Story by Les Tan. Pictures by Lai Jun Wei.

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Sebastien Calle finishing his bike leg. He eventually came in first in the duathlon. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Mandai Road, Sunday, May 4, 2008 – Sebastien Calle came home first to win the sprint duathlon ahead of Clement Chow in a time of 48 minutes 56 seconds. Calle’s win puts him in second place overall in the series, only one point behind Clement Chow in first place. Just over 400 duathletes started the race at the weekend which featured a new scenic route in the endurance sports scene.

With Daniel Plews, the winner of the biathlon absent from the second race of the Singapore Sprint Series, the stage was set for Clement Chow to take the series lead. He did not disappoint, finishing the duathlon in second place in a time of 50min 38sec.

“It was a short, fast, undulating route,” said Clement after the race, his first duathlon. “On the second run, the lactic acid built up and it started to hurt.” Clement, 20, just graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and is headed for National Service. He heads for the A’Formosa Triathlon this weekend in Melacca, Malaysia.

The duathlon, a 3km-run, 15km-bike, 3km-run race, was a first for Singapore. The run route was undulating, alternating between cool shady stretches and a baking hot 1km final stretch at Upper Seletar Reservoir Park overlooking the reservoir.

The bike route saw Mandai Road completely closed to traffic, and given the canopy provided by the magnificent mature trees along the road, it was pure riding pleasure. That pleasure didn’t extend throughout the bike course however as riders had to contend with narrower stretches part way.

It became a tactical race for both the experienced and beginner riders, as everyone had to watch their backs while overtaking along stretches where there was space only for two bikes abreast at a time. Shouts from riders could be heard throughout the course, with the more polite ones yelling “On your right!” while the ruder ones, perhaps unaware of the race etiquette, unhelpfully yelled “Left!”.

“The cyling route was narrow and so I couldn’t really push,” said Ng Zhaomu, 18, president of the Ngee Ann Tri Elite club. “I like the running route because running is my strong point.” Zhaomu recently finished sixth in the tertiary division at the recent Inter-School Aquathlon. “I’m not a good swimmer and that was a tough race for me.”

Lawrence Ng finished third in the sprint duathlon in a time of 50min 39sec but he did not start the biathlon two weeks ago. Andrew Ward Curran, who competed in both, now stands third overall in the series, after finishing ninth in the duathlon in 52min 22sec.

Sebastien Calle indicated that he will compete in the third race, a sprint triathlon, setting up a showdown with Clement Chow. Said Calle: “I really enjoyed Sunday’s race, especially this new course is very nice and is a very welcome addition to Singapore’s growing multisport scene.”

The third race in the Singapore Sprint Series is scheduled for June 15 at Changi Beach Park.

To read about the first race in the series, go to the following story: Daniel Plews pips Clement Chow to win inaugural Singapore Sprint Series biathlon

For more information on the sprint triathlon, go to www.singaporesprintseries.com.

For more pictures, go to the gallery.

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Tight turns on the bike course demanded balance and a keen eye for other bikers to prevent spills. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
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Clement Chow finished second in the duathlon and is now the overall series leader with one race left. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
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Leaving the heat of the day behind her, a duathlete comes into the final stretch. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
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The agony is over. A duathlete reacts after finishing the race. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
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The heat zone. The final 1km of the run route that felt like you were running through a furnace. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)