Orange Cycle and Triathlon Club’s Jack Bilton shrugged off a disappointing second finish at the Piranhas’ home leg of the Central West Inter-Club Series last month to go one better at Dubbo on Sunday, that silver medal was caused by some confusion around the Gosling Creek course.
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Despite soaring temperatures and strong winds making it tough, Bilton made light work of the course to power to victory in the main event – made up of a 500m swim, 18km bike ride and 4km run – clocking 54.33 to lead the 49-strong field home.
He led from start to finish too, but admitted post-race it wasn’t as easy a win as that might suggest, particularly during the cycle.
“Going out we had a really big tail wind so I was able to maintain speed but coming back there was a huge headwind and it was a real battle,” Bilton explained.
“As soon as I turned around on the bike I could see some guys coming for me so I had to nail the ride coming back which was pretty hard because I wanted to maintain that gap.
“After that I felt pretty good going into the run and I got into a nice rhythm and ran quick.
“The swim was good. I got into the open water at the start that gave me a bit of a buffer when it came time to transition onto the bike.
“It was tough but it was about racing smart really. The race panned out pretty well for me really. I’m happy to get the win.”
Currently enjoying a gap year after completing school, 19-year-old Bilton enjoyed the test of the unique Dubbo course, which is good preparation for this weekend’s Triathlon NSW Club Championships at Gosling Creek – the final day for registrations was Monday.
“[All the series’ legs are] different but using the river is what triathlon is all about, using open water rather than a pool,” Bilton said.
“This course is a bit different. It was undulating and it was about conserving energy on the downhills and trying to work with the wind on the uphill sections.”
A strong contingent of Piranhas made the trek up the Mitchell Highway on Sunday, with Jess Richards (1.01.29) claiming the women’s race ahead of clubmates Jessie and Estelle Dean, who were separated by just two seconds.
While Bilton was stoked with the individual win Bilton was chuffed to be able to contribute vital points to the Piranhas’ bid to defend the series title, although the overall result was unavailable at time of publication.
“Triathlon is an individual sport but this Inter-Club series is also team based, so personal results are team results,” he said.
“We’re all here cheering each other on, hoping that it can help get us points.”
Bilton will use the winter period to train with his coach Mel Ashton-Garard before preparing for his main goal, the age group world championships in September on the Gold Coast.
