Triathlon: Bozzone aims to play it smarter

Triathlete Terenzo Bozzone says he needs to have a solid bike ride and finish in the right shape to run well. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Terenzo Bozzone is ready to shrug off the bridesmaid tag. Where better, he asks, than in front of his home crowd at this weekend's Ironman in Taupo.

But, Bozzone concedes, it won't be easy. Nine-time champion Cameron Brown will make sure of that after showing a clean pair of heels to the tyro for the past two years.

"Maybe third time lucky," said Bozzone this week as he prepared to go head-to-head with the master and sometime training partner. "I have put in a lot of hard work but he always seems to have the day of his life in Taupo."

The buzz word for Bozzone as he lines up in his sixth attempt at the ultimate triathlon test is respect - respect for the challenge the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand demands and respect for his fellow competitors who are just as determined it will be "their" day in Taupo tomorrow.

"The thing with Ironman is that it has no respect for you no matter what your age," said Bozzone. "Some say I have age on my side, being more than 10 years younger than Cameron Brown, but when you look at the results you quickly see that the last six World Champions have been in their mid to late 30s.

"For me to win, I have to be a lot smarter than the older guys."

And that, he knows, comes down to pace judgment.

Last year Bozzone cleared out to a lead of eight minutes at one stage of the 180km bike leg. By the time he swapped his cleats for running shoes, Brown had whittled that back to just one.

"I now know I got carried away and went too quick on the first half of the bike," said Bozzone. "I feel I have learned from that. I'm more experienced and hope I can judge it better so that I don't fall apart on the run."

If he is to break his duck the former world junior triathlon champion knows he must be careful.

He progressed from those Olympic distance triumphs to quickly become one of the best in the world at the half-ironman, or 70.3, distance. The next step is, he admits, the toughest.

"I'm still trying to find my grove," said Bozzone. "Cameron has found his. Two years ago he broke his own record at Taupo. He is not getting slower, he is getting smarter. That's the challenge for me."

Bozzone doesn't favour one discipline over another but admits, "you can't win an ironman in the swim but you can lose it.

"But, for me, much depends on having a solid bike and finishing in the right shape to run well. Ideally, if I can get to the end of the bike with okay legs and a lead of seven or eight minutes, great, as long as I'm still capable of slogging it out on the run."

To be competitive and with a realistic winning chance, Bozzone says he will need to run in the low 2h 40m. His best time is the 2h 48m he ran on debut in what he still tags his best Ironman.

He will have his early sights set on swim record-holder Brent Foster.

"If I can jump on his feet for half the swim, I should be in good shape."

After that, who knows?

"It is a bit of a bummer that Matt Burgess has pulled out as he would have made it competitive. James Bowstead is another I know something about as I have trained with him and as far as the bike goes, you know a guy like Mathias Hecht will, like all Europeans, know how to ride a bike.

"Above all, though, we are friends and respect each other."

That is, for all but around eight and a bit hours tomorrow when it will be every man for himself as Bozzone and the rest do their darnedest to halt Brown's charge to what would be an emotional 10th victory - something no other has managed in the same event since the sport started almost three decades ago.

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MEN

* Cameron Brown (NZ): Nine-time winner of Ironman NZ. One of the world's most consistent with four podiums in Hawaii and 24 top three finishes in 30 Ironman races around the globe.

* Terenzo Bozzone (NZ): Remarkable junior career with world triathlon championship medal as 15-year-old. Switched to endurance distance with immediate success winning 2008 Ironman 70.3 world title. Runner-up last two years - to Brown - in Taupo.

* Keegan Williams (NZ): Spent much of last two years training under legendary coach Brett Sutton. Had solid podiums at Copenhagen and Wanaka and excellent fourth in Taupo.

* Petr Vabrousek (Czech Republic): Remarkable 34-year-old who will chalk up his 100th ironman in Taupo - completed in less than 13 years.

* Mathias Hecht (Switzerland): Has been preparing in Australia and has four ironman podiums to his credit including runner-up in South Africa and Switzerland. Capable of running a sub-three hour marathon.

WOMEN

* Joanna Lawn (NZ): Has dominated Taupo with seven wins in eight years. After some health issues in 2009, she was back to her best in 2010 although had an unusual off-day in Hawaii.

* Mirinda Carfrae (Australia): Former top-rating Olympic distance athlete, before winning world 70.3 title in 2007. Carefully managed move to Ironman with second at Hawaii in 2009 and victory in 2010 - both on the back of record run times.

* Kate Bevilaqua (Australia): Super-popular Western Australian has enjoyed success at Half and Ironman in New Zealand. In Taupo on the back of Ironman victory on home turf last month.

* Samantha Warriner (NZ): Former world No. 1 ranked ITU triathlete, who moved to endurance racing two years ago with a number of 70.3 successes. Relaunching her career with first Ironman after surgery to correct irregular heartbeat.

* Britta Martin (NZ): German who moved to Nelson in 2008. Former professional cyclist in Germany. Eighth on debut in Ironman NZ pro ranks. Seventh following year and excellent fifth last year as well as fourth in Ironman France.