Southern Traverse
Icebreaker Bridgedale Step Up the Pace to Win
Victoria Warman / 13.11.2003
Thomas's team completed the course at 11.29am to win the race in 98 hours 59 minutes. They put in a consistent performance which saw them beat off their main opposition, Cycle Surgery Scott USA. But it was a close run in the final stages.
By the time they reached Transition 11 at Taieri Mouth Icebreaker Bridgedale's lead had eroded to just 14 minutes due to a navigational mistake on the mountain biking section, from Lake Mahinerangi to Berwick. Under pressure they stepped up the pace and doubled their lead by the next check point.
Cycle Surgery Scott USA kept on the pressure but was forced to take a one hour penalty at Checkpoint 59 just before the final coastal walk to the finish, after missing a checkpoint in Stage 9. However the penalty did not impact on their placing and they reached St Clair Beach, to take second place at 1.05pm, 1 hour 35 minutes behind the leaders.
Murray Thomas won the event as part of the Steve Gurney team in Queenstown in 1992, He was estatic about this year's win. The team of Thomas, Tim Pearson, Sally Fahey and Quenton Johnston had never raced together before and the dynamics were superb.
"There is a lot of pressure when you're in the lead but we held it together" said Thomas.
The team clocked only 3 hours 40 minutes sleep throughout the race but they still had the energy to run along the beach to the finish area. "It's not a lot of sleep," said Fahey," but I'm on a high and am sure I will be for a few days yet."
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