Australian ends Brown?s winning streak

Australian Craig Alexander stormed through the field to claim the 16th Port of Tauranga half ironman triathlon in Mt Maunganui on Saturday.
Alexander's victory snapped New Zealander Cameron Brown's seven-year winning streak.
Alexander and Brown came off the 90km bike seven minutes behind the leaders, but it was the Australian who found the best running legs, with a stunning 1hr 14min half marathon.
The Sydneysider was still three minutes off the lead coming off the Mount base track for the second time, but hauled in leader Kieran Doe (Auckland) in the final 2km to win in 3hrs 49 minutes 16 seconds.
Doe, 23, held on for an impressive second place 40 seconds behind to claim the Triathlon New Zealand long distance title with another Australian, Levi Maxwell, third.
Brown produced the second best run split to force his way through to fourth place.
Athens Olympian Samantha Warriner (Whangarei) took out the women's race in 4hr 28:58 in her first attempt at the half Ironman distance, finishing more than eight minutes clear of Kapiti Coast's Lynley Allison.
Alexander said he found his running legs after struggling to hold on during the swim and bike.
"I had a bad swim and never felt good on the bike. I struggled to hold on to Cameron but once I was on the run I felt great.
"It was one of my worst bikes but probably my best run for a long time," Alexander said.
"This performance ranks right up there with my best," said the Australian champion who won the three biggest Olympic distance races in the United States last year.
Doe earned his second runner-up finish at the event as his career continues to build.
The 2003 age-group world Olympic distance champion was in the lead group out of the water and joined with Maxwell, Athens Olympian Nathan Richmond, Gisborne's Stephen Sheldrake, Waikato's Graham O'Grady and top junior Terenzo Bozzone (North Harbour).
Sheldrake and Doe made their move at the start of the final lap on the bike, opening up a 1min 30sec buffer at the end of the bike from Richmond, O'Grady and Maxwell with Bozzone puncturing.
Richmond made the first move, going into the lead early on the second lap but Doe reasserted himself on the second time around the Mount base track, as Sheldrake dropped off the pace.
Brown, aiming for an eighth straight victory, said while disappointed he did not win, he was relatively satisfied with his progress.
"This is a race I really enjoy and I was in reasonably good shape. We just never got things going on the bike and the group in front worked together to get a break," Brown said.
"The run felt good. My overall aim is Ironman New Zealand in March and I am reasonably satisfied with my progress in that respect."
Allison, winner of Ironman USA last year, made the early running in the women's race, overtaking Warriner early on the bike and opened a five-minute advantage.
However Warriner's superior running ability proved the key.
"I'm really happy after that," Warriner said
"Lynley is a strong rider so I wanted to keep things in reserve for the run. I managed to catch her on the first lap of the run and from there it was a case of keeping focused.
"It's my first time at this distance and it's been an excellent incentive to get in my base training as I prepare for the major Olympic distance races this year and qualifying for next year's Commonwealth Games."
Tauranga's Annie Oliver was the third pro elite, although Taupo age grouper Fleur Bromley was the third home overall.
The leading team was Team Cervelo that included Nathan Saunders and Olympians Gordon McCauley and Jonathon Wyatt.
Results:
Port of Tauranga Half Ironman (2km swim, 90km bike, 21km run):
Male overall: Craig Alexander (Australia) 3hr 49min 16secs, 1, Kieran Doe (North Harbour) 3:49.56, 2, Levi Maxwell (Australia) 3:52.25, 3, Cameron Brown (Auckland) 3:51.43, 4, Stephen Sheldrake (Gisborne) 3:52.03, 5, Terenzo Bozzone (North Harbour) 3:52.34, 6, Nathan Richmond (Auckland) 3:54.18, 7, Graham O'Grady (Hamilton) 3:56.17, 8, Mark Bailey (Christchurch) 3:58.18, 9, Brent Sheldrake (Gisborne) 3:58.23, 10.
Female overall: Samantha Warriner (Whangarei) 4:28.58, 1, Lynley Allison (Paraparaumu) 4:37.28, 2, Fleur Bromley (Taupo) 4:39.26, 3, Annie Oliver (Tauranga) 4:43.58, 4, Nathalie Smith (Australia) 4:50.59, 5.
Team winners:
Male: Team Cervelo (Nathan Saunders, Gordon McCauley, Jonathon Wyatt) 3:36.30, 1.
Female: Team Asics (Hosanna Horsfall, Michelle Hyland, Tracey Clissold) 4:13.00, 1.
Mixed: Team Orca (Debbie Tanner, Peter Latham, Robbie Johnston) 3:44.02, 1.-NZPA