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| Gemmell winning at Takapuna last year (Photo: Mike Heydon / Triathlon NZ) |
New Zealand sports fans will be treated to the rare sight of world leading triathletes and great mates Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell racing head to head in the Contact Tri Series at Takapuna this Sunday.
There is no doubting the class of the two great rivals, Docherty has a world championship and two Olympic medals to his name while Gemmell finished 2009 ranked 8 in the world and has a string of World Cup and World Championship Series podiums to his name.
There is also no doubting the rivalry between the two 32 year olds. It seems regardless of the activity, sport, hobby or task at hand, Docherty and Gemmell can be relied upon to make a competition out of it.
But rarely have the two crossed paths on New Zealand soil with Docherty a late withdrawal from the exciting Takapuna event last year, which Gemmell won from Frenchman Laurent Vidal and young Aucklander Ryan Sissons in a stunning sprint finish.
The sprint distance race has been billed as 'The Street Fight in Takapuna' as the two line up alongside a world class field that again includes world number 6 Vidal and a host of New Zealanders capable of an upset, including Clark Ellice, Ryan Sissons and Ben Pattle. The event is carried live on Television One with both men's and women's elite events covered live late in the afternoon.
Docherty is looking forward to race day on a course that has an outstanding reputation.
"I'm really excited about the race, I haven't raced this event before, but the tight course seems hard and fast. It is also great to have spectators with a few drinks in them so close, makes for an intense atmosphere."
Docherty has just completed a heavy 3 week block of training at his American base in Santa Cruz and admits his 'taper' might be a little unusual.
"Training has been going really well, although the Santa Cruz winter has been a little cool it is nothing like a New Zealand winter. Obviously there are bigger events later in the year for us so I haven't tapered at all for this, I will hopefully freshen up on the flight back to New Zealand."
Gemmell is in a similar place, albeit his big weeks of training have been carried out at home in Palmerston North, a far cry from Santa Cruz but something that suits the likeable 32 year old down to the ground.
"Training has gone well on roads I know well and in amongst people I know well. I have had some company most weeks with Ryan Sissons and lately Clarke Ellice spending some time with me which is good. The lack of taper and the fact this event is so early in the season is to a degree overcome by the short nature of it and the excitement generated by the closeness of the crowd and the noise they generate. It is about as close as you can get to competing in a stadium I guess."
The two have also been the subject of a friendly radio campaign that has the scores tied at two all with Docherty winning the cooking and navigation competitions while Gemmell took out the talking and sports statistics, setting up Takapuna as 'The Decider'.
But while much of the focus will be on two of New Zealand's outstanding sportsmen of recent generations, the likes of Vidal, Ellice, Sissons, Ben Pattle and James Elvery cannot be dismissed, in particular over a short and technical course where one mistake can prove terminal to anyone's chances.
