THE opening round of this summer’s Central West Inter-Club Triathlon Series was a tale of two clubs.
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The first was Orange and the sheer mass of numbers that flocked to the Orange Cycle and Triathlon Club’s home event at Lake Canobolas – a number that en masse has earned the Piranhas an envious round-one lead as it heads towards the next leg of the series in Bathurst come December.
And that’s where the second club shone.
Bathurst’s elite runners were simply scintillating, with Luke Gillmer and Nick North blitzing the scorching hot course in Orange on Sunday to complete a Bathurst Triathlon Club quinella.
It places the Wallabies in a strong enough position to suggest this summer’s series will be more than just a race between Orange and Mudgee.
Piranhas president Michael Lockyer said Gillmer’s efforts were particularly impressive.
“We’re not sure where he’s come from ... Nick North has turned pro and he’s absolutely burned him on the bike and held him on the run,” Lockyer said, Gillmer’s time of 56 minutes and 50 seconds nearly a minute better than North’s time over the sprint distance triathlon.
“He’s a PE teacher from Bathurst and he’s smoked everyone. Bathurst’s elite men always seem to do really well.”
Bathurst also had Mark Windsor (1:02.21) and Josh Stapley (1:03.38) place seventh and eighth respectively.
Orange dominated the women’s honours. Predictably, Christine Wolfson was the first female past the post and ninth overall in a time of 1:03.21 to lead the way for the host club.
Janet Martin was second, while Jess Richards rounded out a one-two-three finish for the Orange girls.
Jodie Martin claimed fifth for Bathurst in a time of 1:10.12 while the Wallabies also had the best performed team – Martin Racing Team – who clocked a time of 1:01.26.
Lockyer also made mention of the run of Mudgee triathlete Matt Webster, who ran the five-kilometre cross-country run in a time of 18.16, one of the fastest splits the club has recorded at Lake Canobolas, to finish third overall.
In total, 150 competitors took part in the Orange inter-club race in a cracking start to the season.
Intermediate results have Orange well ahead on 385 points, with Mudgee second on 102 and Bathurst (71), Dubbo (53) and Cowra (27) making up the rest of the field.
“It’s been a huge day,” Lockyer said.
