Andrea Steyn of Pretoria won the final leg of the 2010 BSG Energade Triathlon Series at Big Bay, Bloubergstrand in Cape Town on Sunday, the 5th of December, to once again be crowned the competition’s senior female champion for a record breaking fifth time - having also won the title in 2005/6/8 and 9.
Going into the race unbeaten in this year’s Series there was little doubt she would shine, and, true to expectations, she cantered to victory in a sub one hour time of 58:58.
While she wasn’t out the water first after the chilly 600m sea swim, which is customary as she isn’t one of the recognised swimmers in the field, she wasn’t too far behind early race leaders Carlyn Fischer and Carla van Huyssteen.
A struggle in transition to get her cycle helmet fastened – she quipped after the race, “I think my fingers were frozen” - cost the reigning champ further valuable seconds but unphased she determinedly set off on the cycle route chasing Fischer and Van Huyssteen.
By the turn around point she had hauled them in and then decided to try and breakaway on the bike as she had planned before the race.
“I went for it and the other girls didn’t follow so I managed to have a comfortable lead going out on the run. I just took it easy from there and enjoyed myself,” said the champ after the race.
She did confess perhaps she took it a little too easy as the rest of the field started to close the gap on her. She had done enough, however, to secure a comfortable victory leaving young Fischer who did exceptionally well considering it was her first year competing in the senior ranks, behind to finish second in 59:26 and collect the runner-up prize in the series.
Van Huyssteen, who won the opening race of the competition back in October (in the absence of Steyn who was on a rest break), was third on the day in a time of 1:00:14 which is also the position she finished in the Series.
Having struggled with a knee injury in the early part of the year which forced her to take a break from the sport for two months, Steyn certainly bounced back well. Not only did she win her fifth BSG Energade Triathlon Series title but she also won last Sunday’s the 28th of November 2010 Tshwane-Pretoria Africa Cup Triathlon. In the latter she was also dominant crossing the line first in this Olympic-distance race in 2:09:11, five minutes clear of her closest rival Hungary’s, Zita Szabo.
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