Cycling: Power cycle leg seals sprint win

Pilot Bay Classic triathlon winner Aiden Dunster leads the cycle leg, ahead of Adam McCarthy

Aiden Dunster used his cycling expertise to power away from the field to win the Pilot Bay Classic sprint triathlon at Mount Maunganui yesterday.

The former world junior duathlon star cleared away to win in 59m:42s from Hamilton's Adam McCarthy (1:01:15) and 15-year-old Tauranga athlete Ryan Young (1:01:23), in the second of the three races in the Eves Triathlon Series.

Papamoa resident Dunster, 21, says his plan was to prepare for the aggressive tactics he will face from a top-class field at the Kinloch OTU Sprint Triathlon Oceania Championships this Sunday.

"I was just working on attacking because at Kinloch it is going to be attack after attack, so I was doing it on the bike today. It worked as I had a good lead and then just took it easy on the run," Dunster said.

"I have a week out to get ready for Kinloch after today's race. Swimming is my weakest part at the moment, so I just want to get that up. Swimming is the hardest discipline to get up to speed but I am getting there."

Dunstan is now the leading contender to take out the Eves Series, with the Coronation Classic to come on March 1.

Matilda Lawrence from Mount Maunganui was a delighted winner of the women's sprint distance in 1:07:52, ahead of Cambridge's Vicki Wade and Te Puke's Deirdre Lack.

She has been competing seriously in triathlons for only six months but says she has made incredible gains, thanks to training with the Beyond Adventure group.

"It was my first win today. I was happy with my bike. I have made massive gains on the bike in the past few week's training and it used to be my weakest one.

"I am going to have a go at Kinloch and my biggest goal this year is the Xterra cross country triathlon in Rotorua in April, just after my 30th birthday. I am looking forward to it, as I like the hills."

Another first time winner yesterday was Jamie Shields in the super sprint category. He won in a time of 34:53, with Matthew Lochhead second and Hannah Knighton third.

Shields, 14, has been competing in triathlons since he was 9 and is part of the Tauranga Triathlon Youth Academy run by Chris Willett. "I was most happy with my swim, because I am usually a bit slow, and I did well in my run after the bike," he said. "The hardest part was going into the head wind on the bike, because I couldn't find the right gear. But I am happy to win, as I usually come second or third."