Race Previews

The Men of Apple '16....

Wednesday, 25 May 2016 03:10

APPLE DUATHLON - In a separate post we predicted that the women's race will be more competitive than ever. In this one, we are saying the same about the men's race.

Here are some of the guys who should go very, very fast on Saturday:

DAVID THOMPSON - Seasoned pro, DKT has raced on this course on seven prior occasions. Guess how many times he's won? That's right: 7! He is the only man to break 1:20 here (1:19:57 in 2010). A win would be the 102nd of his multisport career....

MATTHEW PAYNE - Matt is a two-time US Duathlete of the Year and owns the amateur CR here: 1:20:45. He's coming off a win at Gear West and is expected by most to win the amateur title on Saturday.

PATRICK PARISH - The 2015 US Elite Duathlete of the Year was victorious here in 2012 and is a three-time runner-up. His resume boasts four national duathlon titles, the most recent of which was earn two weekends ago at Long Course Du Nationals in Cary, North Carolina. (Photo R)

JESSON BAUMGARTNER - Dr. Baumgartner has bounced around a bit. A Utah native, he went to med school in Iowa and has recently relocated to Rochester, where he works at Mayo. A former pro, we think, he raced here in 2012 and placed 2nd in 1:22:00. He won the Ottawa Duathlon World Championship in 2013.

SEAN COOLEY - A two-time Top 5 finisher at Apple, Sean tells us that's he's in the best shape of his life. He expects to ride with David, Matt, Patrick and company.

WADE CRUSER - This guy looks like he is going to be Minnesota's next big star. He already has two dominating du wins in 2016.

LARRY HOSCH - Larry proved at Apple last year that he can bark with the big dogs.

These are not the only talented guys in the field, but we believe that the Top 5 will come from this group. Others who will battle for spots in the Top 10 include Brandon Ordway, Casey Miller, Travis Miller, Scotty Myers and Mike Buenting.

The AGs will be hotly contested also. Look for guys like Jim Hannon (55-59M), Pete Rainey (45-49M), Derek Hager (50-54M) and Spike Millslagle (65-69) to come out on top in their respective divisions.

For race and registration info, link HERE.