Preview: 2014 Atmosphere Nepean Triathlon

The Atmosphere Nepean Triathlon is becoming the most contested triathlon on the Australia calendar with $76,500 in prize money now on offer (up from $72,000 in 2013). 1st prize is $14,000 and pays down to 10th place (see prize purse below).
Leading the charge this year is the 2014 Commonwealth Games squad who will be the out right favourites for the race. They won’t have it all their own way however with Cameron Good looking to prove a point and young ITU rising star Jacob Birtwhistle will be causing the more established guys a few concerns.

This year in Spain Jacob Birtwhistle took it to Aaron Royle and Ryan Bailie in an Olympic distance race out running the pair.

Josh Amberger is fresh off his win at Port Macquarie last week and how he backs up will play a big part in his result this weekend. Amberger won’t be able to out swim this pack like he did last weekend and the 7m draft zone will not work in his favour.

Bailie and Royle will be happy to ride with the pack and back themselves to out run everyone or attempt to turn it up on the bike and rip everyone’s legs off then out run the field. Either way they will be running faster than most. The power is going to come from the short course guys but the long course guys will be able to hang on with the shorter draft zone.

After a big two days at altitude in Falls Creek recently doing a 2XU photo shoot Royle may have the edge.

Sam Appleton showed that he still had plenty of his ITU speed last year and will be looking to have a great showing again in his home town with plenty of sideline support. He raced last weekend in Port along with Amberger. He did back up last year and performed well.
We think that there will be a split on the bike again and this will determine the race. Last year Kiwi Tom Davison smoked the bike. Amberger will not have the same power as Davison over 30kms as Davison would not have the same power as Amberger over 90kms. Davison is one of the best surgers in the game. For Amberger to break this field he will have to surge and hope to get at least a 10om gap then hope that the chase pack is indecisive. If the pack starts to look at each other it won’t take long for a 5sec gap to turn in to 30sec.

There are plenty of guys who can hold on to a breakaway and will have some legs left to put in a world class run. If there is a split Royle, Bailie and Wilson will be the likely leaders with Good, Birtwistle, Appleton and Amberger the other players.
The amount of people that could get in the pack will mean that good positioning coming in to T2 will be a major factor.

The heat will also play a factor with mentions of 41 degrees. This will blow a few apart.

Dan Wilson, David Mainwaring and Brad Kahlefledt have withdrawn.

The Women

This is not going to be an easy race with Ashleigh Gentle, Emma Jackson, Natalie Van Coevorden and Felicity Sheedy-Ryan amongst others. Emma Jeffcoat will be looking forward to racing against some of the best in the game and testing herself out. Jeffcoat recently swept the TriF1 at Penrith.

Picking a favourite… we would have to say Emma Jackson.

Gentle should be the strongest cyclist on Sunday and with a fast one lap bike course the other girls will have to step up to avoid losing time. Jackson should get a lead on to the bike and will be riding to hold the chasers off for as long as possible.

Lisa Marangon is down to race and is backing up from a 3rd at Port Macquarie last weekend. This will be a tough ask. She will not lose to much time in the swim if any, and over the bike course may be able to hang on. The run is going to be a tough ask with the ITU girls able to put in 4-5mins on the 10km run.

Originally on the start list Emma Moffatt, Melinda Vernon and Matilda Raynolds have all withdrawn.

Start Lists

Professional Females

EMMA JEFFCOAT NSW
NATALIE COEVORDEN NSW
ELYSE FOSTER NSW
ANDREA FORREST NSW
ASHLEIGH GENTLE QLD
FELICITY SHEEDY-RYAN WA
EMMA JACKSON QLD
GRACE DEVESON VIC
GILLIAN BACKHOUSE QLD
LISA MARANGON NSW
SARAH CROWLEY QLD

Professional Males

BEN SHAW QLD
JAKE MONTGOMERY NSW
SASCHA BONDARENKO VIC
LIAM RAPLEY NSW
CALEB NOBLE NSW
SAM APPLETON NSW
PETER KERR VIC
RYAN BAILIE WA
TIM REED NSW
RYAN FISHER VIC
JESSE FEATONBY NSW
AARON ROYLE NSW
NICHOLAS KASTELEIN NSW
CAMERON GOOD NSW
JACOB BIRTWHISTLE TAS
ROBERT SKILLMAN NSW
BEN HAMMOND NSW
BRET IZZO USA
KYLE IZZO USA
SAMUEL O’SHEA Thailand
ADAM RUDGLEY NSW
NURU SOMI ACT
SAM DOUGLAS NSW
JOSH AMBERGER QLD
BRYCE MCMASTER QLD
JOHN POLSON QLD

Prize Pool

1st Male and Female “$14,000
2nd Male and Female “$8,000
3rd Male and Female “$4,000
4th Male and Female “$3,000
5th Male and Female “$2,500
6th Male and Female “$2,000
7th Male and Female “$1,500
8th Male and Female “$1,000
9th Male and Female “$750
10th Male and Female “$500

Outright Handicap bonus “$2000