Vineman 70.3 Results 2011

What an amazing group of pros are entered in this race. It's anyone's guess who will top the Vineman 70.3 results 2011 for the men or the women.

I would go so far as to say that this could well be the most competitive 70.3 races of the year.

Raynard Tissink is in great form and won the Ironman Buffalo Springs 70.3 earlier this season.

Timothy O'Donnell comes off a win in the San Juan 70.3. Chris Lieto had a great year last year and won a few races, however it remains to be seen if he is in top form this year.

My pick to win is Raynard Tissink, but there are probably half a dozen pro men who could top the Vineman 70.3 results 2011.

PRO MEN RESISTERED FOR THE RACE tentativeJimmy ArcherPaul Attard Christopher Baird Greg Bennett Chris Boudreaux James Bowstead Eric Clarkson John Dahlz Kieran Doe Lewis Elliot Joe Gambles Bruce Hunter Christian Kemp Nathan Killam Freddy Lampret Kyle Leto Chris Lieto Matt Lieto Arland Macasieb Paul Matthews Timothy ODonnell Graham O'Grady Andy Potts Ken Rakestraw Matty Reed Josh Rix Shanon Stallard Matt Taylor Jesse Thomas Nicholas Thompson Raynard Tissink Allan Villanueva Brice Winkler Viktor Zyemtsev

It's going to be a highly competitive race for the pro women as well. Mirinda Carfrae won the Eagleman 70.3 and is in top form going into this race.

I was in Penticton last year when Meredith Kessler won Ironman Canada in her rookie season, so there is no doubting her ability.

Leanda Cave won the REV3 Knoxville Triathlon earlier this season and won the Miami 70.3 last year.

My pick to win this race is Magali Tisseyre who is in amazing form as she comes off a win in Ironman Rhode Island 70.3 and Ironman Boise 70.3

PRO WOMEN RESISTERED FOR THE RACEMirinda CarfraeLeanda Cave Rachel Challis Emily Cocks Kelly Dunleavy Julia Grant Caroline Gregory Lauren Harrison Tenille Hoogland Kristin Iavarone Heather Jackson Meredith Kessler Rachel McBride Melanie McQuaid Melissa Rollison Heidi Spees Danielle Sullivan Jennifer Tetrick Magali Tisseyre Natasha Van der Merwe Charisa Wernick

THE COURSE

The Vineman swim takes place at Johnson's Beach in Guerneville, California. It will most likely be a wetsuit swim as the water seldom gets so warm that wetsuits are not allowed. It's an out and back swim.

There is normally very little current, but it takes a bit longer to get to the turn-around point as it is upstream.

Most of the ironman 70.3 bike courses around the world are either flat and fast or very hilly and tough.

The Vineman features a bit of everything and with it's rolling hills and sweeping curves that winds it's way through the vineyards, the Vineman course can best be described as very technical.

The course actually ends at Windsor High School just over 16 miles from where it started at Johnson's beach.

The run is an out and back course that many triathletes seem to favor. The race finish line is just behind the school where the run started.

THE RACE

Just an update on the pro men entries. Unfortunately Raynard Tissink who I felt would have a great shot at winning this race has not appeared for the swim start.

That would seem to make Timothy O'Donnell the race favorite in this field, but there are several other great triathletes in the race including Andy Potts for one who is first out of the swim.

Actually there was quite a large group that finished the swim within a minute of each other.

THE TOP TEN MEN OUT OF THE WATER1 Andy Potts.................00:21:38 2 Graham O'Grady.............00:21:41 3 JohnDahlz................00:21:44 4 Kyle Leto.................00:21:45 5 Timothy O'Donnell..........00:21:57 6 Paul Matthews..............00:21:59 7 Matty Reed.................00:22:19 8 Joe Gambles................00:23:27 9 Christian Kemp.............00:23:43 10 Chris Lieto...............00:23:55

In the pro women's race, all the pre-race favorites came out of the water in the top ten as they headed out on the bike course.

This is really shaping up to be a great race on the pro women's side with several of the best going head to head out on the bike course.

THE TOP TEN WOMEN OUT OF THE WATER1 Tenille Hoogland............00:24:042 Leanda Cave.................00:24:06 3 Meredith Kessler............00:24:08 4 Melissa Rollison............00:26:08 5 Emily Cocks.................00:26:16 6 Mirinda Carfrae.............00:26:29 7 Rachel McBride..............00:26:32 8 Rachel Challis..............00:26:35 9 Melanie McQuaid.............00:27:50 10 Charisa Wernick............00:27:57

THE BIKE

Chris Lieto and Paul Matthews have the lead leaving the bike/run transition and there is a group of five almost 4 minutes behind them.

That group includes Graham OGrady, Chris Lieto, Matty Reed, Timothy O'Donnell and Joe Gambles who all leave transition two together.

It seems that Timothy O'Donnell has the best chance of gaining some ground on the two leaders, but time will tell.

THE RUN

It was Paul Matthews who held the lead late into the run until he was run down by Andy Potts who was on top of his game today.

It was at the 11 mile mark when Andy took over the lead and by the 12 mile mark Paul Matthews was right up alongside.

They ran pretty much together the rest of the way but it was Andy Potts who would top the Vineman 70.3 results 2011 with Paul Matthews right behind him.

THE TOP PRO MEN AT THE FINISHAndy PottsPaul MatthewsJoe GamblesGraham O'Grady

At the halfway point in the run for the pro women Melissa Rollison had a 4:12 lead on Meridith Kessler.

Leanda Cave was 1:16 back of Kessler in third place at this point in the run.

Melissa not only won, but she did it in a new course record time of 4:09:00

Leanda Cave had a great finish to take second spot away from Meridith Kessler.

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