By null, Times Staff WriterTim Don passes on the closing lap to win St. Anthony's Triathlon.
ST. PETERSBURG - A year ago, Tim Don got kicked in the jaw during the St. Anthony's International Triathlon Union World Cup race and never made it to the final portion of the event, the 6.2-mile run.
This year, he finally saw the run course. And he spent less time on it than anyone else.
Covering the last leg in 31 minutes, 34 seconds, the Britain native gobbled up a world-class field Saturday for his first World Cup win.
"I'm over the moon," Don said. "I'm fantastically pleased, it's just awesome to put it together in one day."
On a pleasant partly cloudy day, a field of 75, including 14 of the top 20 triathletes in the world, started at 2:30 p.m. in Vinoy Basin. Nearly 19 minutes later, Don was in no great position. An 18:49 split left him 43rd, but he was able to hook up with one of two giant bike packs.
Through the first two laps of the 24.8-mile bike leg there was a lead pack of 32 and a second group of 29, including Don. In the draft-legal event, the chasing pack was able to catch the leaders by the third of nine laps, creating one giant group to thrill spectators gathered along Bayshore Drive.
Australian Matt Reed made a breakaway two laps later, and three more riders, including American Doug Friman, joined in for the final three.
The quartet dismounted with a 25-second lead, but none had the power to hold the advantage through the run. Instead Volodymyr Polikarpenko of Ukraine and Australia's Greg Bennett rose to the front, creating a potentially thrilling story line.
Bennett's fiance, Laura Reback of North Palm Beach, won the women's race hours earlier. The No.2-ranked Bennett said he knew the pressure was on to join her but he had nothing left at the end.
"I felt good until about 6K (into the run). Polikarpenko and I were swapping turns (in front)," Bennett said. "There was a point that I had to say, "Sorry, mate, I can't come around you again.'
"With 21/2K to go, Tim Don, he just timed it to perfection. That's a quality runner, to be patient like that and wait and wait and wait."
That's just what Don did, lurking behind and striking in the closing lap with the fastest run of the day. Polikarpenko said he thought the finish line was closer than it was. He was surprised when it did not arrive, and instead Don sailed past him.
It was the second major race in six months in which Don prevailed in the run to win. At the 2002 Duathlon World Championships in Alpharetta, Ga., he entered the last leg of the 6.2-mile run, 24.8-mile bike, 3.1-mile run with a large group of runners, including Bennett. He and the Aussie dueled to the finish, with Don winning by one second.
The duathlon title gave him confidence, but Don insisted he was not overconfident coming to St. Anthony's, especially after last year's mishap during what he called the "washing machine" swim.
"No one ever comes to a triathlon expecting to win, that'd be arrogant," said Don, who won $10,000 of the $80,000 purse. "I was really looking for a top 10.
"I knew I was fit - I was in the lab doing some testing about two weeks ago and the results were really promising - but triathlon is not a lab. You get beaten up in the swim, you choose the wrong (drafting) wheel, the (running) gaps open, luck plays a part. I was just trying to stay out of trouble."