Top 20 for Reid in Montreal Triathlon

Gisborne triathlete Tayler Reid battled his way to 20th in the Montreal Triathlon last weekend — the fourth race of the World Triathlon Championship Series. He is back in action in Hamburg next month. Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

GISBORNE professional triathlete Tayler Reid had a top 20 finish at the Montreal Triathlon last weekend.

Reid was 20th in the 55-strong elite men’s race in the Canadian city — the fourth event of the World Triathlon Championship Series.

He clocked 54 minutes 58 seconds — over a minute behind race winner Matthew Hauser of Australia.

Reid, a strong swimmer, came out of the 750-metre swim 11 seconds behind leader Hauser before a 400-metre run to the first transition.

Reid was in a group of chasing riders who eventually caught the leading bunch in the fourth of six laps in the 20.16-kilometre cycle.

Hauser was part of a group of 10 who separated themselves from the field in the 5km run.

He made his move midway through the second of the two laps to win by 11 seconds, including the fastest run leg time of  14min 23sec.

Brazilian Manoel Messias (53.48) was second and Belgian Jelle Geens (54.02) third.

Reid, who clocked 15.23 for his run leg, was 20th in 54.58.

Fellow Kiwi Hayden Wilde was among the prominent athletes who did not race in Montreal.

Another New Zealander, Dylan McCullough, was 14th in 54.36.

After four events, Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca — 30th in Montreal — heads the overall standings from French pair Dorian Coninx and Leo Fergere.

Wilde is fourth and Reid, who has contested three of the four events, is 32nd.

Reid, Ainsley Thorpe, debutante Brea Roderick and McCullough were to make up the New Zealand team to contest the mixed relay at the Montreal triathlon the date after the individual elite races.

However, the relay was cancelled due to poor air quality from wildfires in Quebec.

Thorpe was the best of the three Kiwis in the elite women’s race. She was 30th in 1hr 16sec.

Roderick was 34th in 1:00.30 and Nichole van der Kaay was 42nd in 1:02.16.

Great Britain’s Beth Potter won in 58.10.

The next race in the world series is in Hamburg next month.