Active Expert: Gale Bernhardt
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Gale Bernhardt
in response to: Jesse@Active
Jesse ~
Good picks for sure. Potts has some recent success at the non-drafting races. There is one sleeper in the group - and that's Victor Plata. He tends to run under the radar and races well when it counts. Hunter Kemper was injured most of last season so he has been a bit under the radar as well. Matty Reed had some virus issues (Epstien Barr, maybe?) a little over a year ago. If he is healthy, he's tough.
For the women, Becky Lavelle is a really tough non-drafting racer. She's got a renewed passion to race, so look out. Julie Swail is a good pick, winning gold at Pan Ams. Sara Haskins had some good races last year - but I don't recall how she does in non-drafting format. Because this is a winner-goes-to-Beijing it makes it a lower liklihood that someone could be convinced to work for somone else - though I suppose given the right incentive, maybe.
Looking at the list again, if Joanna Zeiger is healthy and rested (no IM training) she can't be counted out.
We'll see on Saturday...
After watching Andy Potts hold off Craig Alexander by three seconds at last month's California 70.3, I don't think I can bet against him. He's definitely got the fitness and is race-ready.
As for the women? That's a little tougher to call, but I think Julie Swail Ertel could do well. She ran a 17:05 at the Carlsbad 5000. Becky Lavelle came in third at the Olympic-distance Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Triathlon last weekend. It sounds like she struggled a little on the hills, which there aren't much of on the Alabama course (one big one on the bike, I think. Run seems flat).
We'll see. I'm all about race readiness. Should be a fun, fast race!