Dodds Top Ten In Holland

The All Whites recent success at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa saw good support for New Zealand triathletes Tony Dodds at the latest ITU World Cup in Holland, with supporters chanting 'go the All Whites' as Dodds passed by each lap on his way to a top ten finish in a strong field.

Dodds went on to finish a strong 8th with James Elvery also racing well to come home 13th, Tom Davison finished 48th while Dylan McNeice failed to finish the event in extremely hot conditions. The race was dominated by Europeans with Russians Ivan Tutukin and Yulian Malyshev in first and second ahead of Portugal's Joao Pereira.

Dodds was pleased with his days work in an event that he shouldn't even have started in.

"Today's goal was to get some ranking points and that's exactly what I did in a race that I wouldn't have been starting just two weeks ago, until Ben Pattle had a big crash in France and had to pull out of the race, allowing me to get subbed in. So it was an opportunity for me to get back up to where I need to be."

It was an opportunity that Dodds would not let slip through his fingers with an excellent result set up by a superb swim.

"I had a mint swim coming out of the water in 8th with all the best swimmers in this sport and for the next 5km we put the foot flat. But it was such a hot day no one could or would break away in this heat! I kept myself in a good position during the bike near the front where James and Tom joined me, Dylan had an off day and had to pull out which is not like him to pull out of a race.

"During the bike it just got hotter and hotter, so more fluids had to be taken. I got off the bike and took the first run lap pretty controlled as it was steaming and I didn't want to blow myself up, as I hit 2.5k everyone started dropping so I picked it up and caught a few more people. All I was thinking was one lap at a time, then hit 5km and was thinking, okay 500m at a time, and it started to hurt a bit more but thought to myself if I push the pace now then I can ease off the last lap.

"I looked around and nobody was near me, so went into the finish with a pleasing and brilliant result for a World Cup 8th place! Every lap there was some funny supporters yelling at me "Go the All whites." I kept giving them the thumbs up and they loved it!"

Results: Holten ITU Triathlon World Cup

Holten, Holland, 10 July 2010

1.5-km swim, 40-km bike, 10-km run

Men

Women