Samuels lines up a busy weekend at 'home' - Gemmell responds to Dodds challenge

Wanaka’s Nicky Samuels has a busy weekend lined up with participation in Friday night’s Contact Tri Series sprint race and as the swimmer in a team in Saturday’s Challenge Half Ironman event when she will team up with multisport legend Elina Ussher.

Samuels always looks forward to the race in her own backyard and this year is no different. It is likely her main opposition will come from impressive 19 year old Maddy Brunton, a winner of race one in the series at Rotorua last November although final entries won’t be known until as late as Friday morning.

Training has been going well for the 27 year old, with the focus of late her bike riding, including a successful ride at the recent road nationals.

“I am still on a bike phase for another two weeks then I will start building my running, so really looking forward to the change in focus. I raced last weekend in the Elite Road Race Cycling Nationals. I was very comfortable the entire 123.4km, and just stayed in the main bunch that slowly got smaller with each lap over the eight lap course in Christchurch. The main group was left with only 5 half way through the last lap. With some girls off the front this group, I finished in 6th place.

“Now I have a few hard sessions and then will race hard on Friday night in the Contact Series sprint race. Perhaps Sam Warriner and Andrea Hewitt will be on the start line on Friday and if they are, that will change my race tactics a bit, however, I am definitely going out there to have a hard hit out on my home town course.”

Samuels doesn’t pull any punches though with the forced change in the course due to concern from the local businesses, meaning the event will take place a little further out of the CBD than in previous years when racing has been fast and furious with sprint finishes in many races.

“I am disappointed in the local shop owners not liking the race going through our small town; I feel all these competitors in town will be making them money not limiting it! The racing is going to be around the 1hour mark for each of the elite races - not a long time given the people it attracts to town. So that is a shame the course had to be changed. The new course is not as challenging and exciting for the spectators, with fewer twists and turns on the bike and run.

“However, triathlon is definitely in our town, and so many cyclists are out and about it is fantastic to see. I will back this race up with a swim in the half Ironman on the Saturday morning. I am teaming up with Elina Usser (who will cycle and run) so look forward to this dip on Saturday too.”

GEMMELL A LATE ENTRY
Meanwhile the Tony Dodds Challenge has drawn another big name from the woodwork with news that Kris Gemmell will come down from the Snow Farm where he is training with Tri NZ to take up the challenge laid down by the Wanaka athlete.

Dodds has offered to double the prize money to anyone who wins and defeats him on Friday as he looks to promote his home town event and generate further coverage.

Gemmell will join Dodds, Martin Van Barneveld, Laurent Vidal (France) and James Elvery as leading contenders over the sprint distance in a race that promises to thrill fans from start to finish with the pace on throughout.

Contact Tri Series
Wanaka
Friday 14th January

Contact 3:9:3 Men 2.30pm
Women/Teams 2.31pm
Contact Trophy Women/Teams 3.40pm
Men 5.20pm
Contact Cup Elite Women 7.00pm
Elite Men 8.10pm