Archive for Chris Lieto
Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs
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Lieto outduels Bozzone
For someone who is quickly becoming known as the ‘nearly man’, Chris Lieto reminded us that he is one of the top triathletes in the world with his comprehensive beating of one of its superstars, Terenzo Bozzone, in Lubbock, Texas.
Lieto, who is arguably the sports top biker, has learnt to run. Not that he didn’t know how to before, his results speak of his quality, but both Craig Alexander and Bozzone have made a habit of using their exceptional run speed to hunt him down, leading one to falsely believe he was a one trick pony. In many ways this is the same way that many people viewed Normann Stadler and Lieto can take heart from the fact that Stadler is a two time Ironman World Champion and surely Lieto’s turn on the top of the podium cannot be too far away.
Back to Texas and Stephen Hackett led a group that included both Bozzone and Lieto into T1. Once on the bike, Lieto took it to the field, posting a 2:08 split that gave him a 5 minute lead over Bozzone going out onto the run. That was enough to hold the Kiwi off and take victory, with Ben Hoffman backing up a solid bike to run his way to third.
Local lass, Andrea Fisher led a splintered women’s field out the water but it was Angela Neath, exiting 3 minutes down, that showed the initiative on the bike to storm to a race day best 2:22 and a 5 minute lead heading out onto the run. Behind Magali Tisseyre was waiting for the run and showed great control and pacing, catching Neath with enough time to ensure a well deserved victory.
Women
- Magali Tisseyre (CAN) 4:23:21
- Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:24:57
- Jessica Jacobs (USA) 4:35:49
Men
- Chris Lieto (USA) 3:55:27
- Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 3:57:06
- Ben Hoffman (USA) 3:58:32
Ironman 70.3 Boise
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Photo: competitor.com
Following an incredible sprint finish with Chris Lieto in 2009, one could forgive Craig Alexander for thinking that Boise is his toughest race on the calendar. After another tight finish, this year to Ben Hoffman, I don’t think any of us would disagree.
With the effects of last weekend’s Rev3 race still fresh in the legs, Alexander lined up for another battle with Chris Lieto and the rest of the Ironman elite field that made up the Idaho event.
Taking a 50 second lead over Lieto onto the bike, Crowie seemed intent on proving that he can bike and initially held uber-biker, Lieto, at bay. Despite not being at his best Lieto worked his way to the front but Alexander was not letting him get too far away and the gap was negligible coming out of T2.
Unfortunately Lieto would DNF with abductor issues and it appeared that Alexander would have a comfortable run to the line but the heat started to take its toll on the Ironman World Champion and he would not end the day with the fastest run split as we are so accustomed to. That would instead come from Ben Hoffman who closed the gap to 8 seconds coming into the finish straight but it was too little, too late and Crowie hung on for another victory.
Dibens back on top
After last weekends minor hiccup at the Rev3 race in Quassy, Julie Dibens resumed her spot on the top step of the podium with another dominating display of racing.
Leading the women by a massive 90 seconds out the water, Dibens put her bike strength to good effect and powered her way to a 2:24 split that gave her a 10 minute lead over Linsey Corbin, heading out onto the run.
With a lead like this there was no need to do anything more than finish comfortably and with the after effects of last weekends blow-up still fresh in her mind, Dibens made sure of victory in relatively unspectacular fashion.
Behind Corbin was running fastest of the women but never looked likely to catch Dibens while behind her Heather Jackson over came a 30min swim to bike-run her way to third.
Photo: competitor.com
Women
- Julie Dibens (GBR) 4:25:14
- Linsey Corbin (USA) 4:29:22
- Heather Jackson (USA) 4:34:58
Men
- Craig Alexander (AUS) 4:02:11
- Ben Hoffman (USA) 4:02:21
- Tim Berkel (AUS) 4:08:08
Ironman 70.3 – Hawaii & Kansas
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Photo: Paul Phillips
It was only a matter of time before the sports strongest biker finally put a big enough gap between himself and the runners to take victory. Not only did Chris Lieto destroy the field on the bike, he took victory over one of the sports best runners, 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Andy Potts.
Lieto overcame a 90 second deficit out of the water to build a 4 minute plus lead on the bike before hanging on with a solid, some would say spectacular, 71 minute run. Potts on the other hand just ran out of road (see footnote) and despite giving everything of himself, had to settle for second, 24 seconds adrift of the ecstatic Lieto.
Behind these two, we saw the next generation step forward and new pro, Andrew Yoder, virtually matched Lieto’s bike split but didn’t have the legs left to hold off Potts on the run.
Wellington bounces back
After a crash sidelined Chrissie Wellington for the early part of the season, questions have been asked about whether the likes of Julie Dibens, Catriona Morrison and Mirinda Carfrae may have closed the gap on the almost invincible Wellington. While they may have not been answered, Chrissie’s performance in Kansas reminded us of just how good she is and how far the rest will have to go in order to catch her.
Perhaps her only weakness to date has been in the water but even that is improving and she exited 3 minutes down on Pip Taylor and proved that her shoulder injury was a thing of the past.
Lieto and Yoder aside, Wellington’s 2:21 bike split would have made most the men happy as she crushed her rivals entering T2 with a 3 minute lead on Taylor but with no one else in sight. There was no chance of things developing into a foot race as Wellington continued to increase her lead, eventually finishing 17 minutes ahead of Taylor and almost walking away with all the ladies prize money under the controversial 8% rule, with only Taylor and Linsey Corbin in third place getting to share in the spoils.
Photo: Jon Goering
Women
- Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 4:07:49
- Pip Taylor (AUS) 4:24:29
- Linsey Corbin (USA) 4:25:58
Men
- Chris Lieto (USA) 3:44:07
- Andy Potts (USA) 3:44:31
- Andrew Yoder (USA) 3:49:46
Photo: Bill Greentree
After local hero, John Flanagan, obliterated the field in the swim, exiting the water 2 minutes ahead of the field, it was the bikers in the form of Luke Bell and Matt Lieto that tamed the famous winds and bike course to open up a minutes lead over the field into T2.
With the heat becoming a factor, it was Tim DeBoom that ran out of T2 looking incredibly fresh, ultimately running though the field to take victory from Bell and Lieto.
Bree Wee led the women out of the water but it didn’t take Belinda Granger long to assert her authority on the bike before backing it up with a solid run to take victory from local Wee with Emily Cocks in third
Women
- Belinda Granger (AUS) 4:34:38
- Bree Wee (USA) 4:40:13
- Emily Cocks (USA) 4:45:05
men
- Timothy DeBoom (USA) 4:04:02
- Luke Bell (AUS) 4:05:29
- Matt Lieto (USA) 4:08:14
Comment – Two things bothered me this weekend and these were:
- With the virtual plethora of events around the world and in particular the USA, it is worth noting that there were a disproportionate number of age-groupers filling the top 10 spots in 70.3 races. Surely the WTC can manage a calendar better than this or is it a case of being too greedy and merely licensing events for financial gain?
- Secondly, is it too difficult to get the course measurements right? What with GPS and Google Earth, surely anyone can measure a course correctly and if that means sending them round the block one more time then so be it. No disrespect to Andy Potts but I don’t think he will be putting his 67 minute run on his PB list anytime soon.
