Competitor injured in Auckland Ironman in a stable condition

Competitors race along Tamaki Drive during yesterday's Ironman competition. Photo / Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

A man who helped a fellow Ironman competitor who fell from his bike during the 70.3 event in Auckland yesterday said he needed CPR for a time.

A spokeswoman for Auckland City Hospital said this morning that the ill man, in his 40s, was in a stable condition in hospital.

She said she did not know why the man was taken to hospital yesterday and did not have his approval to release this information.

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The competitor, who wanted to remain anonymous, said St John paramedics and bystanders did an "outstanding job".

"I think this man was very lucky."

A spokesman for the organisers of the Ironman 70.3 race said they did not know if the man had crashed and suffered injuries or if he had suffered a medical event such as a heart attack.

He said organisers would be investigating the incident to find out what had happened to the man.

The incident occurred on Constellation Drive, on Auckland's North Shore.

It is understood the accident caused other cyclists to come off their bikes also.

The gruelling half-ironman event, part of a worldwide series, involved a 90km bike ride, a 1.9km swim and a 21.1km run.

Australian Tim Reed took out the men's event in a time of 3h 49.53s.

American Meredith Kessler won the women's race in 4h 20.12s.