pathway with an impressive incline included in each lap. The rain still coming down steady, the athletes continued at full pelt. Liam Lloyd took to the laps with a hard and fast pace, taking him an impressive time of 17 minutes and 18 seconds, securing him first place in the race. However, it was the notably quick paced and strong running of James Hodgson that saw him scramble his way back from the bike, smashing his run in 17 minutes and 35 seconds, a tremendous comeback, securing him second place. Similarly, we saw Ross Simpson make up for his slightly slower bike time with comeback and secured himself third place by running the 5KM in 18 minutes and 45 seconds.
All in all, we saw another untouchable performance by Liam Lloyd with a time of 01:01:42; almost a full four minutes faster than second place. Not only was he fast to first yet again but has secured himself a place for the ‘Tim Tri Cymru’ taking place in Nottingham on the 15th June 2019. Second place was James Hodgson with a time of 01:08:28 and third place to Ross Simpson with a time of 01:08:30.
We also saw Torfaen Triathlon’s Dafydd Jay claim first place and a place on the Tim Tri Cymru by accomplishing an impressive time of 01:06:38, almost four minutes faster than second place, taken by the Celtic Tri’s Joshua Wallace at the time of 01:10:16. We saw Triathlon Coaching Wales’ Ceirion Jones close behind with another impressive time of 01:10:38, securing himself third place. It seems more than fair to say that the Junior and Senior age category holds countless talents and strength from the race in challenging weather.
The second wave consisted of the rest of the male age categories. The male Super Vet saw the impressive and consistent performance of Jonathan Chadwick first out of the waters by almost three minutes, then followed by Cardiff Triathlete’s Rodney Savage, with GOG Triathlo Club’s Paul Algieri close behind. It was the bike that opened space for the triathletes when John Chadwick pulled away and first back with 32 minutes 22 seconds, closely behind with Paul Algireri 32 minutes and 43 seconds, placing him second off the bike. This was then followed by Sailsbury Tri Club Rob Hanby with a time of 33 minutes and 13 seconds.
As they took off on their run, we saw places swap and change as the Super Vets fought their hardest to overtake. Ultimately it was Jonathan Chadwick who secured first place with an impressive time of 20 minutes and 49 seconds, with a finishing time of 01:02:18. He was then followed by Mark Hanby with a time of 21 minutes and 43 seconds, finishing time of 01:14:43. In third place was GOG Triathlon Club Geran Hughes with a finishing time of 01:14:44. The super vintage age category saw a lone winner Hoddesdon Tri Club John Nugent, who completed and have first place after a few competitors pulling out during the race in the unforgivable rain. Well done John Nugent on completing the triathlon in a fantastic time of 01:46:51.
In the male veteran we saw Pencoed triathlon club’s Andrew Martin first out of the water with a time of 00:11:52. Second out of the water over a minute behind was Sigma Sport’s Mark Yeoman, a time of 00:13:02. Third out of the water and closely behind was Team Oryx’s Neil Dalton with a time of 00:13:19. The Veterans kept a close shift as they took to their bikes and kept within a pack, each coming closely behind one another. We saw Mark Yeoman first in from the bike at 00:31:10, closely followed by Andrew Martin at 00:31:26. Almost a minute behind first back was Neil Dalton, with a time of 00:32:09. As they took to the run we saw little movement in terms of the men pulling away in the first until we came to the second and saw Andrew Martin begin to pull away from the pack and lead to his victory of securing first place with a brilliant time of 01:06:23, almost two minutes faster than second place’s Mark Yeoman at the time of 01:08:49. In third place we saw Neil Dalton with a time of 01:11:17.
In the male Vintage age category the first out of the water was East Essex Tri Club’s Keith Muggleton with 00:15:44, followed by Alistar Asher with a time of 00:16:24 and Wrecsam Tri’s Paul Roberts time of 00:16:35. However, we saw a change in positions during the biking when Mount Bay Harriers’ Steve La Borde came in first with a time of 00:34:09 and Celtic Tri’s Dean Hardie who initially was out the water with a time of 00:19:51, gave a tremendous effort and caught back up, overtaking with a time of 00:34:18. Third back was then Alistar Asher with a time of 00:34:20. As they took to the run, Dean Hardie took no time to pull away from the pack in the first lap and the continuing to distance himself through the race, securing him first place with a time of 01:20:08. Then came Keith Muggleton securing second place with a time of 01:20:22 and then Alistair Asher with a time of 01:22:19, securing himself the bronze.
In the third wave, we saw the all ages category females set off together, we saw first out in the Junior age category Mali Jones with a speedy time of 00:13:23, then with a notable gap between was followed by Walden Junior’s Abbie Kerr with a time of 00:15:04. However it was during the bike that Abbie pushed and overtook Mali with a time of 00:35:52, a big jump from the swim in comparison with Mali’s bike time of 00:37:53. We saw both athletes take to their run head on with the wind and rain, keeping a relatively similar distance between one and other. Ultimately, it was Abbie who secured first place with a time of 01:18:13 and Mali taking second place with a time of 01:21:13, showing their impressive endurance of the wind and rain.
In the senior female category, we saw RAF triathlon’s Hannah Dodwell exit the water first with an impressive time of 00:12:12, closely followed byt BRAT’s Lauren Turvey exiting with a time of 00:12:56. Third exiting the water was Caridff Triathlete’s Eloise Crowley with a time of 00:13:36. Also in the mix was previous placed Cycle Specific’s Jasmine Bowyer, with a swim time of 00:14:35. However, the tables tipped after a competitive bike where we saw Turvey first back with a time of 00:34:11, shortly followed by Hartee JETS’s Alice Louden with a time of 00:34:59, who climbed her way up the ranks after her swim. We saw then Jasmine Bowyer close on her heels with a time of 00:35:04, making up for the seconds lost on the swim. It was the run that decided the winnings when Dodwell took the run at full pelt and claimed first place with a time of 01:13:10, closely followed by Turvey with the time of 01:13:31 claiming second place. Third place saw Eloise Crowley finish at the time of 01:14:20, securing herself a bronze.
The female Veteran age category took to the waters and gave it their all, regardless of the weather. First out of the water was Tracey Hare, with a time of 00:14:37 followed by Cambridge Triathlon Club’s Julie Scott, closely followed by Tenby Aces’ Vicky Jones. However the positioning was tipped on its head as the bikes drew in with Kelly Gordon being the first back with a time of 00:35:26, closely followed by TTC’s Sarah Richardson with a time of 00:35:28. Coming of the bikes in third was Tracey Hare with a time of 00:36:43. With the Female Vets taking the rainy coastal run in their stride, they maintained they bike positioning, with Richardson winning her age category with a time of 01:16:44 claiming gold. In second place was Gordon, a minute behind with a time of 01:17:46 and in third place was Hare with the time of 01:20:20.
In the female vintage age category, first out of the water was Triathlon Redditch’s Julie Brown with a time of 00:21:29, closely followed by Tri Team Glos’ Liz Clegg with a time of 00:22:49. Third out the water was Petersfield Triathlon Club Linda Robbins with a time of 00:27:05. During the bike the positioning changed between the three ladies with Clegg coming in first with a 6-minute head start, coming in on 00:43:01. Then followed Robbins, second off the bike to take on the rainy run, back on 00:49:10. Third in from the bike was Brown who took on the run head on, joining the women in front. The run was a competitive one who saw ultimately Clegg take the gold medal for her age category finishing with a time of 01:14:11. In second place was Brown who caught up on the run, pushed hard and secured herself the silver medal in the end with a time of 01:57:11. In third place was Robbins, securing bronze with a time of 02:01:18.
