CLARK, Pampanga—Gael Le Bellec of France and Emma Jane Pooley of Great Britain unleashed world-class performances under conducive conditions on Sunday to dominate the Maybank Powerman Philippines Series, with local bet Monica Torres making a statement third-place finish.
Reigning world champion Bellec ruled the men’s classic individual race—10-kilometer run, 60-km bike and 10-km run—in two hours, 34 minutes and 27 seconds to live up to his lofty reputation in the event set on a fast and relatively flat course inside the former US military facility turned into a free-port zone.
“The conditions were great and, luckily, the clouds were out and the heat wasn’t a factor,” said Bellec, a former elite cyclist riding with a European continental team. “It was in the bike section where I felt I needed to make a move and hold on to the finish.”
Thomas Bruins of the Netherlands was also as good as advertised and finished second, two minutes behind Bellec. Belgium’s Seppe Odeyn was 2:37 further behind the winner to complete the podium.
Pooley, meanwhile, competed with more than enough power despite using a basic road bike and not her usual time-trial bike in the Philippine series witnessed by Powerman International Association Chairman John Raadschelders.
“I was slowed down a bit in the bike leg because I used a road bike and not a time-trial bike,” said the 34-year-old Pooley, adding the race was well-organized by Powerman Philippines headed by its president, Owen Gan, and chairman, Raymund Magdaluyo.
But that didn’t matter to Pooley, the time-trial silver medalist in the Beijing 2008 Olympics and former world champion. She breasted the tape in 2:56:31, beating fellow world-class duathlete Miriam Reijen of the Netherlands by close to three minutes.
A veteran of Philippine races who like the Bataan terrain, which suits her natural climbing skills, Pooley had so much miles in her legs that she transformed the women’s elite category into her personal playground.
And Torres? She made a statement by catching a spot on the podium running on a recurring hamstring injury.
Torres, Standard Insurance team’s top triathlete and duathlete, was 5:30 off Pooley but underscored qualities deserving of a slot on the national triathlon team for next year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“My aim here is to make the podium, but you have a world-class cast here, so I didn’t really know how it would go,” said Torres, after the awarding ceremony graced by Corporate Affairs Vice President Eric Montelibano. “I’m coming off a run injury so I pushed it in the bike leg, only to fade against Miriam [Rejen], who proved to be a better runner.”
A shot at the SEA Games in 2017?
“If they [national federation for triathlon] will hold qualifying races, it would be a good opportunity for me,” Torres said. “But if they will pick the athletes for the Sea Games, I could not do anything about it. But I have proven myself here [and in several races].”
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos