Alexandre Ribeiro of Brazil and Amber Monforte of Reno, Nevada took firm control of the Ultraman World Championship with race-fastest 171.4-mile Day Two bike legs that gave Ribeiro a 48:28 lead over Miro Kregar of Slovenia and Monforte a 34:32 lead over Kathy Winkler of Mill Valley, California. Leading into Sunday's Day 3 double marathon. Ribeiro and Monforte are heavily favored to defend their leads and repeat their 2011 Ultraman World Championship titles
The Men
Ribeiro unleashed a 7:36:55 split for the Day 2 bike leg from Volcanoes National Monument through Hilo and Waimea and over the Kohala Mountains to Hawi.
Ribeiro thus broke away from top challenger Miro Kregar about 35 miles into the day when Kregar was assessed a 6-minute drafting penalty. When the day was done, Ribeiro outpaced Kregar by 14 minutes 14 seconds on his 7:51:09 ride and enjoyed a 48:28 accumulated race lead over Kregar and 50:10 over third place Nino Cokan of Slovenia, who biked a 4th-best 8:03:00.
Josef Ajram of Spain biked a 3rd best 8:02:07 to finish Day 2 in 4th place with an accumulated time of 17:03:29.
Ribeiro said the 8,600 feet of climbing on Day 2 suited his strengths. "I love the mountains and have my best performances on them," said the Brazilian who has less confidence in his run. "Tomorrow it will be harder," said Ribeiro. "Miro runs faster than me and tomorrow we will have more sun, more emotion."
As for Kregar, who has several Ultraman World Championship runner-up finishes to his friend Ribeiro, holds little hope of an upset tomorrow. "I run best, but his lead is too much," said Kregar. "I can run faster, but in the end, nothing changes. The result is always the same."
Based on Ultraman competitive history, Ribeiro should be expected to defend his 48:28 lead and earn a record sixth Ultraman World Championship. Last year, the lean, lithe and swift-footed Ribeiro finished off his race with a second-best 6:30:39 double marathon that surrendered just 6:28 to Kregar's race-fastest 6:24:10 run. Ribeiro and Kregar's run talent far outstrip their closest contenders Nino Cokan, who ran 8:03:51 last year, and Joseph Ajram, who ran 8:33 in his most recent Ultraman finish in 2008.
The Women
After trailing Kathy Winkler by 3:13 on Day One, 2-time Ultraman World Champion and women's course record holder Amber Monforte restored the natural competitive order with a dominating 8:09:27 split for the 171.4-mile Day 2 bike leg that outpaced Winkler's 2nd-best 8:47:12 ride by 37:45 and gave the 34-year-old Reno, Nevada nurse a 34:32 lead coming into Sunday's daunting 52.4-mile run. Yasuko Miyazaki of Japan rode a women's 5th-best 9:19:49 bike leg to post an accumulated two-day time of 18:49:16 to rank 3rd going into Sunday's double marathon, 58 minutes behind Kathy Winkler and 15:18 ahead of 4th place Tracey McQuair of Canada.
"This was the best conditions I've ever seen here," said Monforte, "There was no rain and no slippery roads, very little wind, and beautiful blue skies."
After a controlled, non-competitive 30-mile downhill from Volcanoes to start the day, first-day leader Winkler broke away to a brief, 1-mile lead before Monforte made a definitive pass and never saw her rival again.
Monforte's day was not without drama, as she suffered a wheel problem near the end of the leg that could have been disastrous.
"I cracked a rim on the top of the Kohalas in a pothole on the last section of the descent," said Monforte. "I didn’t know I cracked it. But I was hearing some weird noises when I used my rear brake. So I took it really easy coming down. When I stopped, the whole wheel buckled and it was done. It says something for these rims that they held together."
Winkler had her own mechanical problems as well. "My rear wheel spoke blew up outside Hilo," she said. "It was a carbon wheel and made a huge popping sound and things started getting wobbly right away. [Fellow Ultraman competitor] Peter Mueller rode up and asked me if everything was OK. I told him my support crew was right ahead and he was so sweet - he came over and changed the wheel for me and had me back on the road really quickly."
In 2010, Amber Monforte closed her record-setting Ultraman World Championship with a 7:47:29 double marathon, 5:38 better than Winkler's run. While Monforte has no 2012 triathlon finishes, she did break 24 hours and earn a silver buckle at the Western States 100. Winkler best 2012 run performance was in a relay between San Francisco and Santa Barbara which featured plenty of miles but no official split times.
Ultraman World Championship
The Big Island of Hawaii
November 23-25, 2012
Day One S 10k / B 90 mi. Day Two b 171.4 mi. / Day Three R 52.4 mi.
Day Two Results 171.4-mile bike leg
Men
1. Alexandre Ribeiro, 47, (BRA) Day 2 Bike 7:36:55 TOT 16:05:48
2. Miro Kregar, 50, (SLO) Day 2 Bike 7:51:09 TOT 16:54:16
3. Nino Cokan, 39, (SLO) Day 2 Bike 8:03:00 TOT 16:55:58
4. Joseph Ajram, 39, (ESP) Day 2 Bike 8:02:07 TOT 17:039
5. Tony O'Keefe, 51, (CAN) Day 2 Bike 8:05:27 TOT 17:31:12
6. Peter Mueller, 50, (SUI) Day 2 Bike 8:47:14 TOT 18:03:41
7. Gary Wang , 44, (USA) Day 2 Bike 8:08:24 TOT 18:20:19
8. Mark Ford, 50, (USA) Day 2 Bike 8:45:59 TOT 18:21:35
9. Chris Draper, 35, (USA) Day 2 Bike 8:40:19 TOT 19:04:45
10. Michael Brown, 39, (CAN) Day 2 Bike 8:54:54 TOT 19:26:23
Women
1. Amber Monforte, 34, (USA) Day 2 Bike 8:09:27 TOT 17:17:03
2. Kathy Winkler, 46, (USA) Day 2 Bike 8:47:12 TOT 17:51:35
3. Yasuko Miyazaki, 35, (JPN) Day 2 Bike 9:19:49 TOT 17:51:35
4. Tracey McQuair, 37, (CAN) Day 2 Bike 9:05:45 TOT 19:04:34
5. Joni Moore, 46, (USA) Day 2 Bike 9:00:41 TOT 19:39:10
