Team SA Olympian Jamie Riddle had an unforgettable debut in the San Francisco T100 Triathlon on the legendary Escape From Alcatraz course on Saturday when he finished fifth after a fine performance.
The race was won by German Rico Bogen who cut the tape in stopped 3:15:53, nearly two minutes ahead of runner-up Jelle Geens (Belgium), with Mika Noodt (Germany) in third.
“It was fight to the end and I delivered a lifetime best performance on the biggest stage of triathlon,” Riddle posted on Instagram. “Jamie a few years back was broken, Jamie today still navigates highs and lows, but the ability to weather the storm has allowed me to excel.”
The T100 Triathlon race started with a plunge from a small ferry in the cold San Francisco Bay for the 2km swim with a backdop of Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.
Riddle had exited the water in second position, with 19 or the 20 triathletes in a bunch. However, there was a near 1km run between the swim before the bike transition area, to begin the 80km cycle.
It didn’t take long for reigning T100 Triathlon World Tour champion Martin Van Riel to make his mark on the bike.
He was right on early leader Bogen’s tail on the first of the six laps and then took over in front on the second oneIt was then ebb and flow for a while but Bogen had asserted by the halfway point and established a 34-second lead over Riddle.
Bogen had increased that to 1:50 by T2 over Riddle, whose cause wasn’t helped by having to serve a 30-second transition penalty on the run.
Riddle served his penalty just after the 5km point of the run and as soon as he exited the penalty tent he was joined by Geens, with the two of them 2:30 behind Bogen in second and third.
The run was 18km, four laps on gravel paths before the race finished on a short grassy section with RIddle fifth.
RESULTS
- 1 Rico Bogen (GER) – 3:15:53 [16:46 / 1:54:50 / 1:00:40]
- 2 Jelle Geens (BEL) – 3:17:46 [16:44 / 1:57:44 / 59:40
- 3 Mika Noodt (GER) – 3:19:22 [16:48 / 1:57:54 / 1:01:01]
- 4 Kyle Smith (NZL) – 3:19:38 [16:44 / 1:57:30 / 1:01:34]
- 5 Jamie Riddle (RSA) – 3:19:53 [16:35 / 1:56:40 / 1:02:41]
Photo: Instagram
