The Doddsy Challenge has done it again, encouraged a world class field of triathletes to gather at stunning Lake Wanaka tomorrow night in a winner takes all sprint race in the latest round of the Contact Tri Series.
Dodds is from Wanaka and for the past couple of seasons has looked for ways to further generate interest in the race and boost the quality of the field, and nothing speaks like hard, cold cash! Already confirmed are Dodds, Kris Gemmell (NZL), Ryan Sissons (NZL), world number 6 Laurent Vidal (FRA) and former Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield (CAN).
The Contact Tri Series race already offers prize money with two thousand dollars for first across the line, Dodds has enlisted the help of local businesses to take that figure close to ten thousand for the winner, a purse Dodds will donate to charity if he crosses the line in first place.
"This time round i wanted to up the ante a bit, get more athletes to race, more prize money, and more media," said Dodds. "So far we have got a whole lot of internationals lining up and some of the best as well, between Wanaka businesses, my supporters and family we have come up with about $7,500 at the moment and I am still hoping to make it to ten grand by Friday night!"
Doddsy and many of the elites have been training at the Snow Farm, with the New Zealand high performance team based up there for a month or so, coming down from 'altitude' for the race tomorrow.
"Training has been going very good here, I've been doing a lot of miles and doing it all easy so it's been different to other years but I know it will pay off later on. We are all up at Snow Farm so altitude has been taking its toll, I'm fit, I'm tired, and ready for another season at it!
"Wanaka is such a great place for this kind of event, people have been saying that the race goes past the bars and cafes which is a bonus so they can drink and watch, it's a good course so they can position themselves well, and also because it's quite late at night so everybody is ready for the weekend and can have dinner and come on down.
"There is not much of a plan for Friday, we all know it is just going to hurt like hell as it's the first race of the season for most of us. But since there's such a big prize pool up for grabs, anything can and will happen. Just come down and watch!"
Amongst those lining up in Wanaka will be winner of the ITU Barfoot and Thompson ITU World Cup in Auckland last November, Kris Gemmell.
"Doddsy has done an amazing job with this race and the support from the athletes shows this. Of course he has generated an amazing prize purse that will go charity unless someone can take the victory away from him. The fact he is willing to do that speaks volumes about the guy and his approach to what he does day in day out.
"The face we have such athletes as Simon Whitfield and Laurent Vidal training here in Wanaka at the moment is great. And that they will race is amazing for Doddsy and also the rest of the young guys who will have an opportunity to see how the best in the world take on such an event, right in their own back yard here in amazing Wanaka."
Another taking part is world number 18 Ryan Sissons (Auckland) who like Gemmell is focusing on Olympic selection in 2012 but can't wait to race on Friday night.
"Friday night will be interesting with a decent mix of strengths and weaknesses in the athletes means it will become very tactical I think. For me, I just need a good swim to be right in amongst it and not be caught out like last year! If that happens, bring on the running race I say!"
If the men's race is the main event, the women's race is not far behind and will also provide plenty of thrills with world number two Andrea Hewitt and Olympic hopeful Debbie Tanner the headline acts along with a host of up and coming stars in the sport.
For both it will signal the start of a busy year with Hewitt already qualified for London and Tanner looking to also book her spot in the team with a strong start to the year.
The afternoon racing schedule offers opportunity for everyone from the children in the Contact 1:2:1 to beginners in the Contact 3:9:3 and then on to the sprint distance with racing for age groupers through the elites in U19, U23 and open categories. Racing on the Friday is a pre-curser to a huge day on the Saturday with the hosting of Challenge Wanaka over the iron distance as Wanaka is full to the brimming with triathletes, supporters and their families.
Contact Tri Series: Wanaka
Friday 20 January
- Registration & Late Entries Challange Wanaka Marque 12 - 2:00pm
- Contact 1:2:1 Boys & Girls 2:15pm
- Contact 3:9:3 Men 2:40pm
- Women & Teams 2:41pm
- Contact Trophy Women, Women's/Mixed Teams 3:40pm
- Men & Men's Teams 5:20pm
- Contact Cup Women 7:00pm
- Men 8:10pm
- Prize-Giving Finish Line At completion of elite men's event.
