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Canadians storm the podium at Ironman Mont-Tremblant 70.3

Screen Shot 2015-06-21 at 5.47.08 PMLionel Sanders took to win in 3:45:38on Sunday in Mont-Tremblant, Que., after putting on a bike clinic that pushed the top five guys to post some incredible bike splits. Right on his heals was his former C3 teammate Taylor Reid in second in 3:46:22. Last year’s winner, American Jesse Thomas couldn’t stick with the 1:11 half marathon times Sanders and Reid posted and dropped to third on the run, rounding out the podium in 3:48. Ironman Eagleman 70.3 winner Cody Beals was sixth.

Reid’s ITU swim speed saw him right out in front with the top pack. He swam with Australia’s Paul Ambrose, Bermuda’s Tyler Butterfield and American Richie Cunningham. Sander’s came out of the swim almost three minutes back but more than made up for that on the bike where Jesse Thomas and Cody Beals and Reid were also riding strong. On the run, however, no one could match the leg speed of Sanders and Reid.

Other Canadian men in the top ten were Cedric Boily in ninth and Pierre-Yves Gigou in tenth.

On the women’s side, defending champ Meredith Kessler led from the gun winning with a comfortable margin in 4:10. Her race fastest ride of 2:16 and race fastest run of 1:25 made her untouchable. Great Britain’s Holly Lawrence excited the swim with Kessler and came rode the second fastest in 2:17 to secure her second place finish but Kessler opened her margin on Lawrence once on the run. Lawrence finished in 4:15. Canadian-born Alicia Kaye grabbed third in 4:18. She was the only one to ride close to Kessler and Lawrence with a 2:20 bike split and her run of 1:28 on the tough course was the second fastest of the day.

credit: @mbkessler
credit: @mbkessler

Vancouver’s Christine Fletcher was fourth and Quebec physician and pro triathlete Annie Gervais was sixth. Pre-race favourite Magali Tisseyre was unable to finish.