Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee opened their 2014 seasons by crossing the finish line together at the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon.
The brothers set themselves up during the swim exiting the water in a leading group with training partner, Rhys Davey before stretching a lead over the 100km non-drafting bike course.
The bike route included a lap of the Yas Marina Formula One Circuit and saw Alistair and Jonathan average over 44kmph over the flat course. They started the 10km run with a significant advantage over the rest of the field and ran comfortably in the intense heat to win by more than four minutes from Ruedi Wild of Switzerland.
Mark Buckingham was disappointed with sixth, saying he had misjudged his pace at the start of the run. Rhys Davey finished 11th. Georgie Rutherford finished fifth in the women’s race.
The winners of the long course event (3000m swim, 200km bike, 20km run) were Tyler Butterfield (BER) and Mellissa Hauschildt (AUS). Britain’s Jodie Swallow had established a lead during the swim but went off course during the bike.
The event also featured Age-Group athletes from Great Britain. Full results are available via http://www.abudhabitriathlon.com.
Jonathan Brownlee and Mark Buckingham now go on to the opening round of the ITU World Triathlon Series in Auckland, New Zealand on 6 April whilst Alistair Brownlee will concentrate on his training.
Short Course Results: 1500m swim, 100km bike, 10km run
Men
1. Alistair Brownlee, (GBR), 3:12:21
2. Jonathan Brownlee, (GBR), 3:12:21
3. Ruedi Wild, (SUI), 3:16:56
6. Mark Buckingham (GBR), 3:18:51
11. Rhys Davey, (GBR), 3:24:38
Women
1. Svenja Bazlen, (GER), 3:34:51
2. Annabel Luxford, (AUS), 3:46:02
3. Lisa Marangon, (AUS), 3:46:49
5. Georgie Rutherford, (GBR), 3:58:41
