TWO-time Wagga Olympian Brad Kahlefeldt made light work of the Temora Triathlon, crossing the line in an hour, 53 minutes and 54 seconds; a minute and a half before runner-up Caleb Noble on Sunday.
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“It was good, I knew I’d be pushed pretty hard by Caleb, he’s a huge local talent,” Kahlefeldt said.
Kahlefeldt and Noble were neck-and-neck for the 1.5km swim, and Kahlefeldt broke away at the end of the 40km cycle leg and extended the lead in the 20km run.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Kahlefeldt who had a last-minute equipment crisis.
A day before the race he discovered the handle-bars on his bike had cracked in transit.
Kahlefeldt called on his brother who kindly lent his bike out, and they were tinkering away for hours in preparation.
“I don’t think it cost me too much,” he said.
“You have that uncertainty going into the bike leg, ‘cause I didn’t ride it more than a couple of k’s yesterday.”
Winning the Temora Triathlon has been an encouraging start to the season for Kahlefeldt, who plans to be at his peak for the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships in Cairns in June.
I was surprised so many people were cheering me on with my nickname, ‘Rads,’ it felt like home
- First female over the line Radka Vodickova
His fiance, Radka Vodickova was the fastest female, and third over the line; the first female place in the 2016 Riverina Tri Series.
She felt welcomed in her first chance to visit Kahlefeldt’s town of origin.
“I was surprised so many people were cheering me on with my nickname, ‘Rads,’ it felt like home,” Vodickova said.
Kahlefeldt and Noble will go head-to-head again next week in the Husky Long Course Triathlon.
Wagga local Dan Judd finished strongly again, taking fourth place on Sunday.
View the Temora Triathlon gallery.