Pearce wins Henley Sprint Triathlon despite puncture

Published: 17:33, 19 June 2018

A PUNCTURED tyre could not stop Stratford’s Rachel Pearce from winning the Henley Sprint Triathlon for the third year in a row.

Held in Henley-on-Thames on 10th June, the race comprises a 400m swim, a 25km cycle and a 5km run.

Pearce got off to a strong start, clocking 6.36 for the swim section, and was hopeful of beating her time from last year.

The cycling stage also started well, but with five kilometres of cycling left, Pearce’s bike picked up a puncture.

“I decided my only option was to try to carry on riding with a flat back tyre, but I found the rest of the race very tough,” she said.

Nevertheless, her time for the cycling stage was the second-fastest of the entire field.

Pearce ended her triathlon by covering the 5km run in 22.52, giving her a combined time of 1.21.08.

Although her time wasn’t as fast as 12 months ago, she still won comfortably by more than a minute.