A CRIPPLING fall on the bike leg temporarily ended Stu Adams’ quest for a 10th Gloucester Mountain Man Tri Challenge victory in 2013, but normal service resumed on Sunday as the veteran competitor crossed the line in a blistering two hours 26 minutes and four seconds to clinch yet another title.
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Adams spent three months recovering from a broken pelvis suffered during a fall in last year’s event, but showed the incident and his increasing years (he is 46) had failed to slow him down.
“I spent three months on crutches after last year’s race and basically all I could do was swim,” he said.
“I ended up having to stop swimming after my shoulders started to seize up and got back on the bike.”
Adams finished six minutes ahead of runner-up Tim Lang, with last year’s winner Darren Morton in sixth.
Adams powered through the bike leg and took a handy lead into the first transition before cruising through the kayak leg.
“The bike leg is always the most gruelling,” he said.
“Once I hit the water I started to relax a little more. The river was up, but it wasn’t super up. I only got stuck once.”
Adams exited the river seven minutes ahead of the next closest competitor and cruised home in the final 10km of the run to claim the win.
The women’s race was won by Su Pretto, who claimed her fifth Tri Challenge title.
Pretto finished just ahead of runner-up Bren Turner while last year’s victor Maria Plyashechko was third.
The first local home was Rob Seale.
