Olympian makes a big statement at California classic
It was a weekend to remember for Ben Kanute, who took a commanding win at the de-facto opener of the 70.3 season at IM 70.3 Oceanside. Hosted in sunny California, the race tends to be an early season test for the top racers in the sport, and the 2019 edition was no different.
Ben continues to show himself as a strong cyclist
Ben is also a good runner, which helps
The race was a battle from start to finish, as no one was keen to hand victory to anyone.
Oceanside 70.3 was a very solid day for me", said Ben. "It started off a bit slow with a bit of an average swim, but still had me tucked into the front pack. From there I pushed the bike to try to get a gap on some of the better known runners. I had a bit of help from Sam Appleton early, but an unfortunate crash left me alone for the second half of the bike. I was able to be steady, and ride well to set myself up for a good run. The second half of the bike was definitely challenging, but Rudy was the only one to catch me by the end of the ride. I made sure to back off a bit to prepare for the half marathon ahead. I slowly pulled away throughout the half marathon with a controlled effort from Rudy, and held the 4 min gap on the chase pack. The last couple of miles were a bit of a mental battle, but was able to hold onto the lead for a win on US soil!
A solid win for Ben!
Holly Lawrence raced hard all day to score second
Holly Lawrence scored a solid second place finish, and is looking towards a strong 2019!
A strong runner, Holly always fights to the end
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