MOVER AND CHASER RYAN BAILIE PRIMED TO CLIMB IN MOOLOOLABA
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Triathlon Australia, March 14, 2013: Wollongong-based former Western Australian Ryan Bailie will arrive on the Sunshine Coast today (Wednesday) for Saturday’s ITU Triathlon World Cup in Mooloolaba ready to chase anything that moves.
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The jockey-sized 22-year-old who weighs in at just 56 kilograms is building a reputation that if it moves he’ll more than likely set off after it.
Bailie is just one of Australia’s young men on the move as the triathlon world starts to build momentum in this post Olympic year, gaining experience and building a reputation at every outing.
While his Triathlon Australia elite coach Jamie Turner says it is important to “build time and space” between training and the major races later in the year he just loves those natural competitive instincts that makes an athlete like Bailie explore every chance to let his opposition know he’s around.
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The boy who rode the race of his life to set up Aaron Royle’s ITU Under 23 World Championship tilt on the hills of Auckland last year will again be in hot pursuit of some big scalps.
“Last week in Wellington, Ryan was like a cat chasing a laser light; everything that moved he chased,” said Turner.
“He loves a tough bike course and Mooloolaba certainly won’t worry him – the tougher it is then the better he likes it – he’s a very aggressive racer.
“We have also seen some good progress in his swimming times and with Brendan Sexton in our squad now the pair have improved together – but the proof will be in the pudding.”
Bailie made his Mooloolaba debut last year, finishing 17th, after coming out of the water towards the rear of the 50-strong field, he produced one of the fastest bike splits of the day.
You can rest assured it is a more experienced Bailie that will tackle this course in 2013.
He has already finished second in Devonport and fifth in Wellington respectively to his in-form compatriot, Victorian Peter Kerr but he will have some other big names to chase around the hills of Alexandra Headlands – starting with Olympic silver medallist, two-time ITU World Champion and 2012 ITU Triathlon Grand Final winner Javier Gomez.
The
brilliant Spaniard is already in good early season form and beat home a
class field, including Australia’s Hawaiian Ironman champion Pete Jacobs (fourth) in the recent Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco.
Gomez
will use Mooloolaba as a lead in to the opening ITU Triathlon World
Series race in Auckland next month before he makes his half-Ironman
debut against Chris McCormack in the Challenge Half Barcelona in May.
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Mooloolaba is again shaping as a better than expected field in a first up, non-selection race where you can’t discount:
• The ever-present Kerr, who has been on the ride of his life over the past four months with wins in Noosa, Geelong (first Australian home behind Gregory Rouault (France) and two-time New Zealand champion Tony Dodds to claim the Australian Sprint Championship), Devonport (Oceania Sprint Championship) and Wellington (Oceania Olympic Distance);
• Slovakian Olympian and swim stand-out Richard Varga (22nd in London);
• Defending Mooloolaba Champion, 2008 French Olympian Laurent Vidal who recently won the Oceania Cup Sprint in Kinloch and his compatriot Tony Moulai;
• As well as Matt Chrabot (USA) and rising Dutch star Marci Van Der Stel.
Then there are the Aussies with Bailie and Kerr joined by Ryan Fisher (who will also travel to Auckland on April 6 and 7 with Bailie and Under 23 ITU World Champion Aaron Royle) Sam Betten, Taylor Cecil, Cameron Good and Mitch Kealey who will provide a strong home town representation.
Canberra-based Good from Sydney’s Northern Beaches had a good start to 2013 finishing fourth in Geelong and eighth n Devonport, while Fisher (QLD) is coming off a solid 2012 with 11 top ten placings on the international circuit.
Again Noosa 2012 was one of his best results finishing second before finishing sixth in Devonport but he is much stronger over the Olympic distance.
Keep an eye on Cecil (ninth) and Kealey (11th) respectively in Wellington who have both started 2013 with promising results.
Issued on behalf of Triathlon Australia by
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