> photos by Michael Jacques
Christchurch’s Causer brothers created a minor sensation today when they took the lead in the first day of the 2005 Speight's Coast to Coast.
Almost 800 competitors lined up on the West Coast beach of Kumara at daybreak this morning. But in complete contrast to the storms that afflicted last year’s event, the 23rd Speight’s Coast to Coast started under a brilliant scarlet sunrise that soon gave way to oppressive heat.
The talk prior to the start of this morning’s two-day event was all on the late entry of world champions Ben Fouhy and Jonathan Wyatt.
Fouhy, the world kayak champion and Olympic silver medallist, and Wyatt, the four-time world mountain running champion, were odds-on favourites to lead the race across the Southern Alps today. But after a 3k run, 55k road cycle and 35k mountain run, the talk at day’s end was the sensational performance of Christchurch siblings Graeme and Mike Causer.
The Causers finished the day with a seven-minute lead over the pairing of Fouhy and Wyatt. Fouhy illustrated an admirable all-round ability on the bike to stay with a breakaway bunch that included Graeme Causer. But on the run, Mike Causer caused a major upset by outpacing Wyatt.
Causer, a previous winner of the Two Day team and individual race, proved to have too much course experience for Wyatt. Wyatt followed the Christchurch doctor for approximately 6k of the 35k run over Goat Pass, but Causer proved more adept at the extremely rough underfoot conditions and opened up an eight-minute lead by the top of Goat Pass. Wyatt closed it down to five minutes with 7k to run, but Causer dragged it back out to seven minutes in the final rough stretch to the finish of the first day at Klondyke Corner in Arthur’s Pass.
"That was bloody hard," said a pale Causer as he walked slowly away from the finish line. "I've never had to run that hard all the way before.
"Jonathan's a much better general runner than me, so I had to really make it hard from the start so I could use my course knowledge. I played a few tricks on him, taking him through rough areas and bit of bush bashing, but every time I got away I had to keep hammering to stay away."
Causer came across the line in 4:42:51, with Wyatt 7:02 behind. Just 16 minutes further back came Christchurch teen-ager Luke Vaughan, who led the Two-Day Individual race.
A year ago Vaughn lost the Two-Day Individual race by a tantalising 18 seconds after leading on the first day. But today he built a lead so big, finishing 15 minutes ahead of Auckland’s Steven McKinstry, that only bad luck will keep him from his first Speight’s Coast to Coast win tomorrow.
In other categories, four-time Speight’s Coast to Coast One-Day winner Jill Westenra teamed with defending team champion Mark Beesley of Auckland to lead the mixed teams. The women’s individual race was led through by Christchurch’s Katrine Lawton, who managed to stay with the top men on the opening bike ride and maintain a six-minute lead over Wellington’s Fleur Pawsey all the way through the mountain run.
Tomorrow all eyes will be on whether Christchurch’s own Causer brothers can hold on to their lead all the way home. Fouhy, the world champion kayaker, is expected to take time out of Graeme Causer on the 67k white water paddle down the Waimakariri River. So the race could come down to the final 67k cycle to Sumner Beach.
Tomorrow also sees the start of the feature Speight’s Coast to Coast One-Day race. One hundred and seventy athletes from 14 countries are entered for the world championship event, with New Zealand the strong favourite to win this year’s inaugural world team challenge.
Defending world champions George Christison (Napier) and Kristina Anglem (Christchurch) make up the New Zealand team with last year’s third placegetter Richard Ussher (Queenstown). Nine-time winner Steve Gurney is missing the race for the first time in 20 years following major ankle surgery.
The talk prior to the start of this morning’s two-day event was all on the late entry of world champions Ben Fouhy and Jonathan Wyatt.
Fouhy, the world kayak champion and Olympic silver medallist, and Wyatt, the four-time world mountain running champion, were odds-on favourites to lead the race across the Southern Alps today. But after a 3k run, 55k road cycle and 35k mountain run, the talk at day’s end was the sensational performance of Christchurch siblings Graeme and Mike Causer.
The Causers finished the day with a seven-minute lead over the pairing of Fouhy and Wyatt. Fouhy illustrated an admirable all-round ability on the bike to stay with a breakaway bunch that included Graeme Causer. But on the run, Mike Causer caused a major upset by outpacing Wyatt.
Causer, a previous winner of the Two Day team and individual race, proved to have too much course experience for Wyatt. Wyatt followed the Christchurch doctor for approximately 6k of the 35k run over Goat Pass, but Causer proved more adept at the extremely rough underfoot conditions and opened up an eight-minute lead by the top of Goat Pass. Wyatt closed it down to five minutes with 7k to run, but Causer dragged it back out to seven minutes in the final rough stretch to the finish of the first day at Klondyke Corner in Arthur’s Pass. "That was bloody hard," said a pale Causer as he walked slowly away from the finish line. "I've never had to run that hard all the way before.
"Jonathan's a much better general runner than me, so I had to really make it hard from the start so I could use my course knowledge. I played a few tricks on him, taking him through rough areas and bit of bush bashing, but every time I got away I had to keep hammering to stay away."
Causer came across the line in 4:42:51, with Wyatt 7:02 behind. Just 16 minutes further back came Christchurch teen-ager Luke Vaughan, who led the Two-Day Individual race.
A year ago Vaughn lost the Two-Day Individual race by a tantalising 18 seconds after leading on the first day. But today he built a lead so big, finishing 15 minutes ahead of Auckland’s Steven McKinstry, that only bad luck will keep him from his first Speight’s Coast to Coast win tomorrow.
In other categories, four-time Speight’s Coast to Coast One-Day winner Jill Westenra teamed with defending team champion Mark Beesley of Auckland to lead the mixed teams. The women’s individual race was led through by Christchurch’s Katrine Lawton, who managed to stay with the top men on the opening bike ride and maintain a six-minute lead over Wellington’s Fleur Pawsey all the way through the mountain run.
Tomorrow all eyes will be on whether Christchurch’s own Causer brothers can hold on to their lead all the way home. Fouhy, the world champion kayaker, is expected to take time out of Graeme Causer on the 67k white water paddle down the Waimakariri River. So the race could come down to the final 67k cycle to Sumner Beach.
Tomorrow also sees the start of the feature Speight’s Coast to Coast One-Day race. One hundred and seventy athletes from 14 countries are entered for the world championship event, with New Zealand the strong favourite to win this year’s inaugural world team challenge.Defending world champions George Christison (Napier) and Kristina Anglem (Christchurch) make up the New Zealand team with last year’s third placegetter Richard Ussher (Queenstown). Nine-time winner Steve Gurney is missing the race for the first time in 20 years following major ankle surgery.